2009 Honda Fit / Jazz: Teaser Press Release

Honda issued the first official press release on its new Fit (Jazz in European markets) through its UK arm. Strangely Honda hasn’t official let loose any images but they did invite a handful of international magazines a couple of weeks ago to test drive a pre-production model –that’s how the official pictures leaked (…) on the net.

The press release states that the new Fit will premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show on 24 October, 2007 with sales staring in Japan in January ’08. As for the UK, Honda says that plans to bring the next generation model are still over 12 months away. We also discovered that Honda has opened up a dedicated page for the Fit / Jazz on its Japanese page, but unless any of you speak the language, it doesn't help us much. -Press release after the jump, for pictures and initial info click here

Honda’s next generation Fit/Jazz to debut at Tokyo Motor Show

The next generation Fit (sold as Jazz in European markets) will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show on 24 October, 2007. The car will go on sale in Japan in January ‘08 but plans to bring the next generation model to the UK are still over 12 months away.

Five years into its model life and Jazz remains Honda’s most successful small car. Its clever packaging, space and value for money have been a winning formula ensuring global demand and increased production capability.

Since launch in 2002, over 134,399 units* have been sold in the UK, enabling Jazz to retain its top five sector position despite plenty of new product competition. In retail, Jazz has held the number one spot amongst its competitor set for the past four years, selling an average of 19,300 units each year.

The key to success

It was the styling, flexibility (let’s not forget, the magic cinema-style seats) and economy that wowed customers when the car was launched, and continues to draw new and repeat customers today.

“The fresh look of the current car is a testament to the model’s original design and has attracted a loyal customer base which we are keen to retain with an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach to the next generation model,” said Tom Gardner, Head of Marketing, Honda (UK).

Customer satisfaction and Jazz’s excellent reliability have also played a major role, helping to retain customers year after year, Jazz after Jazz. Tom added: “Some of our customers are now on their third Jazz. Honda is renowned for its customer satisfaction and retention but Jazz has set a new benchmark with 60 per cent repeat purchasing in the last 12 months.

Great residuals help cost of ownership

Demand for new and used Jazz has meant that residual values are at levels normally expected from a newly introduced car – not one that’s five years into its lifecycle. After three years and an average 60,000 miles, Jazz will retain 40 per cent of its value.

“The used car performance of Jazz continues to delight us. With excellent value for money and high residuals into the bargain, the cost of ownership proposition has remained strong.”

Jazz has led the JD Power Survey supermini sector for four consecutive years, and continues to consistently win awards five years into its model life. It topped the Which? Reliability tables this year and has an unbeaten five top 5 category finishes in the Auto Express Driver Power Survey. In 2006 Jazz was awarded Best Supermini at Fleet News Awards, demonstrating its versatility across retail and corporate sectors.