Honda JAZZ RANGE
Just About The Only Complaint You Could Level At Hondas Jazz Was The Limited Choice When It Came To Engines.
Honda Have Now Gone Some Way Towards Rectifying This Issue. Andy Enright Reports
Were all agreed that Hondas Jazz is one of the best superminis you can buy. Its well built, smartly styled and fun to drive. The problem with the Jazz range has always been one of choice. Want a diesel engine? Tough.
| Build |
 |
| Comfort |
 |
| Depreciation |
|
| Economy |
 |
| Equipment |
 |
| Handling |
|
| Insurance |
|
| Performance |
|
| Styling |
|
| Value |
|
Want a quicker version? No dice. These would seem to be the key areas
Honda needed to address but instead of offering an oil burner and a pocket rocket, theyve instead decided to launch a junior sibling and give the remainder of the line up a wash and brush up.
Its quite an odd decision. The 1.2-litre engine supplements the 1.4-litre powerplant and develops almost as much power.
Whereas the existing 1.4-litre unit is good for 83bhp, the 1.2-litre is only five ponies shy at 78bhp. Top speed is identical and its only a mite slower to 60mph.
Fuel consumption goes up from 48.7 mpg to 51.4mpg which would seem to make the 1.2-litre version the sensible pick.
Well it would if Honda hadnt hobbled it somewhat. Whereas the 1.4-litre car is treated to a refresh of its styling, the 1.2-litre model is only available in base S specification and continues with the old cars lights, wheels and door mirrors for the time being at least.
It really does make the car seem like the poor relation and doesnt do a lot to inspire confidence in this addition to the range. The 1.4-litre car, now available as either an SE or a Sport, gets 15-inch inch alloy wheels, ddoor-mirror mounted LED indicators and a sharper look to both the front and rear light clusters. The interiors have also been given a refresh on the SE and Sport models with a more hard wearing textured
seat fabric, Accord-style self illuminating instruments and a sportier design for the steering wheel.
Other refinements include a revised stereo system with wheel mounted controls, an exterior temperatiure indicator and chrome detailing for the handbrake. Should you opt for the CVT gearbox, proper shift paddles replace the rather unsatisfying buttons.
"Honda have still to plumb a diesel engine into the Jazz"
The 1.4 Sport additionally gets a sports front grille, unique alloy wheels, a more aggressive looking body kit plus front fog lights. The value proposition has also been improved by the fitment of fully automatic climate controlled air conditioning and a
smart black interior trim. The colour palette has been extended for Jazz owners, with Sirius Blue, Macha Crame (green to the uninitiated) and Venus Orange metallics being offered as well as a striking Helios Yellow pearlescent hue.
Success in the supermini sector is all about managing compromise. Manufacturers strive to build a car thats small on the outside yet spacious indoors, thats quick off the mark yet able to return impressive fuel economy. Its also about being able to create a stylish shape given all of the previous constraints. Some cars manage it far better than others, and the Jazz is prima facie evidence.
The car market isnt entirely meritocratic though. The Jazz may well be the best supermini money can buy but it wont outsell a
Peugeot 206 even with the latest round of revisions. The Jazz has been on sale in Japan for much longer than weve seen the car in Europe (badged as the Fit) and there, as here, has set class standards in terms of interior space. The designers have thought long and hard regarding the packaging of the car and have utilised Hondas expertise in MPV manufacture to engineer in a number of fundamental advantages.
Moving the fuel tank from beneath the rear seats to a position under the front pair liberates the floor of the cabin and allows the seats to be folded into all sorts of permutations. Granted, you dont get the option of removing the rear seats but they almost make up for this in their sheer versatility. An innovative retraction system means that youre able to collapse the rear seats into the footwell with the headrests in place. Whats more impressive still is that this action doesnt 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.
The result is a perfectly flat load floor 1740mm in length. Sports fans will appreciate the fact that if you then recline the front passenger seats, theres enough room inside the diminutive Jazz for a pair of 240cm long downhill skis! Honda have focused on making this trick seating system as user friendly as possible. Although the external dimensions only read 3,830mm long by 1,675mm wide, the Jazz is a good 1,525 mm tall, making it loftier than a
Toyota Yaris and even its senior sibling the Civic. The driving position is fairly upright as a result and even those well over six feet tall should be able to find a comfortable position behind the wheel.
It seems that Honda have rather sidestepped the problem concerning the Jazz. With no diesel-powered version and no really convincing sporting tot, the Jazz range looks a little two dimensional. Even the addition of a 1.2-litre engine does little to broaden the appeal but if the Jazz does fit your needs, youll find one of the best cars in its class.
If only Honda would let the Jazz off the leash, it could do so much more.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Honda Jazz range
PRICES: £8,725-£11,625- on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-3
CO2 EMISSIONS: 129-137g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 13.7s / Max Speed 106mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2] (combined) 51.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 3830/1675/1525mm
<< Back to Honda car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used Honda Cars For Sale UK
