Honda Jazz Range : ALL THAT JAZZ

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Honda has developed the themes of its original Jazz with the latest model. Jonathan Crouch reports

Here's a supermini with a really dedicated following. An astonishing number of Honda Jazz owners buy another and the second generation version we're looking at here has kept them loyal. MPV styling and genuinely useful interior features along with supermini size and manoeuvrability combine to make this an appealing package.

Honda is a brand that likes to do things a little bit differently and nowhere is this wilful disregard for market conventions more evident than in the Jazz supermini. The small car market leaders have dictated that runabouts of this kind with MPV-type versatility must be developed as separate models - so-called `supermini-MPVs': cars with boxy popemobile-type shapes like Renault's Modus or Vauxhall's Meriva. Honda disagrees. Why can't an ordinary supermini offer more than a conventional seating arrangement and a rear hatchback? Hence the Jazz, a five-door Fiesta-sized hatchback with pronounced MPV overtones that aims to do a large part of what other marques manage with three or four small car derivatives. Much of this is thanks to its clever `magic' rear seat which can not only be folded unusually low and flat but can also have its cushion flipped up against the backrest, so leaving a tall loadbay stretching across the cabin in front of the seat. `Sportiness' wasn't too high up Honda's development agenda with the Jazz, hence the lack of any really powerful engines in the line-up. Mind you, that's not to say it isn't good to drive, this MK2 model, like its predecessor, offering a slick shifting gearbox and swift changes of direction. The second generation version is available with two mainstream petrol engines, both using Honda's advanced i-VTEC variable valve timing technology. The 89bhp 1.2-litre unit opens the range and those seeking a lustier, more power-packed time at the wheel can upgrade to the 1.4-litre with, wait for it, 99bhp. Still, power isn't everything. Honda makes great engines and these little petrol units give real cause for optimism that the marque may have pulled it off again. The i-VTEC system produces smooth revving powerplants with lively performance and good efficiency. Go for the 1.4 (which is actually 1339cc in size so we should really call it a 1.3) and you can opt for Honda's 6-speed i-Shift gearbox. This is an automated manual unit that can be used as a full automatic or a clutchless manual.

"The Jazz should be extremely well suited to the needs of its target marketâ€¦."

The packaging brilliance of the first generation Jazz was made possible because the designers moved the fuel tank from beneath the rear seats to a position under those at the front. This approach is continued with the MK2 model and as before, it liberates the floor of the cabin and allows the seats to be folded into all sorts of permutations. Granted, you don't get the option of removing the rear seats but they almost make up for this in their sheer versatility. The car features the Honda Magic Seating system through which the back seats can fold down in one fluid motion into the footwell with the headrests in place. What's more impressive still is that this action doesn't involve scurrying around the car to manually slide the front seats forward, it can all be accomplished from the rear door thanks to a convenient set of levers. Sports fans will appreciate the fact that if you then recline the front passenger seats, there's enough room inside the diminutive Jazz for a pair of 240cm long downhill skis! Garden centre shoppers meanwhile, will love the way you can lift up the rear seat cushion against the rear seat back creating a tall protected space in the rear seat footwells for items like plants. Meanwhile, you can also load up the surprising spacious Double Trunk boot which can divide its 399-litre capacity into four different configurations for carrying different loads. Fold the rear seats and there's 883 litres of space. Prices lie in the £10,000 to £14,000 bracket, slightly more than you'd pay for mainstream rivals like Ford's Fiesta or Vauxhall's Corsa. Still, it's a difference you'll probably get back in a higher resale value when the time comes to sell. Instead of the sprawling line up of different engines and trim levels that are offered by rival manufacturers, Honda likes to keep things relatively simple with its models. The Jazz has one bodystyle and two mainstream petrol engines with a select group of trim options. Standard equipment includes a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility and speed-dependant volume control. Safety has been a major concern in the design process of the Jazz. The car features Honda's ACE body structure which works to help avoid crash situations where larger vehicles ride up over smaller ones. A polygonal front frame channels impact forces back through the car to prevent damage to the passenger compartment. Standard safety equipment looks very generous with dual front and side airbags plus full length curtain airbags on all models. There are also five three-point seatbelts with reminders for the belts in the front and the back. Honda's VSA stability control system is available as an option on all models. By leaving the sporty end of the supermini sector for others to fight over, the Honda Jazz is left free to concentrate on economy and its advanced petrol engines do a grand job. The 1.2-litre model can return 55.4mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 120g/km, making it a very cost-effective vehicle to run. Go for the 1.4-litre and there's still a 54.3mpg showing on the combined cycle with 123g/km emissions making it one of the cleanest units of its kind. There's also an SLI Shift Light Indicator on manual models that shows the optimum time to change up for improved fuel economy. Fit the i-Shift 6-speed gearbox to the 1.4-litre engine and emissions actually drop to Lots of superminis try to be all things to all people but you have to admire the focus and restraint that Honda has shown with its Jazz. The car has always concentrated on doing a few things very well and the second generation model develops that philosophy. The MPV looks of the Jazz give a lot away about the car's intent. It features a spacious interior and numerous clever features designed to make owners' lives easier. With the economical petrol engines thrown in, the Jazz should be extremely well suited to the needs of its target market.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Honda Jazz
PRICES: £9,780-£12,521 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 125-130g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 12.5s / Max Speed 110mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2] (urban) 43.5mpg/ (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 53.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, 5 3-point seatbelts.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 3900/1695/1525mm