ROAD TEST HONDA JAZZ 1.4 Honda has a new supermini, the Jazz. Andrew Hamilton tested itrecently
Honda is getting talked about a lot more these days. It's all because of a new supermini called Jazz which appears to break new boundaries in the highly competitive business of packaging. Jazz from Honda is being hailed as more than a match for Fiesta from Ford and Polo from Volkswagen (the new ones, of course) as well as all the other established competitors like the Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris and Fiat Punto. Oddly enough, it isn't the first time that the Jazz badge has been around with Honda: we remember it back in the mid-1980s as a not-very-appealing mini car that was meant to have appeal for womenfolk.
The 1.4 litre 82 bhp thoroughly modern five-seater Jazz that we drove recently, is a very flexible load lugger. If, like most cars these days, there's only one or two people in the front, the rear seats fold in two different ways. One solution has the back rests going down to leave a long flat deck. The other has the rear cushions going up, creating a massive floor-to-ceiling area. This latter permutation is best when the cargo is awkward: Honda says it is big enough to accommodate a couple of bikes with their front wheels removed, or a bay tree from the garden centre.
Jazz's vital statistics are 3,830 mm long and 1,675 mm wide, making it roughly the same size as the aforementioned rivals. The secret is actually in the height: at 1,525 mm, it is considerably taller. Surprisingly, the taller profile isn't conspicuous but the big benefit, naturally, is the airy and spacious cabin. Another space saving idea has been mounting the fuel tank under the front seats. On our test we were able to accommodate four adults and on one occasion five, which was admittedly a bit of a pinch.
There's more joy to the Jazz than just fitting in bodies and bulk. The cleverness also extends to the engine, called i-DSI. It's out-of-the-ordinary for a supermini with twin spark technology, i.e., two spark plugs firing in each cylinder. The effect, according to Honda, is "lively performance and exceptional frugality". We managed a very credible 45 mpg on a long run, a little short of the combined Euro economy figure of 50 mpg.
Jazz is indeed a lively performer on the road - most of the time. Top speed is claimed to be 106 mph and it should go from 0 to 62 mph (or 100 kph) in 12 seconds. The five-speed gearbox does feel slick and sporty. Drivers, however, will find that they are frequently dropping gear to get extra acceleration, especially when the road climbs or swift passing out manoeuvres are necessary. It's a consequence of Honda engineering the box with relatively short gearing.
There are neat and tidy driving manners and it cuts through the traffic with panache. Electric power assistance provides the steering with the right amount of feel, especially noticeable around the town and in parking. We think the ride could be improved: it's only apparent though, when the going gets a bit rough.
All in all, the Honda Jazz is a highly accomplished car and during our test period, it attracted attention.We had no less than five queries from passers-by and all said that the looks set it apart in the car park: that's in fact, where they did their spotting. One man said he liked it because it offered MPV practicality without being a MPV.
The good notes that the Jazz is playing has a downside. There are too many customers and not enough cars. Frank Kennedy, Honda's Irish sales and marketing director says he is currently out of stock: "We have an allocation of 450 units and that's not nearly enough. There are volume restrictions due to its success in the home market. It has been voted Car of the Year in Japan and in fact, is now the best-selling model there."
We haven't yet mentioned that most important fact, price. The Jazz here retails at €16,500 ex-works, that's £12,995 in old Irish money. It comes in a rung below Honda's best-known car, the Civic, which in its 1.4 litre base form retails at €17,620 ex-works.
As for the Jazz's specification, it is fairly basic with driver and passenger airbags but no airbags on the side, no ABS and a radio cassette unit instead of the more popular CD radio combination.
Arguably the Jazz is the sort of car that should cause worry to the big volume supermini purveyors.Frank Kennedy, however, pragmatically admits that it's a matter of numbers with the big volume people like Volkswagen and Polo selling 5,000 or more of the Fiesta and Polo in a full year: "Still we think we have a car that is exceptional both in its power unit and packaging, one that will have a lot of desirability in the market."12