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If you’re looking for a small car with a lot of space, the Honda Jazz is well worth considering – there are plenty of much bigger cars that are less spacious and less practical. The Jazz is also easy to drive, comfortable, solidly made and very fuel-efficient. There’s a lot to like about it.
The current Honda Jazz has been on sale in the UK since 2020. It’s the fourth generation in a line that dates back to 2001. When the first Jazz was introduced, it immediately found a big following for its roomy and flexible interior, excellent reliability and low ownership costs. In the years since, those core characteristics haven’t changed.
Two versions of the current Jazz are available: a regular hatchback and the SUV-style Jazz Crosstar which has a taller stance, additional tough-looking exterior trim and useful roof bars. Both come with hybrid power and an automatic gearbox only, and the regular hatchback is available with several trim levels.
The previous-generation Jazz, sold from 2015 to 2020, is available with a 1.3-litre or 1.5-litre petrol engine, a manual or automatic gearbox and a range of trim levels.
You’ll find the latest Jazz comes with features including climate control, DAB radio, Bluetooth, four electric windows and adaptive cruise control. The mid-range SR trim level also has a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while the top-of-the-range EX adds built-in sat nav and heated front seats.
Older Jazz models have similar features included as standard, but because of their age they don’t have some of the latest tech like smartphone connectivity and adaptive cruise control. Still, they’re very well equipped for a small hatchback.
Depending on which model you get, the latest Jazz is capable of giving average fuel economy of 58mpg to 62mpg, according to official figures. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are 102g/km to 110g/km. Those figures mean the Jazz is one of the most fuel-efficient small hatchbacks you can get and that means your annual car tax charges are low. Get a previous-generation Jazz and you’ll see average fuel economy of 42mpg to 55mpg. While the Jazz costs more than many rivals, it comes with a lot of features as standard, so it’s pretty good value overall.
There are many other small hatchbacks to consider, including the Citroen C3, the Ford Fiesta and the Skoda Fabia. Compared with those, the Jazz really stands out for its practicality and hybrid efficiency.
The Jazz is among the most practical small hatchbacks you can get. Four tall adults fit with room to spare and they should be comfortable for several hours. So, if you’re looking for a smaller car with room for your family, the Jazz could be ideal. The back door openings are large, making it really easy to get your little ones in and out.
Because the latest Jazz has hybrid power, its boot is a bit smaller than that in previous generations (the batteries take up some of the space). Still, a 304-litre capacity is enough room for a family’s weekly food shopping and all those school-run bags. Fold down the back seats and the load space nearly triples. The Jazz has more tricks, too. The back seat base folds up like a cinema seat, creating an area ideal for carrying things like dogs, bikes, potted plants, golf clubs and so on. There are loads of useful storage spaces dotted around the interior, too.
Until the introduction of the Honda E pure-electric car in 2020 the Jazz was, for many years, the brand’s smallest model. It now fits between the E and the Civic in Honda’s range of hatchbacks, although the Civic is now a much larger car.
Safety organisation Euro NCAP awarded a full five-star safety rating to the latest Jazz. It scored strong marks for protecting occupants and it comes with lots of driver-safety features. Those include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. There’s even an airbag between the front seats designed to keep the driver and passenger from bashing into each other. Older generations of Jazz were also awarded a five-star rating.
The latest Jazz is available only as a hybrid. The electric motor is used as much as possible at low speed, so you can often drive around town silently and emissions-free. On faster roads, it switches to its 1.5-litre petrol engine. On a typical journey, a mix of the two is used. The 2015-2020 Jazz was available only with petrol engines, even though the 2008-2015 Jazz was available with petrol or hybrid power.