WHEN Jazz first hit the Honda playlist 12 years ago it immediately soared up the popularity charts. It was cool, original and just a little bit uptown compared with its rivals. Along with the Honda Accord Euro, Jazz made the brand fresh and exciting again for younger buyers.
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Since then Honda has retreated into its shell a bit, and Jazz lost its edge in one of the most fashion-conscious segments in the market. It never stopped being a good little car but it was drowned out by newer sounds.
Now there is a new Jazz which Honda hopes will return some pizazz to its line-up, and it is priced to be one of the in-crowd.
We sampled the top-of-the-range VTi-L but it is a fair representation of the entire Jazz band. All models are powered by a 1.5-litre petrol four with 88kW peak power and 145Nm of torque. It has a continuously variable automatic transmission, which every other Jazz has as well, apart from the entry VTi, which is available in a cut-price five-speed manual version. There are heated leather seats too in the VTi-L, along with automatic climate control and alloy wheels (also on the mid-level VTi-S) and some trim changes, but mechanically and technologically a Jazz is a Jazz.
On the plus side, every Jazz picks up Honda's very cool touch-screen display audio, complete with smartphone connectivity and downloadable "apps" - a must-have for many young, hip buyers. The Jazz looks all-new as well, inside and out.
We spent most of our time in the Jazz wandering around town - doing the cliché thing of swinging by various cafes. Not every potential Jazz owner would do this, but we suspect a few will.
The driving experience is what we would expect: competent, efficient, comfortable and unchallenging. It does exactly what a city car should do.
When pushed on the open road, Jazz is a little noisy due to a CVT which allows the 1.5-litre engine to rev a bit, but no more so than almost every other city car.
The interior layout is neat and still mostly a step up from the obvious competitors. The steering wheel, instruments and display audio suggest something a bit dearer, as do the VTi-L's leather seats. There are, however, some hints of cost-cutting like hard plastics (not necessarily a bad thing for what may potentially be a first new car for many buyers). The touch sensitive screen could also be a bit more touch sensitive too.
The Jazz's "magic seats" remain a highlight though. We've heard the previous Jazz referred (perhaps unkindly) as a "motorised shopping cart" but truthfully the clever modular seating can quickly turn Jazz into an extremely effective delivery van with 1500 litres of space.
With a new face and all the good gear, Jazz should be back in vogue once again. It is cool and clever.
And with a starting price of $14,990 plus on road costs, $2000 more for the CVT, and $22,490 for the VTi-L, Jazz should hit the right note for many.
Your local dealer is Ballarat City Honda: 5331 5000
Honda Jazz VTi-L
ENGINE: 1.5-litre petrol inline four
POWER: 88kW at 6600 revs
TORQUE: 145 Nm at 4500 revs
TRANSMISSION: continuously variable CVT automatic
DRIVE: front-wheel-drive
FUEL: petrol, 5.8-l/100km combined cycle (ADR 81/02)
BRAKES: ventilated discs front, drum rear, with ABS, stability control and brake assist
ANCAP SAFETY RATING: five stars
FEATURES: heated leather front seats, display audio with Bluetooth connectivity, rear view camera, keyless entry, automatic climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels
BASE PRICE: $22,490 plus on road costs
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
FORD FIESTA TREND: from $17,825
HOLDEN BARINA CDX: from $19,690
MAZDA2 MAXX: from $16,930
TOYOTA YARIS YRX: from $21,390