The Honda Jazz is a small family car known for its spacious interior and versatility. It was first launched in 2008 with improved space, equipment, and fuel efficiency over the original model. The Jazz has two petrol engine options and offers a comfortable ride along with a tight turning radius for navigating cities. Honda's reliability and affordable costs position the Jazz as a strong competitor against cars like the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.
2. First launched in 2008, the Honda Jazz aims to build on the
huge success of the original model by offering improved
versatility, space and equipment.
It is also more economical, comfortable and quicker than
before but is just as easy to drive in town with a tight
turning circle and great all round visibility.
There are two petrol engines-1.339 & 1.497 litres.
The engines are peppy around town plus offer decent
performance on the motorway, plus the Jazz is comfortable
and easy to drive.
The Honda's biggest strength is its interior which is hugely
practical and impressively spacious, making it one of the
most family-friendly small cars around.
Honda's reliability, strong dealer support, and sensible
running costs makes the Honda Jazz is a natural
competitor for the Ford Fiesta, Mazda3 and Toyota Yaris.
3. Versatile Interior
The Honda Jazz offers a boot that is larger
than most cars’ from the class above thanks to
399-litres of room when all of the seats are in
use.
Jazz models with the larger 1.4-litre engine
also benefit from additional underfloor storage
in the boot, while the clever Magic Seat in the
rear scissors up to divide the cabin into two
large cargo bays.
Alternatively, you can fold the rear seat down
for the full load potential, and all of this is
achieved simply with one hand. The versatility
of the Jazz’s interior is what makes it one of
the strongest contenders in its class.
4. Performance
Honda offers a choice of an 89bhp 1.2-litre
petrol engine, or a 99bhp 1.4-litre. The new
1.2-litre will accelerate from 0-100 kmh
covering the benchmark in 12.5 seconds. The
1.4-litre model reaches 0-100kmh in 11.5
seconds.
Standard manual transmission is a reasonably
slick five-speed gearbox but customers
requiring an automatic need to choose the
CVT (continuously variable transmission)
which is only available in the 1.4.
It blunts performance but you quickly get used
to its behaviour. This CVT is the same one as
used in the Hybrid model. Paddle selectors on
the steering column are standard and allow
you to change up and down manually.
5. Hybrid model
Where the standard 1.2- and 1.4-litre versions
of the Jazz have a petrol engine working on its
own, the Hybrid has an additional electric
motor to supplement its 1.4-litre motor. The
1.4 Hybrid delivers 87bhp compared to the
non-Hybrid model’s 99bhp, giving 0-100 kmh in
12.1 seconds to be a little quicker than the 1.4
CVT model’s 12.8 second time.
The Hybrid uses the same continuously
variable transmission as the petrol-only model,
which takes the edge off of performance and
also means the engine becomes quite rowdy
when asked to accelerate hard, such as when
joining a dual carriageway from a slip road.
6. In Conclusion
The Honda Jazz is well-made, spacious on the
inside, refined, comfortable, affordable, easy
on the eye, reliable and classy.
That it's been Honda's best-selling car speaks
volumes for its broad appeal. The Jazz oozes
quality and performs admirably.
Where the Jazz has lagged behind mainstream
rivals is attracting the younger buyer, who
appreciates low running costs just as much as
the next owner but wants a car with a sporty
edge - even if this is centred around looks and
handling rather than extra performance.
