Honda Jazz Hybrid
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 31 March 2011
THE HYBRID version of Honda’s biggest seller – the Jazz – is on sale in the UK now. And, as it is the world’s first B-segment car with this technology, Honda has got a lot to shout about.
The green super-mini features the Japanese company’s innovative petrol-electric Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system which significantly lowers emissions and improves fuel economy. But nothing has been sacrificed when it comes to the practicality of the standard Jazz.
Cleaner Technology Yet Flexible
Honda has added cleaner technology while retaining the flexibility of the car's legendary folding Magic Seats. A battery pack and power control unit have been integrated in the area under the boot floor, keeping the normal boot area of 300 litres and allowing the Magic Seats to fold in the same manner as non-hybrid versions.
This means that the seats still fold entirely flat to provide a surprisingly large boot space of 831 litres, or the seat bases can be folded to sit vertically to accommodate tall items within the car.
The Jazz features the same 1.3 litre i-VTEC as the Insight hybrid and pumps out just 104 g/km of CO2 emissions. That is 21g/km less than the lowest-emitting 1.2-litre petrol Jazz. As well as the environmental benefits, the cleaner emissions bring more affordable driving too: the car is road tax exempt for the first year and it is free from the London congestion charge. A bonus or what?
Styling Changes
As well as introducing a greener element to the Jazz, Honda has made a few styling changes for 2011, including new bumpers, a restyled grille and minor adjustments to the headlamps. Aside from gently updating the exterior, the changes make the Jazz more slippery, reducing drag by a fraction.
Inside, alterations include darker dash plastics and chrome rings around the air vents and the dials glow blue and green on the Hybrid, depending on the mode of driving you choose. In addition, automatic climate control and mp3 connectivity is standard on the eco-wagon.
Fill Up and Drive
It is not surprising that the Jazz is one of the UK's most bought super-minis; it may not be sexy but it is a fun, ultra-reliable and zippy car to be behind the wheel of.
The car's Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) gearbox gives seamless acceleration and the new hybrid technology is easy to use because you don‘t need to worry about plugging anything in to charge. It is simply a case of filling up with petrol and driving on as normal.
Like the Insight and Civic Hybrid models, the green version of the Jazz is capable of running on the electric motor alone in conditions up to 30mph and this contributes to a combined fuel consumption figure of 64.2 mpg - a 23 per cent improvement over the best-selling 1.4 ES model.
Now, if that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is.
Affordable
The Jazz Hybrid starts at £15,995, which makes it the most affordable car of its type on the market. It is around £1500 more expensive than the standard petrol model, but it is worth it if you want to save cash in the long run, and do your bit to battle global warming.
PROS ‘N’ CONS
PROS
- Environmentally friendly
- Economical
- Roomy
CONS
- Not sexy
FAST FACTS
- Max speed: 109 mph
- 0-62 mph: 12.1 seconds
- Combined mpg: 62.8
- Engine: 1339 cc, 4 cylinder, 16v petrol/electric
- Max. power (bhp): 87 at 5800 rpm
- Max. torque (lb.ft): 89 at 4500 rpm
- CO2: 104 g/km
- Price: £15,995-17,995 OTR
