MOTORS: Honda Jazz is pun-tastic as it hits the right note
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Excuse the pun but this Jazz from Honda is music to my ears. You could say it’s a rocking little car which never missed a beat while I conducted a week-long roadtest of its performance.
But then Honda have an impressive record of offering well-built and reliable cars so I should have known they’d hit the right note.
Enough of the musical references and on to what you get with this latest variant of the fourth generation Jazz model. The Crosstar is designed to look a bit more rugged with styling changes inside and out.
It’s not all show. There’s more power from under the bonnet and the level of standard equipment has been increased too.
The featured car was the top-of-the-range Advance model with extra equipment and chassis revisions to improve the performance for a livelier feel on the road.
Power still comes from Honda’s e:HEV hybrid system but the output has been increased by 10kW from the two-motor powertrain to improve responsiveness while maintaining the efficiency for which the system is renowned. It is impressive – during my time with the car I was easily able to match the claimed economy of almost 60 mpg.
The system has two compact electric motors linked to a 1.5-litre petrol engine, a lithium-ion battery and a fixed-gear transmission via an intelligent power control unit – which work together for a smooth and direct response.
There are three drive modes – EV where the battery supplies direct power to the electric propulsion motors; Hybrid has the engine powering the electric generator motor to supply the electric motors, while in Engine Drive the petrol engine connects directly to the wheels.
It may sound complex but it’s all done automatically and seamlessly and the only clues about what’s happening under the surface is the engine note and the tell-tale green EV sign on the display.
In Hybrid Drive, excess power from the petrol engine is diverted to recharge the battery while regenerative braking also produces extra battery top-up. A battery level display matches the equivalent petrol tank content and it’s remarkable how much electric power can be stored from braking and deceleration.
While the car is extremely efficient and economical, it’s also remarkably agile and fun and perfectly capable and stable in tackling hills, bends and a variety of rough surfaces from pothole-ridden back roads and muddy tracks to smooth and fast motorway.
It is pricey for its size, heading for around £30,000 but it comes with a stack of equipment and safety features although I found it annoying to have to cancel the intrusive lane departure every time I hit the power button to start up.
Externally, there’s a refreshed honeycomb grille and lower front bumper insert as well as a bit of sculpting to the rear bumper, along with some redesign to the side skirts and light surrounds. It’s all pretty superficial but does make the Crosstar look a bit more significant than the basic model.
The test car came in a new colour called Fjord Mist which in some light looked pale blue while in others it became more of a tinted silver, but generally I felt it seemed a bit bland.
The interior has clean and straightforward styling with a new fabric for the anti-fatigue seats which is water-repellent, a smart move for outdoor types or young families.
Interior space is impressive for a car of this size, helped by positioning the fuel tank under the front seats in the centre of the chassis, which allows it to retain the rear seat configuration with both fold-flat or flip-up flexibility, to create a versatile cargo space. The boot still has a wide tailgate opening and stepless flat floor which makes loading of larger or heavy cargo that bit easier.
It may sound like faint praise but this car is nice. It’s like everything comes together in harmony.
Honda Jazz Crosstar Advance
PRICE: £28,010 (£28,635 as tested)
ENGINE: 1498cc 4 cyls in line, petrol, plus two electric motors
POWER: 122 PS combined
TORQUE: 131 Nm combined
TOP SPEED: 108mph
0-62mph: 9.7 secs
