8:00am Friday 23rd July 2010
AT-A-GLANCE: Honda Jazz 1.4-litre iVTEC petrol ES 5-door hatch.
Price: £13,420.
Top speed: 113mph.
0-62mph: 11.5 seconds.
Fuel: 52.3mpg (combined cycle).
C02 emissions (g/km): 128.
Verdict: Spacious and flexible, stylish, smooth engine and transmission, excellent on fuel, agile, better in town than on motorway.
HONDA’S stylish Jazz has seen off challenges from strong rivals in the supermini sector and continues to cling doggedly to the upper ledges of the sales charts.
It’s a very good small family hatch and its continued popularity is largely due to its ingenious design which creates lots of space and flexibility and also its smooth driving characteristics.
So it’s not surprising that the latest version has not strayed too far from its predecessor’s successful formula, which makes it such a sensible choice for the family or anyone downsizing.
Actually, the Jazz was Honda’s first serious assault on the supermini market in Europe and right from the start the car received a brilliant response from the motoring public.
The latest model should continue to be successful, despite the glut of modern superminis now on the scene, as it is better looking with a more rounded and shapely front end, more powerful motors and a slightly larger body shell which benefits rear seat passengers.
The engine options are the 1.2-litre or 1.4-litre petrol and both are noted for their frugality, returning more than 50mpg during everyday motoring. Prices, which go from £10,990 on the road, are not cheap but considering the good quality of the car and the excellent equipment, the Jazz is decent value.
The “intelligent” 16-valve 1.4-litre is a popular choice, producing 100PS at 6,000rpm. This 1339cc unit has advanced variable valve timing, which is a clever system that varies how long the engine valves open at different revs to optimise the amount of fuel used.
Driven sensibly on the combined cycle, the Jazz returns 52.3mpg, which is especially pleasing during the present belt-tightening times.
With its quiet and sweet-revving motor coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Jazz is best suited to the urban scene as the car’s agility makes it ideal for nipping in and out of the traffic and accelerating swiftly when the need arises. It cruises well on the motorway but the gearing necessitates a fair amount of revs for higher speeds.
The new model also steers and handles better than the previous hatch and changes to the suspension have generally made the ride more composed and comfortable, though the car can still become rather unsettled over poor surfaces.
However, compared to most rivals the ride is rather good, with noise levels reduced for a quiet cabin.
Behind the wheel of the 1.4-litre you can easily obtain a comfortable driving position as there is height adjustment for the plush and supportive seating and tilt and telescopic steering to adjust to your need. There is room for five adults, with rear seat passengers getting more shoulder and leg room in the new model.
But most praise must still go to the excellent use of space thanks to the car’s brilliant design, which allows the rear seats to fold flat and low or for the seat cushions to fold up to give a large central space which is ideal for carrying bulky items.
And the roomy boot is equally well designed with deep floor pockets to add to its usefulness.
Considering it is a small car, the interior oozes plenty of class, with items borrowed from the Civic to give it a modern look and high-tech instrumentation.
The more contemporary cabin design and use of high-quality materials and trim will undoubtedly be an attraction to many would-be purchasers. The ES specification Jazz looks the part with its smart 15in alloy wheels while inside there is air-conditioning, five three-point seatbelts, MP3 connection and other high-tech wizardry.
As one might expect from Honda, safety is tops, with the Jazz having gained an overall NCAP safety rating of five stars.
Besides having dual, front and side airbags, there are full-length side curtain airbags and further safety features include ABS brakes and electronic brake force distribution, which controls the amount of brake force applied to each wheel to lessen the chance of a skid.
With expensive garage repair costs, it is pleasing to know that the Jazz has an excellent reputation for reliability and retaining high residual values, which is good news when the time comes to trade in the vehicle.
The Jazz is now more stylish, better to drive and a more intelligent car than its predecessor and for fans of the brand this will be important as it is these attributes that will make the investment worthwhile.
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