Honda Australia releases limited edition Jazz Vibe

HONDA Australia has released a limited edition of its volume-selling Jazz light car to boost sales volumes as it recovers from factory flooding in Thailand last year.

The Jazz Vibe adds a raft of standard features and three new exterior colours, and is available with either 1.3 or 1.5-litre engines.

It is among the first Japanese-built Jazz models to arrive here following Honda Australia’s decision late last year to temporarily source the Jazz and Civic sedan from its homeland to combat lack of supply from its Thai operations.

The entry-level Vibe 1.3 picks up 15-inch alloy wheels, climate-control air-conditioning, leather steering wheel with audio controls, driver and front passenger seatback pockets, cruise control, rear spoiler, electrically retractable side mirrors and a leather gear knob.

Drive-away pricing with a manual gearbox is listed at $17,990, while the automatic (with paddle shifters on the steering wheel) is $19,990 drive-away.

The flagship Vibe-S 1.5-litre automatic, priced at $22,240 drive away, gains 16-inch alloys, sportier bumpers and side skirts.



In comparison, standard Jazz 1.3-litre variants kick off at $14,990 not including on-road costs, while the high-end VTi-S 1.5 automatic retails for $20,990 plus on-roads.

Standard Vibe features carried over from standard Jazz models include Bluetooth phone and USB connectivity, power windows, six airbags and a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The new paints schemes are Azure blue, Milano red and Storm silver.

Honda Australia’s head of sales and marketing, Stephen Collins, said the Vibe offers “substantial upgrades in features and overall value” in the growing local small-car market.

The Jazz Vibe can be ordered now, with deliveries beginning in February.

While the Jazz remained Honda’s top-selling car in Australia last year with 7407 sales, it was down 18.1 per cent on the previous year.

However, it still performed better than Honda Australia’s range as a whole, which was down by some 25.4 per cent.

Honda Jazz Vibedrive-away pricing:
Vibe 1.3	$17,990
Vibe 1.3 (a)	$19,990
Vibe-S 1.5 (a)	$22,240