New Jazz to be built at Swindon from next year

[Brodick]

The good news confirmed yesterday, 29 September 2008, is that Honda of the UK Manufacturing will add their all new Jazz ‘supermini’ model to its production line up at their Swindon manufacturing facility.
Currently the plant builds Civic 3-door and Honda CR-V models. Production will begin in September or October 2009 although the new Jazz is being premiered this week, 2nd October at the Paris Motor Show.
Sales of the new Jazz 1.2, 1.4-litre models, supplied from Japan, will start in the UK from the end of October this year at prices ranging from £9,990 to £13,590.
Honda UK expects to sell 28,170 Jazz vehicles in the UK in 2008. A total of 160,918 have been sold in the UK since Jazz sales started in 2002.
Honda said yesterday, “The production of the new Jazz will provide greater long term stability for Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) and recognises the trend towards smaller more fuel efficient vehicles in the European market. Honda expects the sales volume of the new Jazz to increase.
David Hodgetts, Director at HUM, stated “We are extremely pleased to announce production of the new Jazz at our operation in Swindon. We are looking forward to the challenge of introducing a brand new small car into mass production in 2009 which will increase our total overall volume.
"In the short term we are facing a difficult period but there will be no job losses. We have an extremely strong and flexible workforce who will continue to manufacture top quality cars for our customers”.

Bad news


Honda is facing a similar situation to many other car manufacturers due to the global downturn in demand, mainly in the Western European region.
In the short term HUM has announced a revised production plan to its workforce. From the beginning of December 2008 one of its two car plants will move onto a single shift day pattern, whilst the other plant will remain at full production.
Associates will be re-deployed across its operation. In addition, HUM will extend its Christmas shutdown period by one week as well as reallocate some production days to later next year.
Production will be cut from the expected 238,000 units, achieved in 2007, down to around 206,000 vehicles this year.
The Honda Swindon facility with its two plants covers 370 acres and employs 4,800 ‘associates’. The plant was established in 1985, produced its two millionth car this year and Honda has invested £1.38 billion in the facility.
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(seemed to miss out the 5 door civic in the article )

[gmp]

nobody wants to see people laid off/reduced hours, but to build the jazz at swindon -I am horrified,I was looking forward to maybe buying a jazz with its reliabily record(made in japan/anywhere else).Have'nt honda learnt anything from the disaster of the civic??

[Brodick]

again the CR-V is built and swindon and does not have any issues
build quality is solid

The civic's problems are unfortunate but no completely down to the guys and gals at swindon

[gmp]

Who ever has been responsible for manufacture of my civic, I appreciate sub contracting goes on, but huk surely employes an inspection process.I owe alot to my dealer who is endevouring to put the car right.It's sad that the faults are there because I really like the car - but when all is said and done, I paid my money and did'nt get what I paid for!!

[Honcho]

Deeply amusing slogan on the Honda website: Pass the Jazz!

Even if you buy the 1.4 model (with i-shift) you'll almost be able to do that walking.

0-62mph in 13.9 secs!

[czechplastik]

Hmm, I hope they keep the quality up. The Jazz has been massively successful for Honda would be a shame if they let it slip. Thought I would be surprised if they allowed it to happen.

Still not for me though, maybe in 40 years or so.

[HappyMan]

It's car my wife is considering as her next car. She wants to see it in the flesh first before she decides.

[Greedy]

Originally Posted by gmp

nobody wants to see people laid off/reduced hours, but to build the jazz at swindon -I am horrified,I was looking forward to maybe buying a jazz with its reliabily record(made in japan/anywhere else).Have'nt honda learnt anything from the disaster of the civic??

And how do we know they have not learnt from the Civic launch - unless you define learning as walking away from the problem (plant) which is the implication of the comment. After all the quality of the Civic's being produced now has improved considerably since launch. Also consider as Brodick says - the CRV out of same plant does not have such issues. So argueably they have learnt a lot already.

So if you think about it - A globally made car with global suppliers has a good quality level where as a European unique car with European suppliers seems to be having lots of probems - and a significant number (although not all) of them with the parts themselves. And both vehicles made by the same people. Yes - in plant 1 they make the Civic and the CRV on the same line back to back so its exactly the smae people.

I think the people at Swindon will do as good if not better job as the Japan plant (for the RHD Jazz) and the Chinese plant (for the LHD EU models) do.

Lets face it with our current economic climate, we need all the manufacturing we can get in this country.

For sure, when my wifes current Jazz is due for replacement (back to the Thread) in Oct 2010 I shall be buying her a Swindon built Jazz. And i'll put a 'Made in Britain' sticker on the back.