This year Honda has drawn attention with its new electric E, but also in renewal an old lady. The Jazz is ready for a new generation! From now on, it is only available in hybrid and adds a crossover version to its catalog: the Crosstar.
The mini-monovolume we know as Jazz is now in its fourth generation. With us, it is relatively anonymous and that’s a shame. After all, the Japanese can boast many qualities. In the B segment, for example, there are few cars today that offer so much space in such a small footprint.
This new Jazz and its 4.04m long, for example, benefits from short overhangs and such a small muzzle, a large windshield and a high roofline. The classic recipe for a minivan, but with more compact dimensions. That means this Honda proves to be surprisingly spacious inside, and that’s no small feat. Also, the rear doors open wide, there is plenty of room for passengers in the front and rear and, finally, visibility is excellent from all sides.
Magic seats
And then there is the strong point of this Jazz: the back seat, which Honda still calls it “Magic Seats”. To put it simply, the seat of the rear bench can be raised to free up a large flat space to load a bicycle, a plant or a piece of furniture in kit form from a certain Swedish store.
This is a welcome addition to the rather compact trunk. With its 298 liters, it’s not astronomically large – even for a car that competes with the Renault Clio – and the boot floor isn’t completely flat due to the installation of the battery. Fortunately, it becomes so when you fold the back of the bench seat, which frees up 1,198 liters.
Manga, no retro
Before we look at the ride, a little more detail on the design. Those who were hoping that Honda would give their Jazz the same retro look as the Honda E will be disappointed. This new Jazz takes the same theme as before, but adding some manga elements. There is a more mischievous-looking grille and less trendy technology than the E in the cabin.
And then there is also this Crosstar variant. Thanks to its body kit, this Honda has a look approaching a crossover, with its black plastics under the door sills and around the wheel passengers. The grille seems a bit more robust as the body is mounted on specific 16-inch rims. The total height increases by a few centimeters thanks to the roof bars which are part of the basic equipment.
CR-V inspiration
The conventional Jazz and the Crosstar are now only available as a hybrid version. This is not a plug-in variant, but a “Japanese-style” hybrid configuration. The set consists of a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine, two electric motors and a compact lithium-ion battery. It delivers 109 hp and 253 Nm of power, and its main purpose is to enable economical driving. “Our” Crosstar, for example, has WLTP fuel consumption of 4.8 l / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 110 g / km. Moreover, we were almost able to match this consumption with 5.0 l / 100 km with a normal driving style.
In practice, the Jazz constantly varies between three different modes and you can easily used cars for sale in rsa. In “EV Drive”, an electric motor uses the energy stored in the battery to drive the front wheels. In “Hybrid Drive”, the combustion engine drives the first electric motor. It then serves as a generator to power the second electric motor, which ultimately drives the wheels. “Engine Drive” is the last mode and here the internal combustion engine directly drives the wheels via a fixed gear ratio. Ideal for the highway, when electrical energy is less efficient.
It’s a hybrid setup that Honda is already using in its large SUV, the CR-V Hybrid. It is also a tried and tested installation, as the Jazz always intelligently chooses the right driving mode and knows how to switch between modes smoothly. It is only when you press firmly on the accelerator and the combustion engine engages the gearbox that it is heard. For the rest, it works well and the Jazz reveals all its frugal character.
Conclusion
We dare to doubt that the Crosstar version offers any real added value. Because, at 27,000 $, this Jazz Crosstar is not cheap. However, for around $ 22,000, you can take full advantage of the same hybrid chain and the same practicality in “normal” Jazz. Here is a beautiful outsider of the segment B too often underestimated.