The Jazz has always been practical but finds out if the latest model hits the right note with younger buyers

Paul Acres

refreshed as well and, in the top spec EX Navi that I tested, equipment levels and quality proved excellent. All but the basic S model are equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen and the Garmin-powered sat nav is integrated perfectly.

Climate control on top spec EX models is operated via touch-sensitive controls adjacent to the touchscreen, helping to keep the number of physical controls in the cabin to a minimum.

Bluetooth and DAB radio is standard across the range, as are steering wheel-mounted controls. SE and EX versions get six speakers, instead of four, and two USB ports instead of just one.

The third generation Jazz is 95mm longer than the car it replaces and 30mm of that is between the axles. That means that what was already a roomy car is even more so now.

There’s 115mm of additional legroom for rear seat passengers and 20mm extra shoulder room compared to the mkII. Incredibly Honda would have us believe that this Jazz has more knee room available than a Mercedes Benz S-Class.

There are loads of cubby holes and storage bins to stick your bits and bobs in – the door bins will take bottles, there are cup holders in front of the gear lever, another by the steering wheel and a storage bin between the seats – and though the glove box isn’t huge it’s big enough to squirrel away a few odds and ends.

Honda’s Magic Seats that fold flat in one fluid movement to create a totally flat boot floor are present and correct.

Under the bonnet is a 1.3-litre i-VTEC unit. It’s naturally aspirated and produces 100bhp. If you want a different power unit well, you can’t.

It isn’t, as you can imagine, particularly rapid but excellent refinement ensures that the Jazz is perfectly suited to motorway driving, helped by the sixth gear on manual models.

There’s additional soundproofing in the wheel arches and behind the dash which does a commendable job of suppressing wind and road noise.

That being said, if you’re intent of wringing out every last drop of performance out of the tiny motor it can become a little intrusive but it’s a pleasantly rorty note

Away from the motorway the ride is on the firm side. It’s compliant enough to smooth out the largest imperfections with little fuss while remaining lively and responsive. The steering is quicker than the outgoing model and you get a decent amount of feedback through the wheel.

With the rear seats in place the boot is a generous 354 litres up to the parcel shelf. Drop the Magic Seats and that rises to a cavernous 1,314 which is more than all of its main rivals. The rear seat squabs also fold upwards to liberate more space in the rear footwell.

If you’re young then Honda want you to buy this car. The question is whether the promise of all that space and lavish amount of equipment is enough to tempt you.

The answer is, probably not. I doubt I fall into the “young” category and even I don’t feel quite ready for a Jazz but that’s not because it’s not a great car. It is.

It’s just not great in the way that will tempt the young, or young at heart, to part with their hard-earned.