Road Test : Honda Jazz GLi

Review by Anthony Ziella - 10/November/2011

The Honda Jazz was launched in Australia almost ten years ago and since then this "little car that could" has won many hearts, selling over 50,000 units between 2001 and 2008.

Now Honda has released the 2011 model with some pretty significant upgrades. 

The exterior enhancements give it a fresh, sporty style while inside the Jazz now boasts both Bluetooth and USB connectivity for the kids and most importantly it receives a five star ANCAP safety rating which should put a smile on everyone's dial.

Speaking of, I wasn't sporting one as I tentatively strolled towards the smiling face of the brand new "Fresh Lime Green" Honda Jazz. In fact I was thinking that this week would be particularly libido crushing, how would the new Jazz and I get along being as I am so far out of Honda's target market?

Drive: 3.5/5

Like most late model Honda's, the Jazz handles like a dream. The steering is light and very responsive, couple that with its size and that means that this car was built for inner city driving. 

Parking the Jazz, even in tight spaces, is easier than falling over. That said, its 10.4-meter turning circle doesn't put it at the head of its class.

The suspension is good too. As an example, I was able to transport a bowl of lamb shanks (stealthily stolen from my parents fridge and still stewing in their own juices) back to my place (several suburbs away) without a lid, in the boot and without spilling a precious drop of meat juice.

Another feature of the Honda Jazz that you will instantly notice while driving are the huge windows, particularly the large cut outs at the base of the A-pillar.

This allows for maximum visibility, a great feature for any car while giving you a sense of what it must be like to drive the Pope- mobile.

Along with the steering and the windows the boys and girls in Honda's gadget department have done a great job to ensure your ride is as smooth as possible. 

Although the Jazz doesn't come with audio controls on the steering wheel, the CD, radio and air-conditioning controls are simple and well displayed making them very easy to use and keeping your concentration on the road. 

The USB jack at the foot of the console also allows you to plug your Mp3 player straight into the audio system, which in turn gives you the therapeutic pleasure of throwing out (or violently destroying) those horrible i-Trips.

Engine: 3/5

Probably the biggest weakness of the Jazz is found under the hood. The modest 1.3 litre, in-line four cylinder only pumps out 73Kw of power and 127Nm of torque, so get used to having your foot to the floor when accelerating. 

Once you get going it's fine, but getting from 0 to 60 (particularly on a freeway) is a bit of a struggle and the engine will let you know about it. 

The Honda Jazz is relatively quiet for a car that doesn't include much in the way of noise cancelling technology (a common feature for most small cars). When you're accelerating, the car buzzes just enough so as to let you know it's working hard - but when the revs are down, the engine pipes down. 

I would recommend the Manuel option for that little extra control and zip.

However, if you're one of those efficient time managers who favour fuel efficiency over power, then you will be very happy with the Jazz. The 42 litre fuel tank sips petrol like the bourgeoisie at a Napper Valley wine tasting festival.

Its claimed fuel consumption is 6.6L/100km’s and I can vouch for that. I managed 300 plus air-conditioned km’s and when I rolled back into Honda, the fuel gauge was still just over half full.

Exterior: 4/5

The biggest thing the Honda Jazz has going for it is in its design. Without sounding too presumptuous I'd say that this car is tailored toward the young, edgy, ladies of the cosmopolitan inner city. 

When I first got the car home my girlfriend assessed it, in her best reviewing tone as: "sporty, sexy and sleek".

In fairness, that's probably not how I'd describe it - but sometimes you just have to listen to your target audience folks! The design is pretty sleek and the grille and headlights are deliberately shaped to look like a smiling face, so your car is always happy to see you. 

It might even give you a happy disposition when you are entrenched on Hoddle St at 5:30pm on a Friday afternoon.

The metallic paint for the Jazz will set you back an extra four hundred clams but it is totally, 100% worth it. 

You have a choice from a range of colours including silver, black, polished metal, blue and my all time favourite, Fresh Lime Green. I know I said it made me uneasy at first but by the end of the week I had completely come around, you will never have trouble finding this bad boy in a busy car park.

The only hiccup here is the tyres. The 15" steel wheels look more like 10" and make the car seem like it has a small... ahem... exhaust.

Safety: 5/5

The Honda Jazz is one of the safest cars on the market, which is very important for a small car.

The Jazz is equipped with front, side and full-length curtain air bags, front and rear seatbelt reminders for the rebels, ABS and brake assist, ESB and Honda's electric stability control (VSA).

Add to the list the three point ELR on both front and rear seatbelts and traction control and the Honda Jazz receives the highest possible five star ANCAP safety rating.

Also worth mentioning is the fact hat the Jazz comes with a Bluetooth hands free system. I know it isn't technically a safety feature but it does mean more time with both hands on the steering wheel.

Interior: 5/5

The paradox that is the Honda Jazz is evident from the first time you step into the car.

From the outside she looks like a tight squeeze but once inside you discover that this car is ridiculously spacious.

Now I'm far from a tall man, but with my hair fully spiked I can push for 6' 2", well above the ideal height for a small car, but that's no problem for the Jazz. The front and passenger seats have an amazing amount of head and leg room and the back three seats are the same provided you only have two passengers back there (a full car becomes a bit of a squeeze).

The ergonomically, upright, cloth-upholstered seats will keep your chiropractor happy while at the same time prove for a really comfortable ride.

But the spaciousness doesn't stop in the cabin!

Even with the back seats up the Honda Jazz has heaps of boot space, 337 litres to be exact, and even though standard comes with a full sized spare tyre, the boot floor is completely flat.

But wait, there's still more... room.

This edition of the Jazz comes with the much-publicized folding seats, or "Magic Seats" as Honda calls them. Basically this means that the seats can fold forward or back and when they are down the boot space expands to 848 litres.

For those of us who want to transport more than water you could easily fit a standard dishwasher into the back of one of these, so in a way this car is kind of like a small van.

Overall: 4/5

Initially I was hesitant to cruise around in a lime green Honda Jazz, given my fragile ego, but by the end of the week I was sold (despite the fact that I had to put a sign on the back the read : "I am not a hot chick" to decrease the  amount of disappointed looks I was getting at the lights. It would have been much worse if I as still on P-plates!).

This car has all the ingredients that the young, cliché, modern, particularly female market is looking for. It's stylish, surprisingly roomy and has a great paint job.

The Jazz is also safe, reliable and - regardless of its lack of power - incredibly fuel efficient. Throw in the moderate price and I am expecting to see many more Fresh Lime Green Honda Jazz's on the road really soon.

* Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised Honda dealer.