We test the new Honda Jazz Hybrid: MPV and SUV

It’s time to take the controls of the new Honda Jazz, and get to know the new MPV small car from the Japanese brand better. A car with many qualities that can be classified as the ideal city car for getting around town. But as we will see, its range is not limited to big cities alone.

Before getting into the driving impressions, we begin by reviewing the range and prices, as well as the most outstanding features of this new generation of the Honda Jazz.

Jazz and Crosstar versions, prices from 21,900 euros

The new Honda Jazz is only available in a hybrid version, with the e:HEV propulsion system that delivers 109 CV. We will go into detail about how it works in theory… and in practice later on.

This engine is combined with three trim levels, called Comfort, Elegance and Executive. There is a version that sits at the very top of the range in terms of price, with a different look that makes it resemble an SUV, and which is marketed under the name Honda Crosstar.

Here are the prices of the Honda Jazz:

• Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Comfort: 21,900 euros
• Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Elegance: 23,100 euros
• Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Executive: 24,800 euros
• Crosstar 1.5 i-MMD: 27,900 euros

On paper, the price is somewhat high if we look for cars the size of the Honda Jazz without filtering by type of propulsion or body style. But MPVs are practically non-existent anymore, and even less so in this category, which gives it an extra plus and an additional advantage in terms of versatility and space. And without going into depth on what each version includes, the equipment is very complete even from the base version.

It is worth highlighting that for the 1,200 euros that the Elegance costs over the Comfort, you get the pleasant mixed cloth and leather upholstery, the parking sensors and the Honda Connect system, with the 9-inch touchscreen. The Elegance already means spending another 1,700 euros more than the Comfort, adding features such as cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection, smart key, navigation and rear camera.

As for the Crosstar version, its only “problem” is that it is sold with a fixed equipment level, a kind of “top of the range” package. Many users would probably be attracted to this offering in a variant with less equipment that lowered the entry price.

The Honda Crosstar stands out with a specific grille, body protection, roof bars, a special, more hard-wearing upholstery (water-repellent) and a more powerful sound system. It also has more ground clearance and comes with 16-inch wheels with 185/60 tyres. On the rest of the Jazz range, the standard wheels are 185/55-15 for the Comfort trim, and 16 inches from the Elegance onwards. It is the only one that can be ordered with a two-tone paint finish, with a contrasting roof.

Inside the new Honda Jazz

The most outstanding aspect of the new Honda Jazz once you step inside is the relationship between exterior size and interior space. These are the advantages of the MPV-style body, once very popular in this segment but now practically unrepresented.

At just 4 metres long and 1.53 metres tall, the Jazz keeps the versatility that has always characterised this model. It still offers good room in all seats, more even than in larger compact cars, especially in the rear seats. And with improvements in visibility (very slim pillars, very horizontal dashboard) and ergonomics (many practical storage spaces for objects).

The comfortable system that Honda calls Magic Seats is retained, which allows the rear seat base to be easily folded against the backrest, making it easier to transport tall objects. The driving position is now more natural and relaxed (the pedals have been repositioned), and the comfort and effectiveness of the new seats is noticeable. The excellent visibility provided by the large rear window and very slender front pillars stands out. The dashboard materials have a feel and appearance that are more solid and robust than luxurious.

Where it falls a little behind is in boot capacity, since room has to be made for the hybrid system battery. It offers 304 litres according to official figures, which can be expanded to 1,205 by folding down the rear seats. This last figure is indeed larger than those of cars of its size. Under the floor there is a space for storing small items.

Connectivity and assistance systems

The Jazz is a small car in size, but it does not fall behind when it comes to assistance or connectivity systems. Here we would highlight the new Honda Connect system, standard from the second equipment level. Not only is it faster and more intuitive to move through the menus and select the desired function, something it badly needed. It also adds features such as a Wi-Fi hotspot or compatibility with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, in the latter case without the need for a cable. The screen in this case is 9 inches, compared with the 5 inches of the Comfort versions. What is standard on all Jazz models, regardless of trim level, is the digital instrument cluster with a seven-inch screen, with good resolution and easy readability.

Another new feature is the voice recognition system, which instead of fixed commands recognises phrases from everyday language. The My Honda app allows various functions to be controlled from the mobile phone, such as setting geolocation alerts or locking and unlocking the doors remotely. And the new Honda Personal Assistant, which we have already seen in the Honda e, provides online services through voice control using artificial intelligence. You can ask, for example, where to eat and what type of food, and it suggests nearby restaurants with free tables.

