The new Honda - and all that Jazz
By Andrew Fawkes - 11/09/2008
The launch of the original Honda Jazz in 2002 created a whole new competitive set within the Small Car sector – suddenly, small cars were expected to be huge inside. Consequently, Honda has now sold over two million of these Tardis Class cars worldwide. Whilst many of the traditional competitors have been revising their product, Honda have been busy improving the original concept… welcome to the new Honda Jazz.
Style and Handling
The car now has a slightly more forceful look, taking some of its styling cues from the sportier Civic model. But it’s not all looks, there’s a whole lot of substance behind it.
Firstly the 1.2 litre and 1.4 litre petrol engines are now more powerful and with improved emissions, meaning they’re cheaper to run and easier on the conscience. Again, there is no diesel in the range.
Secondly, a slightly increased wheelbase and changes to the suspension mounts, front and aft, means that the car handles better and feels more solid on the road, whether you’re tootling to the shops or hacking down the motorway – something not recommended in the previous model.
Inside
Inside the car has been made bigger and lighter by moving the bottom of the windscreen further away from the dashboard. This, aligned to narrower A-pillars, means that forward visibility has also been improved, especially through the enlarged front quarter lights.
The EX models also benefit from a panoramic glass roof with electric blind, dramatically increasing light in the cabin and of course providing a great view for airshows... albeit only when parked for those in the driving seat.
Rear passengers also get more knee and shoulder space.
Sitting Behind the Wheel
Honda has been justifiably criticised for overly-fussy dashboard layouts. The new Jazz doesn’t really answer this criticism and will take a bit of getting used to… not least finding switches that are hidden from view behind the steering wheel now that a cupholder takes that space. That said, if you like carrying drinks on the go, there’s no safer place to carry one than in the corner in front of you. There are also 10 more of them dotted about the cabin.
One welcome addition is the steering wheel is now adjustable for both height and reach.
The sound insulation has also been improved. The car is literally silent when idling and quieter than the current model at all engine speeds. Honda have also removed the hollow metallic noises that plagued the previous model, such as when closing the sun visors against the headlining.
The Auto Option
The new i-Shift system provides the automatic transmission alternative to the slick and easy manual gearbox. In order to keep the cost down, a single clutch mechanism means that gear changes are somewhat ponderous at all speeds.
I can’t really see those people who choose the i-Shift doing anything other than leaving the car in fully automatic mode. The option to change gear manually, using the stick shift or steering wheel paddles, is like having too many dishes on the menu of your local Chinese takeaway… and selecting ‘Set Meal A’ every time.
The system is clever and will return itself to fully automatic mode if you forget or accidentally flick a paddle, but I’m sure that Honda sales staff will soon learn to promote all these gear change options only to those drivers who really want these kinds of systems and can’t afford a Lamborghini.
There are better automatics available from the competition, but none that offer all the other benefits of the Jazz.
Carrying People and Things
This is where the Jazz continues to wow people. Go into a Honda showroom and the salesman will show you the inside of the Jazz before talking about any of its other features.
Getting in and out of the car has been improved through wider door openings, not that it was a problem before. This is also true of the boot opening. Perhaps more importantly, the heavy tailgate that was hard to reach has been addressed by both moving the grab handle and reducing the spring tension to make it lighter to use.
Jazz’s unique rear seating arrangement, enabled by siting the fuel tank in the central undertray area, provides a multitude of storage and seating options. The new model takes this to the next level by making the transformation from car to ‘van’ easier. No longer do finger nails have to be risked to drop the rear seats, two easy levers on the back seats now converts the five-seater into a four, three or two-seater, with the total load capacity increased to a whopping 883 litres (that’s 194 gallons in old money)!
Honda have also created a really useful double decker boot space area that includes a stowage net to stop shopping, especially bottles, rattling around. Sadly this is not available on the 1.2 model.
Gone is the previous model’s roller blind system and in its place an old fashioned parcel tray with latch strings. Sadly, however, Honda’s Head of Nail-Breaking clearly got his way in designing the new parcel shelf retaining hooks!
There’s now a very useful space between the rear seats and the parcel shelf to hold an umbrella. The press-studs holding this in place are fiddly to attach. I would have preferred to see a Velcro system employed here (and as a buyer would be tempted to fit my own).
So, should you buy one?
There are a number of reasons for the answer to be yes.
1. This is the definitive small car with big ideas (big interiors actually).
2. The build quality now makes it feel like a big car; you really have to stand outside to see how small it is.
3. It doesn’t cost much to run.
4. It starts at £9,990 OTR; the key grade 1.4ES starts at £11,490 OTR and the top of the range EX with i-Shift is goodish value at £13,590 OTR.
5. A good dealer network makes servicing not too inconvenient.
6. Honda re-sale values are traditionally high, so you can realistically expect to see your new Jazz being worth around 40% of its purchase price in 3 years time.
The new Honda Jazz is available in the UK in October… and I suspect it will again sell like hot cakes.
Click on the first link below to see our exclusive video of the Jazz, or on the second link to go onto the Honda site.