2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
The new Honda Jazz impresses with its extremely versatile variability for a small car. Even the smallest motorization is sufficient to combine practical use and driving fun.
By Thomas Flehmer
The new Honda Jazz is on tour again in Germany. Seven years after its market launch in Germany in 2001, the Japanese automaker's bestseller is presented in a new guise with familiar characters. The small city runabout is particularly impressive because of its variability, as the first test drives have shown.
Fold-up rear seats
For example, the passenger cell of the small car, which has grown by 55 millimeters to 3.90, has been positioned further forward in order to give the occupants or bulky luggage more freedom. 346 liters fit into the small version we drive, with the more powerful 1.4 engine variant even 399 liters are available. Although this does not come close to the 500 liters of the recently introduced Citroen C3 Picasso, it is almost identical to the higher-class VW Golf, which has 350 liters.
But the space is one thing, the variability is another. In the new Jazz generation, the headrests can easily be retracted to create a level loading area for bulky shelves. The front passenger seat can also be pulled far back and offers space from the rear to the windshield. As with the predecessor, the seats of the divisible rear bench seat on the new Jazz can also be folded up so that a bicycle can even be transported behind the front seats.
Ten cup holders for five people
With the wheelbase extended by 50 millimeters to 2.50 meters, occupants also have greater leg and knee room. Even in the back seats, at least two people can enjoy a longer journey without any subsequent disc damage. A total of ten cup holders are available to passengers and document the huge space available in the compact small car.
And the driver and front passenger can also look forward to the new edition. On the one hand, additional comfort features such as the steering wheel that can now be adjusted for height and length ensure a good atmosphere in the interior. The fabric-covered seats accommodate the body well and provide the necessary support. The large center console blends in well without being ostentatious.
Improved all-round visibility
On the other hand, the A-pillar has been made smaller and, in conjunction with the folding headrests on the rear seats, offers better all-round visibility than in the previous model. The elevated seating position is a good thing. And it is precisely at this position that the hybrid position of jazz can be clearly drawn. It appears larger than a small car from competitors Renault Clio or Opel Corsa, but is also smaller than, for example, an Opel Meriva.
And it is precisely this variability that is intended to continue the success of the Honda bestseller in Germany. Honda hopes C-segment customers choose a different kind of downsizing and switch from the larger car to a smaller one. But also the customers of the “normal” small cars like Toyota Yaris or Mazda2 should succumb to the charms of jazz. 93,000 units have been sold in Germany since 2001, and the Japanese are aiming for 18,000 vehicles in the coming year.
Hybrid will follow later
They can choose between two newly developed engine variants. The 1.4 SOHC i-VTEC is equipped with 73 kW / 100 PS. The small 1.2 SOHC i-VTEC we drove, which has 66 kW / 90 PS, is already sufficient. It takes 12.6 seconds to sprint from zero to 100 km / h, one second longer than the larger version, but this second is also easy to get over in the small car segment.
Honda will announce the final consumption figures soon, as the homologation of the car has not yet been completed. In any case, the consumption is below six liters of super. A hybrid drive is to follow later.
ESP as standard
The one-tonne vehicle fits into the traffic very well without appearing as an obstacle.
The Jazz also takes the bends with ease, as the power steering has been adapted and driving comfort has been improved. A wider track and the larger wheelbase provide further stability. And - rarely in the small car segment - there is the ESP as standard. In return, Honda took the risk of adding the cost of the anti-skid, which is between 400 and 500 euros, to the price. The basic equipment with the 1.2 liter engine costs at least 12,550 euros; the higher equipment line Trend, which includes air conditioning, costs 2000 euros more.
Those who love more powerful engines have to dig a little deeper into their pockets. Here at least 15,950 euros are due, the stage performance of the jazz concerts of the highest variant 1.4 Exclusive is quite expensive at 18,850 euros.
