The Jazz in my Life
April 29th 2016 was a very big day in my life. After a lot of deliberation, discussions, test drives and waits I was finally going to lay my hands on my chariot for the next few years. She’s a titanium grey Honda Jazz and I call her the nightfury. To be frank she was not my first choice, I went around a lot and checked a lot of cars under 10lakhs with an auto box to the transmission duties. Finally, I narrowed down to the Polo GT TSi from the Germans and the Jazz from the Japanese. These 2 cars had completely different characters! The GT was this hot chick in red skirt (The test car was in red) who was living this fast paced life and didn’t care about the world. Other cars would move out of her way because she had this never stop attitude and solid confidence (which German cars give). What if she was reckless, she didn’t care a damn. She would break down (DSG gearboxes had issues), so what, she would have made you fall for her by then that you ignore her flaws! She can give anyone 2 levels above her in the socio economic segment a run for their money and proudly wore the GT TSi tattoo for others to remember who just owned them. Well one drive and I was smitten. The 105 PS engine, glossy red paint job, the beautiful 7 speed fast shifting DSG gear box, the safety kit and solid German built had my heart all over her. The drive left an ear to ear smile on my face! But this had to come to an end and my mom knocked some sense saying we should go to the next showroom as well.
Then we went over to the house of Japanese – Honda. The moment I entered I saw this titanium grey Jazz parked on the showroom floor. Ignoring the pleasantries from the salesman I went directly to her. Well she was pretty! She had a confident stance and each and every panel oozed pedigree, history, and she wore a badge called Honda which in my head was always a sign of aspiration, reliability and safety. She didn’t have the aggression but plain lines that defined her. The space was something that a sedan would offer or rather she could put some sedans to shame. To describe her, she was someone with a purpose and someone who ticks all boxes, practical, refined, confident, safe and well built. She was confident of her legacy and she knew she was more than capable of carrying this baton forward. I wanted to go for a drive! I could already see that my mom and dad had approved of her but for every petrol head the drive is what matters!
I was guided to a maroon car and since I had requested for an automatic they had arranged for it. The service centre person bought her to where we were waiting. When we boarded her all 4 of us along with the sales executive fit. This was my first surprise because mom had to stay back when I drove the polo because there was no space. I could already see the smile on my mom’s face so that’s a brownie point for the Jazz. I shifted her to drive and she quietly guided us out of the showroom with a sense of purpose. I was taken aback by the lack of any drama. The 1.2 litre iVtech engine was butter smooth unlike my love at first sight the GT TSi which was full of drama and let people know that she was coming. Not a sign of strain with 5 people in the car. It was as if she was gracefully holding my hand and guiding me and I was following her dumbstruck by her confidence and poise. In no time we were on the airport road which is one of the open roads in Bangalore. I was easy on her and I didn’t want to push her because she wasn’t that type! But when I looked at the Speedo I was shocked when I saw I had already touched the speed limit of 80 KMPH and nobody in the car even knew. The sales executive gave a slight smile looking at my face because I had a feeling she had done this to other people. She was solid, rock solid! No undulation could shake her and I was in her cocoon, safe and protected. The refinement and overall insulation is a class apart. The CVT gear box did a brilliant job at going through the ratios without any drama, as if they r meant to do this all day long and still come back and do this the next. Then the iVtech engine, God what a refined piece of machine! The engine just pulls and even at high revs it serves up power like Alfred would do to Master Wayne in Batman! The Honda impressed me, she ticked all the boxes, she was awesome and she was built like she will last a lifetime. She was a marvel. She is like this girl whom your mother would say is the right bride for me! But still my heart was smitten by the crazy red hot GT.
I was confused and like how! On one side there is this crazy hot chick who had taken my heart for a ride and on the other there was this pretty girl who ticked all the boxes the right way and did everything right and I wouldn’t have to worry about her for a really long time and she will stick with me till eternity. Then I did what every good son would do – ask mom! Her answer was quick, loaded with assurance and in a motherly voice she said Jazz is the best for you! That’s how our alliance got fixed and we were one on April 29th 2016 me and the titanium grey Honda Jazz V CVT.
It’s been 2 years and she has been an absolute gem. The convenience of a CVT is amazing and the iVtech engine; it’s marvellous! The airy cabin cocoons me from the horrible world, rain, dust, slush, ruts, and anything that the road throws on us. She goes on with a “bring it on” attitude and never ceases to amaze me. She has always silently heard my sorrows, taken my irritation, my frustration, my happiness, my calmness and so on. She does drop her calm demeanour once in a while and truly show what she is and boy o boy can she hit some serious speeds and acceleration in the sports mode. What never ceases to surprise me is the solid, stable and safe way she does it.
The Jazz is an absolute gem of a car and she deserves respect for what she does. She never ceases to surprise me and that has been the constant with every drive. With her it’s the road and not the destination that matters to me! Here’s to the 2 years that’s passed and here’s to many more to come. Like I always tell people “I live my life quarter mile at a time”.
(The article was submitted by Mr. Manu Sasidharan. He is a hardcore petrol head, an auto enthusiast and an amateur designer. He has been in close touch with the industry for a long time and is abreast with the action in the automotive sphere. Driving is his passion and combined with a love for travelling makes him a nomad by nature. On the education front, he has done Engg in Electrical and Electronics from Cochin university and Management studies from Symbiosis Pune.)
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