Honda Jazz Range [New] : ALL THAT JAZZ

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Honda has developed the themes of its original Jazz with the latest model. Steve Walker reports.

It looks like more of the same from Honda with the latest Jazz but thousands of Jazz fans up and down the country will be delighted with that. Hondas supermini uses MPV styling and interior features to deliver real practicality and its economical engines will keep running costs low.

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 original Jazz was a roaring success for Honda, picking up a clutch of industry awards and provoking warm fuzzy responses from its owners but tow the supermini party line it did not. The latest model looks to be a development on the Jazzs contrary themes with MPV looks, a voluminous interior and a petrol-only engine range. Other major car manufacturers have an array of small cars.

There are superminis with three and five doors, even supermini estates, and many offer small MPV models based on supermini platforms. Honda just has the Jazz. Its a five-door supermini 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.

One thing the old Jazz didnt do was sporty and this model appears no different in that regard. Thats not to say it wasnt good to drive, the Jazz offering a slick shifting gearbox and swift changes of direction but its engines lacked the impetus to challenge even the most tepid of hatchbacks. The latest model is available with two engines, both using Hondas 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. 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.

Compared to the less high tech 1.4-litre i-DSi engine in the old Jazz, the latest 1.4-litre unit (actually 1339cc in size) gives a 17bhp power boost and a 8Nm increase in torque to 127Nm. Honda is offering its 6-speed i-Shift gearbox with this engine which is an automated manual unit that can be used as a full auto or a clutchless manual.

"The Jazz should be extremely well suited to the needs of its target market."

The Jazz has always been one of the roomiest models in the supermini class and its grown further its latest form, though not by too much. The car is the same height as its predecessor at 1,525mm but the length is up 55mm to 3,900mm and the width increases 20mm to 1,695mm. These dimensions put the Jazz up with the very largest cars in the supermini class. Significantly, 50mm of that length increase is in the cars wheelbase to increase the space inside and the front track has been widened by 35mm to promote a lively driving experience.

The Honda Jazz has always been about utility and the latest car shows no sign of tinkering with the winning formula. The wide-opening rear doors aid access to the back seats and all the doors open in three steps to help stop the kids clouting adjacent cars in tight parking spaces. The windscreen pillars are noticeably narrow and there are retractable rear headrests to aid visibility out the back. Top spec models feature a full length glass sunroof with heat absorbing glass to counter any greenhouse effects.

The one-box shape of the Jazz mirrors that of leading MPVs. It does little to set the heart aflutter but it leads you expect the kind of roomy interior thats found in these people carrying models. Sure enough, kneeroom for back seat occupants is up 37mm while shoulder room is up 43mm in the rear and 44mm in the front. The car features the Honda Magic Seating system through which the back seats can fold down in one fluid motion.

Then theres the Double Trunk boot which can divide its 399-litre capacity into four different configurations for carrying different loads. 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 engines with a select group of trim options. Standard equipment includes a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility and speed-dependant volume control while the EX model adds a USB adapter that will allow MP3 players to integrate with the system.

Safety has been a major concern in the design process of the Jazz. The car features Hondas 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. Hondas 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 125g/km making it a very cost-effective vehicle to run. Go for the 1.4-litre and theres still a 54.

3mpg showing on the combined cycle with 123g/km emissions making it one of the cleanest units of its kind. Theres 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 120g/km.

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 latest model develops that philosophy. The MPV looks of the Jazz give a lot away about the cars 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: £9,900 - £13,590 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-4 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: [1.2] 125g/km [est]
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 12.5s / Top Speed 110mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2] 55.4mpg [est]
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