The package that Honda calls Sensing includes all the safety and driver assistance systems. There are quite a few, notably the emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, or the active cruise control. The main novelty is that these systems now work better thanks to a new high-resolution video camera that improves object detection (even kerbs or road markings) compared with the previous camera and radar combination. An improvement that is also being incorporated into other models in the range.

A hybrid with three motors

The propulsion system of the new Honda Jazz is somewhat more sophisticated than that of conventional non-plug-in hybrids in this category. It uses three motors: a 1.5 petrol engine with 72 kW (98 CV) and 131 Nm, 4 cylinders, operating on the Atkinson cycle, and two electric motors. The first has 70 kW and works mainly as an electricity generator; the second, responsible for propulsion, reaches 80 kW (108 CV) and a maximum torque of 253 Nm.

The combustion engine is connected to the electric motor that acts as a generator, while the electric motor that works as the propulsion unit is connected to the wheels. Between the two there is a coupling clutch. The total power is only 109 CV; as we will see, efficiency is the priority.

And indeed, the Honda Jazz has a homologated combined consumption on the WLTP cycle of just 4.5 l/100 km. There is no petrol car that can match it in this respect. How does it achieve this? By running in electric mode for much longer than other hybrid cars, thanks to its powerful motor and an extraordinary ability to recharge the battery while driving. This is where that “third” motor, which other hybrids don’t have, comes into play, apart from special cases such as the new Clio E-TECH.

Performance can be described as adequate: 0 to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds, with a top speed of 175 km/h. We can already tell you that there are hardly any differences in driving feel between the Jazz and the Jazz Crosstar, although the latter has a homologated consumption 0.3 l/100 km higher, and needs half a second more for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint. Of course, both enjoy the benefits granted by the DGT ECO label.

The Honda Jazz in action

Whether behind the wheel of the Jazz or the Crosstar, the feeling is one of ease of driving and pleasant use, especially in town. When starting the car and driving below 40 km/h, E Drive mode is activated, in which the electric propulsion motor drives the wheels using energy from the battery. According to Honda, on urban journeys the Jazz can run in electric mode up to 85% of the time.

If the battery charge is low, or if you demand more acceleration, Hybrid Drive mode is activated. This is the mode that is normally in operation at speeds between 40 and 80 km/h. The difference from other hybrid cars is that in the Jazz, the combustion engine still does not drive the wheels: the petrol it consumes is used to drive the generator electric motor, and the electricity that the latter generates goes to the electric propulsion motor, or to the battery. But the Honda Jazz, in “hybrid” mode, is still driven by the electric propulsion motor.

The third operating mode, called Engine Drive, is activated from around 80 km/h, and it is the one that comes into play for driving on the road. In this case the petrol engine connects to the wheels through the coupling clutch, without the need for a gearbox; instead, a fixed-ratio gear is used. If necessary, under hard acceleration (for example when overtaking or tackling a steep incline), the electric propulsion motor also adds power to the combustion engine. On the road, the Jazz is driven by the combustion engine about 70 per cent of the time, but around 13% of the time it runs in electric mode, and almost 14% in hybrid mode.

In practice, the operation of the system goes completely unnoticed by the driver, who only needs to worry about the accelerator, brake and steering wheel; at most, they can select “ECO” mode with the button on the console, or play with the B and D positions of the gear lever (there are no paddles on the steering wheel) to obtain more engine braking.

The feeling when accelerating hard is similar to some Toyota hybrids with their planetary gear transmission, or to some automatics with a CVT gearbox, as the engine noise increases disproportionately to the gain in speed. If you manage the accelerator well, it does not become too bothersome. Above all because the Jazz encourages relaxed driving.

The previous Jazz was a much more agile and dynamic car on a winding road. But the current approach that Honda has taken with the Jazz seems more appropriate to me: comfort and efficiency above all, with a feeling of safety and control. As one of the areas for improvement, apart from the engine noise when accelerating hard or the absence of paddles to play with different levels of engine braking, I would point to the feel of the brakes, which takes some getting used to at first.

As for consumption, after a day of testing on all kinds of roads with both cars, with the driver alternating, we measured an average consumption of 6 l/100 km in the Jazz, and 6.4 in the Crosstar, without driving particularly efficiently at any point. Very good figures in both cases, which can drop below 5 litres if you only drive around town, and which do not shoot up even if on the road you decide to pick up the pace and not use ECO mode.

Image gallery Honda Jazz and Crosstar

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackHonda Jazz3 versions · from 28,800 €