It’s Japan versus Korea, Honda v Hyundai, Jazz v Elite i20. Who will be the winner in this friendly neighbourhood tussle? We find out
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Oh, boy, this is going to be exciting! With Honda launching the latest Jazz in the country, we could not resist the temptation to pit it against the segment-leader Hyundai Elite i20. How well did the latest Japanese fare against the already established Korean? Well, when we were done with comparing the diesel variants of these two cars, the results left us gobsmacked. Read on to find out how the fight ended.
Exterior
In my opinion, the old Jazz looked like a dorky college kid who has mysteriously graduated to become a Ninja. The Jazz looks pretty smart and edgy thanks to a familiar dress worn by its elder sibling, the new Civic; just look at that sporty front end and the hip rear end. Nevertheless, the silhouette of the Jazz is similar to that of the old one; it actually looks pretty new to the untrained eye. I quite like the lively and sporty character of the design. I am sure that it will get Honda a completely new class of customers – the youngsters.
The Hyundai, on the other hand, does not look anything like a typical Korean car. That is because Hyundai, as a company, is a quick learner. They have come a long way from making boxy, boring cars like the Santro to this elegant and sleek, almost European-looking Elite i20. The curves and the strong creases look pleasant and give the i20 a rich and classy appearance, something that most of its target buyers long for.
For me the Elite i20 trumps the Jazz in terms of design because of its mature and smart Fluidic design, which brings a lot of premium feel to the table at a similar price.
