Honda’s e-drive gets a new tune out of traditional Jazz

DSG gearbox is excellent; quick to change and always in the right gear. The four-wheel drive system sends the majority of the torque to the front wheels for most of the time and the result is extremely stable handling.

It’s not as fun to drive as a Golf R because it’s heavier and taller, but it’s not far off.Although you sit high in this crossover you can crank the driver’s seat down remarkably close to the floor which makes you feel more in touch with the road.

BIG BRAKES come from the Golf R’s optional performance package and are well up to the job. The T-Roc R is a relative latecomer to the hot compact SUV club but it’s one of the most effective and one of the most fun to drive.

More of this type will follow with Ford no doubt readying a hot “ST” version of its new Puma.

If you’re a big fan of crossovers, need a practical family car and want a lot of performance, this is a good choice.

Whether you prefer it to the Audi SQ2 or Cupra Ateca will depend upon your brand loyalty, and the styling of each of them.

THE NEW Honda Jazz, which will go on sale this summer, will feature a hybrid powertrain in all models sold.

The engine in the Jazz is a 1.5-litre petrol backed up by two electric motors with a total power output of 109PS.

Three driving modes are available: EV Drive in which the lithium-ion battery supplies power to the electric propulsion motor directly; Hybrid Drive, in which the petrol engine supplies power to the electric generator motor which in turn supplies it to the electric propulsion motor; and thirdly there’s Engine Drive in which the petrol engine drives the wheels directly.

The new Jazz has a fuel economy of 62.8mpg and emissions of 102g/km.

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AN INTERESTING survey by Euro Car Parts arrived in the inbox this week. The company quizzed 2,000 drivers from around the country on whether they would consider buying an EV as their next car. Only two per cent said that they would, with 66 per cent citing worries about the charging network but only 47 per cent about range.

The government has scored an easy PR win by talking about banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035 and transport minister Grant Shapps saying he will now bring that forward to 2032.

Drivers have been shafted once by politicians who encouraged them to buy diesels and I don’t think they’ll be so keen to have the same thing happen with electric cars.

IF the government doesn’t fully get behind the creation of a proper charging network then I predict that many of us will simply keep on driving our petrol and diesel cars way beyond 2032 or 2035.