It wouldn’t be a proper motor show without a few leaks and now tomorrow’s 2019 Tokyo show has its first casualty, the all-new 2020 Honda Jazz.
Leaked by Russian website Autoblog.rs, which appears to have snaffled an official brochure of the new model via Japanese website Webcartop.jp, the 2020 Honda Jazz presents a more conservative, smoother style compared to its more angular predecessor.
Showing off an aesthetic that appears to have found inspiration in Honda's unlikely compact hero car, the retro-themed Honda e electric hatch, the headlight design and even the grille and front bumper of the next Honda Jazz (which is known as the Fit in Japan) are a little smoother and softer.
As we reported when Honda revealed a teaser image of its new Jazz last week, the new model will be simultaneously revealed at the Tokyo 2019 motor show and in Amsterdam tomorrow.
The plan is to offer the Jazz only with a twin-motor hybrid powertrain in Europe, but it remains to be seen whether this strategy will carry through to Australia, when the vehicle is expected to launch in early 2020.
Apart from a more rounded appearance, the brochure leak reveals the new Honda Jazz will be available in four model variants in the Japanese market: Basic, Ness, Luxe and Crosstar.
The Ness model has a brightly coloured accents and the Luxe is all about premium interior materials but the most interesting model variant is the Crosstar, which wears protective wheel-arch mouldings and (potentially) a raised ride height to add an adventurous edge to the affordable compact car.
The leaked brochure shows a fairly conventional interior design with a small infotainment screen integrated into the dashboard -- not a striking twin-screen set-up like that seen in the Honda e.
Expect the existing Jazz's famous 'magic seats' to return however, affording the interior plenty of versatility as they tumble and fold to allow for large objects.
The outgoing Honda Jazz is currently priced from $14,990 to $22,990, and its replacement could bring an uptick in price, especially if it's only offered with a hybrid powertrain.
Honda Australia no longer offers a hybrid Jazz, which is currently powered by a 88kW/145Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
In 2018, Honda sold around 7000 Jazz vehicles in Australia -- less than direct rivals such as the Mazda2, Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift – but as with most new product launches the new model can be expected to deliver a sales boost for the brand.
Stay tuned for more details directly from the Tokyo motor show, where Toyota will also reveal its direct competitor for the Jazz in the next-generation Toyota Yaris, which is also due on sale in Australia in the first half of next year.