Jazzed-up Honda’s star turn
I’VE BEEN to some pretty amazing places for the launch of new cars.the real Downton Abbey, tents in the Western Desert in Egypt, the hotel where Some Like It Hot was filmed in San Diego and flash country clubs in Marbella. But never before to a car park in a light industrial estate in Bracknell.
I’m at my first socially-distanced car launch. Each journalist has a table with an ipad on it, a key safe and a selection of PPE.
We are to watch a presentation about the car on the ipad, after which we are given a code for the key safe and can then extract the car we are to drive’s ignition key.
The key fits the new Honda Jazz, available in this generation only with a hybrid powertrain. Honda has the most inconsistent and bizarre product planning of any car company. It produces a hugely popular car like the S2000 roadster and then dumps it just because its engine won’t pass European emissions tests.
Other companies would have modified the engine or replaced it with a new and cleaner one.the brilliant little CR-Z coupe, the world’s only affordable sexy hybrid coupe: sent to the great scrapyard in the sky after only a few years of life.
But the Jazz is different. Honda has never messed with this strong seller and instead has just tweaked and gradually improved it.
It has an immensely loyal following, with 60 per cent of customers moving from a Jazz to a new one.why? Because it offers a high level of practicality and clever use of space, excellent reliability and ease of use.
One thing that has dramatically changed on this new Jazz is there’s a new version available called the Crosstar.
T£22,635
Petrol – 1.5 97bhp, 107bhp electric motor
0 to 62mph in 9.4 seconds, 107mph top speed 58.9mpg 110g/km Citroen C3 Aircross, Ford Puma, Ford Fiesta Active 7/10
HE recipe is a very familiar one: add some plastic cladding around the wheelarches to give the faux off-roader look and a hint of adventure lifestyle and crank up the ride height a few millimetres. Since the Jazz has traditionally appealed to the elder driver this is an interesting approach.
We have the normal Jazz to drive and the Jazz Crosstar.the standard is available in SE, SR and EX trim, while the Crosstar is only available in top-level EX trim.
The Crosstar looks a lot more attractive and appealing than the regular Jazz. For starters you can specify it with a black roof which looks very tasteful.and those plastic add-ons also give it more visual appeal. Next to it the plain white Jazz looks boring.
The Crosstar is 45mm longer, 31mm wider and 30mm taller than the regular Jazz.those are the only differences because both are powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine that develops
97bhp. This is combined with two electric motors, one a generator and the other a propulsion motor.
There are three driving modes: EV Drive in which a lithium-ion battery powers the propulsion motor; Hybrid Drive in which the engine drives the generator which in turn powers the propulsion motor (which then drives the wheels); and finally Engine Drive in which the petrol engine drives the wheels directly via a lock-up clutch.
First thing you’ll notice in the new Jazz from the old one is a much better view out frontwards.thea-pillars are considerably thinner thanks to beefing up the next pillars along with high-strength steel.
The cabin feels more airy too.what hasn’t changed is the clever use of space and wide range of storage places.
Long-time Jazz owners will be very comfortable with this new one’s interior.
Whether or not they’ll be that interested in Honda’s new personal assistant software that made its debut in the Honda E electric car is another matter. I’m not convinced the older driver wants complicated systems.
I’m a big fan of entry level models as I like value for money more than I do leather seats and gadgets.the cheapest Jazz is the SE at £18,985.The EX Crosstar is the most expensive but is still a reasonable £22,635.
I’m not a fan of faux crossovers but this is the version my money would go on. It’s a bit more ponderous to drive than the regular Jazz as the centre of gravity has moved upwards. But you do not buy a Jazz if you’re looking for sporty motoring.
Also, drive it in a spirited manner and the engine’s revving through the CVT gearbox will annoy you, as will the increased fuel consumption. Most will drive it in a restrained manner and enjoy 60mpg.