2011 Honda Jazz Hybrid gets 52 mpg, still not coming to U.S.

2011 Honda Jazz Hybrid (Honda Fit Hybrid)

Honda has dropped some more pictures and details of the new Jazz Hybrid, which will be making its world debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show later this week… but first – let’s review what we already knew.

A hybrid version of the Honda Fit (that’s what we call it on the stateside), the Honda Jazz Hybrid is powered by the same 1.3L i-VTEC gasoline engine mated to the company”s IMA hybrid system and a CVT gearbox that is found in the Insight and the CR-Z.

Honda now tells us that the Jazz Hybrid:

  • Retains the flexible Magic Seats.
  • Gets 104 g/km of CO2 emissions.
  • Gets an improved fuel economy offers up to 64.2 mpg (52 mpg in U.S. terms).

The Honda Jazz hybrid will go on sale in some European markets in the early part of 2011. Honda has no plans to offer the car in the United States or Canada.

2011 Honda Jazz Hybrid (Honda Fit Hybrid):

Press Release:

HONDA JAZZ WITH HYBRID TECH: AS PRACTICAL AS EVER – WITH LOWER EMISSIONS

Making its debut at the Paris Motor Show this week, the hybrid version of the Jazz features Honda’s innovative petrol-electric IMA system and retains the practical characteristics found in the supermini, while lowering emissions and improving fuel economy.

“¢ World”s first B-segment car with hybrid technology
“¢ No compromise ““ features all the practicality of the standard Jazz
“¢ Retains the flexible Magic Seats
“¢ Up to 831 litres of boot space
“¢ 104 g/km of CO2 emissions*
“¢ Improved fuel economy offers up to 64.2 miles per gallon*

The Jazz will feature the same 1.3 litre i-VTEC as the Insight hybrid and despite its taller body shape, the new car has similar CO2 emissions of 104 g/km* – 21g/km less than the current lowest-emitting 1.2-litre petrol Jazz. As well as the environmental benefits, the cleaner emissions bring more affordable driving too: road tax exempt for the first year and just £20 a year after, the hybrid version of the Jazz will also be free from the London congestion charge.

“We think that a cleaner, more economical version of the Jazz will be a big hit with customers,” said John Kingston, Government Affairs and Environment Manager, Honda (UK). “The IMA hybrid technology is incredibly easy to use, owners don”˜t need to worry about plugging anything in to charge. It”˜s simply a case of filling up with petrol and driving on as normal.”

Like the Insight and Civic Hybrid models, the hybrid version of the Jazz will be capable of running on the electric motor alone under some medium and low speed conditions and this contributes to a combined fuel consumption figure of 64.2 mpg* – a 23 per cent improvement over the best-selling 1.4 ES model.

Honda has added this cleaner hybrid technology to the supermini while retaining the flexibility of its unique folding Magic Seats. The IMA battery pack and power control unit have been integrated in the area under the boot floor, keeping the normal boot area of 300 litres and allowing the Magic Seats to fold in the same manner as non-hybrid versions. This means that the seats still fold entirely flat to provide a surprising large boot space of 831 litres, or the seat bases can be folded to sit vertically to accommodate tall items within the car.

The Jazz with hybrid technology will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and will go on sale in the UK in early 2011. Prices, homologated emissions levels and full specifications will be announced at a later date.

– By: Omar Rana