The fact is that since the first-generation Jazz came onto the South African scene in the early 2000s, it has been regarded as an exceptional mini-family car. Obviously if your family to runs to more than five people you’d be well advised to buy a large MPV. But for a lot of South Africans, the Jazz has proven to be a fine mix of city car and family run-about.
One of the features of the Jazz has been its interior space and packaging proposition. This was highlighted from the very first model by the so-called Magic Seat configuration, which enabled all sorts of seating and loading combinations to be tailored to the situation at hand.
In addition, the Jazz has always abounded in clever stash areas for smaller items.
Like the original Jazz, the current car offers great luggage carrying capability. The boot space with the rear seats upright measures an impressive 363. litres, and this rises to an excellent 1 881 litres, thanks to a longer wheelbase on the latest model and the very tall Jazz roofline. Rear headroom is obviously excellent, while rear legroom is good without being class-leading.
Safety
Safety is, of course, a prime consideration in any car used for family transport, and here the current Jazz shapes up well. All models in the range come with 6 airbags (above the average for this class of car) and ABS braking and stability control. The body-shell is known to offer exceptional rigidity. ISOFIX child seat mounts are provided for the outer rear seats.
The handling and braking of the Jazz is also extremely predictable and of a high calibre.
Equipment
The Jazz comes with a touch-screen infotainment system and numerous USB ports for cell phone and MP3 usage. The upholstery is in cloth, or in a cloth-and-imitation-leather combination in the top-level models. The interior materials are very durable-looking.
Performance and economy
The Jazz comes in three power levels. The lesser-powered 1,2-litre models produce 66 kW and 110 Nm, which is fine for light loads, but may be a bit tardy with a full load of people on board with their luggage.
The 1,5-litre models come with 88 kW in standard form and 97 kW in Sport guise. The Sport model only comes with a CVT transmission which makes it irritating to drive when traversing long up hills on long trips, as the engine note becomes a constant drone.
The 1,5-litre Elegance model comes with a five-speed manual transmission (a CVT model is also offered in Elegance trim), and this 88 kW manual version is the Jazz model we would opt for. You are also likely to get the best economy with this model when fully laden. A realistic overall fuel economy figure would be in the region of about 6,8 litres/100 km
Reliability
Like all Honda products, the Jazz is noted for being one of the most reliable cars on the South African market. That’s good to know if you are going to be using it for holiday transport as well as a city run-around.
Pricing
Pricing ranges from R222 700 for the base 1,2-litre Trend model to R332 200 for the 1,5-litre Sport model. Our favourite model, the Jazz 1,5 Elegance manual, sells for R296 600. This pricing is somewhat above the average in its segment, but because the Jazz has such a bullet-proof reputation, we still recommend it highly.
Verdict…. For the record
The Honda Jazz remains one of our favourite choices for a light city car. The fact that it is so versatile makes it an excellent choice for a young family, youngsters learning to drive, or for an older couple.
To return to the somewhat brash tone that kicked this article off: What’s not to like? Apart from the price which has risen in comparison to competitors in this latest generation Jazz, not much.
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