Ever since the 10th generation Honda Civic came out, all of Honda’s cars that followed suit gained the good-looking Solid Wing Face grille of the smash hit compact sedan, and this pair of new Hondas are the latest of the bunch to sport Honda’s new face. Soldiering on with their other smash hit, the BR-V, along with the recently refreshed Honda City, Honda clearly shows no sign of stopping.
The Honda Jazz and Mobilio gain new faces and new technology for the 2018 model year. The Honda Jazz, meanwhile, gains a new RS variant, and is now the highest trim of the bunch. Both Mobilio RS and Jazz RS come with a new color for this year called Phoenix Orange Pearl. Do note that RS, which means Road Sailing, does not exactly equate to a high performance variant, unlike what Audi and Ford normally associates RS to.
Honda Mobilio
The Mobilio, as mentioned already, gains Honda’s new version of their Solid Wing Face grille, and whereas the previous Mobilio had a bulbous, rounded front end, this iteration has a sharpened front end, with all the curved areas reduced for a more assertive look. All variants now have LED positioning lamps, yet I still don’t understand why manufacturers still insist on these things instead of putting full LED daytime running lights. New alloy wheel designs are adorned on all variants.
Inside, the Mobilio addresses one of our key complaints from the previous model, the dashboard design. The new design looks and feels better built with more consistent panel gaps, similar to what you’ll find in the BR-V. Additionally, the one-touch folding second row system from the BR-V has now been equipped. Standard on all but the base 1.5 E is a new 7-inch integrated touch screen infotainment system. The RS variant meanwhile adds the benefit of a rear view camera with guidelines, paddle shifters for that “sporty” and spirited driving, as well as a smart key system with push button start.
We’re proud of Honda for pushing the importance of safety in the market, with all variants gaining speed sensing door locks, ABS with EBD, dual SRS airbags (of course), and ISOFIX child seat anchor points. The RS variant adds Vehicle Stability Assist and Hill Start Assist. We believe Vehicle Stability Assist or any other form of electronic stability control system should be standard on all cars in the Philippines.
E MT: P829,000
V CVT: P909,000
RS CVT: P1,029,000
Honda Jazz
The highlight of the new Jazz is the RS variant. It gains plenty of sporty exterior bits such as a RS-specific front and rear bumpers, side skirt, and RS-specific rear spoiler. The wing mirrors, the Civic-style Solid Wing Face grille, and 16-inch alloy wheels receive the gloss black treatment. Other variants also gain new looks, too, with standard LED daytime running lights across the range, power folding mirrors, a revised front and rear bumper design, and a new set of alloy wheels for the base V variant.
Inside, changes are minimal, and it’s not a bad thing, because the Jazz’s interior is already extremely spacious and practical. The major change in the interior comes courtesy of a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is standard on all but the base V variant with a manual transmission. VX and RS gains navigation capabilities, while the RS adds the benefit of having 6-speakers (+2 tweeters from the standard 4-speaker set up), and a more aggressive interior, with new orange stitching details in the new seats, steering wheel, and leather shifter.
Again, we’re proud of Honda for not scrimping on safety features in their latest vehicles, and the Jazz is no exception. Speed sensing door locks, ABS with EBD, and dual SRS airbags are standard on all variants. VX and adds Hill Start Assist and Vehicle Stability Assist, while the RS adds Side Airbags and Side Curtain Airbags. We believe Vehicle Stability Assist should at least be standard on all cars.
V MT: P799,000
V CVT: P849,000
VX CVT: P949,000
RS CVT: P1,029,000
All cars are still powered by the same 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine from before, producing 120 hp and 145 Nm of torque on both cars, with both also offering a CVT or 5-speed manual transmission.
So, does the new treatment make the Jazz and Mobilio a better looking, more exciting purchase?
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