Under the bonnet of the Honda Jazz: I-SHIFT, VTEC and more technology

Description

Technical information and a behind-the-scenes interview with Kohei Hitomi - the man challenged to design the new Jazz - and Elliot Smith (Technical Trainer). Partial transcript: "What makes the Jazz great is that it's outstanding in not just several areas but in areas that typically conflict: design, usability, handling, economy. The exterior styling concept was originally created by Okamoto-san who designed the Civic. It is a very advanced design - what we wanted for Jazz. One target customer is downsizers from the C-segment. We designed the Jazz so that they would feel good about its quality and ride comfort." Elliot Smith (Technical Trainer): "We did some subtle changes to the suspension as well. There's basically the same suspension layout - to the front, we've increased the castor which gives a bit more trail - this gives a more positive feel to the steering. It gives a bit more weight to it as well. We counteracted that with electronic power steering - we've raised it from 40 amps to 60 amps. The rear suspension, we changed the ratio where the spring lies - this gives us a more supple suspension ride, but a firmer and better feel overall, so the car handles a lot better but gives you a much more nimble feel. With the new Jazz, we introduced two engine variants, both with VTEC. We've gone from two valves per cylinder to four valves per cyclinder. This gives us the best of both worlds with economy and power. For 1.2 L, we have 90 PS, and for 1.4 L it's 100 PS. For the <b>...</b>

Keywords

Honda, Jazz, super, mini, fit, car, technology, Kohei, Hitomi, design, Elliot, Smith, I-SHIFT, VTEC

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