NEW DELHI: Honda Cars India on Wednesday launched its much talked about new Honda Jazz at a starting price of Rs 5.3 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). While the petrol base variants will range from Rs 5.3 lakh to Rs 7.85 lakh, the diesel variants will cost between Rs 6.49 lakh to Rs 8.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

India is the first market to get a diesel-powered Honda Jazz. The Jazz is powered by Honda's Earth Dreams 1.5-litre i-DTEC four-cylinder unit. On the other hand, the Honda Jazz petrol is powered by the 1.2-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine which is also seen on the Brio and Amaze.

The Jazz diesel returns a figure of 27.3 km/litre, while the petrol MT is rated at 18.7 km/litre, and the CVT at 19 km/litre.

The new Jazz's design is based on what Honda calls 'Crossfade Monoform Exterior'. The new Jazz is 55 mm longer in overall length and 30 mm longer in wheelbase over its predecessor. The Jazz will be offered in a total of 7 colors.

The new Jazz is manufactured solely at the Tapukara, Rajasthan, plant of Honda Cars India. Even export units are rolled out from this plant. The localization level on the new Jazz is above 90 per cent.

The top-end VX trim of the Jazz will get dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and a reverse camera. Since the discontinuation of the previous gen i20, there are no premium hatchbacks you can buy with side and curtain airbags in India.

Since its international launch in 2001, Honda has sold over 5.5 million units of the Jazz (known as the Fit in certain markets) worldwide. And in 14 years of being on sale, the Jazz has seen two lifecycle changes, the most recent of which was launched in Japan in September 2013.

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) President and CEO Katsushi Inoue said: "The all new Jazz will be a key pillar of business and would be instrumental in driving the growth for Honda Cars in India."

Asia Honda Motor Co President and Director Noriaki Abe said Jazz marked the company's re-entry into the premium hatchback segment in the country.

"Jazz has played a significant role in boosting our business globally and I am confident that it will replicate the same success in India," he added.

To keep the momentum going in the Indian market in the current fiscal by launching models in the "exciting segment", Abe said.

Elaborating on the importance of Indian market, Abe said it is now the fourth largest market for Honda globally and contributed around 30 per cent of sales in the Asia and Oceanic region sales.

Commenting on Jazz, Abe said that the company has increased the local content to over 90 per cent from the earlier content levels of 72 per cent, thereby making it more competitive in the Indian market.