Our opinion on the Honda Jazz
The fourth-generation Honda Jazz aims to attract buyers who are interested in better fuel economy, up-to-date connectivity, and reasonable running costs. Does it succeed? For the most part, yes, and it should hold its value well, too.
On the downside, the Jazz is still a boxy, uninspiring shape and lacks the fun factor that other rivals offer. Its infotainment system is also lagging quite far behind the best in this highly competitive class. However, the Japanese supermini’s hybrid powertrain is impressive, and if you prioritise practicality over style, it could be the right choice.
About the Honda Jazz
The Honda Jazz has been around since 2002 in the UK, and over the intervening years, its mix of practicality, reliability and low running costs has won a loyal band of repeat customers. But the Jazz’s unassuming nature has made it hard to reach customers outside that loyal band of buyers who have homed in on the little Honda’s common-sense qualities.
The latest model introduced in 2020 is the fourth generation, and here in the UK it’s solely powered by a 1.5-litre hybrid e:HEV setup. This is in line with Honda’s aim of eliminating conventional powertrains from its European line-up.
Only offering hybrid power is similar to that of its arch-rival, the Toyota Yaris. Like the Yaris, the Jazz allows for brief periods of electric-only driving (up to a mile, in fact). While that sounds insignificant, it really helps in stop/start city driving to save fuel.
The latest Jazz comes to the fight with strong equipment levels across four model grades: Elegance, Advance, Advance Sport, and the SUV-inspired Crosstar Advance version.
Honda introduced the Jazz Crosstar model to sit alongside the regular five-door supermini. It has a raised ride height, body cladding, and roof rails for a pseudo-4×4 look, but don’t expect any off-road ability because it lacks four-wheel drive. Based on the Advance-spec Jazz, it’s more expensive than the regular car and slightly less efficient. In our opinion, it’s out of step with the overall ethos of the Jazz.
We’ve pitted the Jazz against key supermini rivals, including the Skoda Fabia and Renault Clio as part of a group test. Unfortunately for Honda, the Jazz came in third place due to factors such as its relatively high price and a staid driving experience. However, it wiped the floor with the competition in the practicality stakes, so there’s no denying its mini-MPV credentials.
Honda Jazz prices and latest deals
The standard Jazz starts off from around £26,700 in base Elegance trim, and this rises to nearly £28,000 for the fancier Advance spec. If you’d rather go for the beefier Crosstar, you’ll be forking out at least £29,000.
Don’t forget, you can save thousands by building your ideal Honda Jazz through the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have a number of affordable used Jazz models to choose from, as well as some great Jazz leasing deals. You can also sell your car with us.
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The hybrid system in the Jazz produces 120bhp, allowing the Jazz to go from 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds in Essential spec, which is roughly the same time as a Renault Clio E-Tech (9.3 seconds). The Advance-spec cars take a little longer at 9.6 seconds, while the SUV-inspired Crosstar Advance model requires 9.7 seconds to complete the same benchmark sprint. The top speed for all models is 109mph.
The Jazz’s hybrid system combines the efforts of a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors. One motor is designed to help with direct propulsion, while the other converts energy from the petrol engine into electricity, which can be used immediately to drive the Jazz or be stored in the car’s small 0.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The Jazz is really at its best at lower speeds, with its light steering making it well-suited to urban life, and we like that the Jazz tends to favour quiet electric drive in town from a refinement standpoint. We did notice that the Jazz can operate in EV mode at higher speeds, but you’ll need to be very gentle with the accelerator pedal in order to keep it in this mode.