Japanese buyers holding off purchase of Honda Jazz for all-new 2021 Honda HR-V

The all-new 2021 Honda HR-V, which made its global debut in Japan last month as the Honda Vezel, has been a bit too successful. Prices have yet to be announced as the HR-V (Vezel) will only go on sale in Japan in April 2021.

As a result, sales of other similarly priced Honda models took a hit last month, with Honda falling out of the Top-10 most popular models list.

Also read: Bigger, bolder all-new 2021 Honda HR-V debuts, coming to Malaysia in 2022?

Registration numbers reported by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association show that sales of the Honda Jazz (Fit) and Honda Freed dropped to 11th and 12th place respectively for February 2021. Last year, the Honda Jazz was Japan’s 4th best-selling model while the Freed was 7th.

The reason for the drop? Honda dealers interviewed by Japanese publication Kuruma News say that buyers shopping for the Jazz and Freed are holding off their purchase while they deliberate on the HR-V.

You shouldn’t compare a MPV / hatchback with an SUV? Try telling that to buyers at the showroom floor.

Why are buyers comparing an SUV with a Jazz hatchback and a Freed MPV?

Car buying behaviour is changing. As functionalities and ease of use of the current range of crossovers / SUVs overlap with hatchbacks (or even sedans), consumers no longer limit their purchases by body style.

Also, Japan sells a 5-seater variant of the Freed, known as the Freed+. This segment of buyers could also cross over (get it?) to the HR-V.

For many of these buyers, the all-new HR-V falls within their affordability range, does the same thing as the Jazz and Freed+, and being the latest model, it sways buyers a bit more.

A Honda dealer told the Japanese publication, "Since the Vezel (HR-V) first appeared in 2013, many customers have been drawn to its spacious interior and luggage space. So when the new Vezel was launched, there is a lot of interest. Regardless of what car body type segment they are shopping at, customers are saying, "I want to know the details, I want to see the actual vehicle."”

Also read: Check out how spacious the all-new 2021 Honda HR-V is!

Closer to home, Perodua is expecting some low level cannibalization between its models as buyers compare between the Perodua Myvi and Perodua Ativa. Both are five seaters offering similar functionalities.

The 7-seater Perodua Aruz however, should be unaffected as it serves a group of customers who genuinely need 7 seats.