Jazz hits a different note in supermini market

HONDA is not your ordinary car company and the Jazz is not your ordinary supermini. While other superminis are intent on being sporty and dynamic, the Jazz adopts a boxy shape and builds in practical MPV design features. And while rivals campaign with vast sprawling model ranges, Honda has assembled a small and simple one. Many people won't understand the Jazz, but it's a car that rewards closer inspection.

The 1.4-litre model is the top of the Jazz range.There's one bodystyle – a somewhat frumpy five-door. Many manufacturers would mark this down as commercial suicide in a supermini market increasingly obsessed with coup-like three-door shapes and economical diesel engines. This is what Honda does, though, and while some rivals have both a supermini and a supermini-based MPV, the Japanese marque spans both sectors with a single model.

The 1.4 i-VTEC engine is one of the very best 1.4-litre petrol units around. Like all Honda petrol powerplants, it's extremely eager to rev and the best performance is only obtained higher up in the range. The engine is very refined at normal cruising speeds and takes on a sonorous high-pitched note when you hold the gears longer.

When the engine is asked to work hard, on the motorway for example, the noise can become tiresome and there's also a lot of sound generated by the wind at high speed.

Manoeuvrability is very good on the Jazz, thanks to the wide range of visibility, short overhangs and the tight turning circle. There's plenty of adjustment in the driving position and it shouldn't be a problem for most people to get comfortable.

The packaging brilliance of the first-generation Jazz was made possible because the designers moved the fuel tank from beneath the rear seats to a position under those at the front. This approach is continued with the MK2 model and, as before, it liberates the floor of the cabin and allows the seats to be folded into all sorts of permutations.

The car features the Honda Magic Seating system through which the back seats can fold down in one fluid motion into the footwell with the headrests in place. What's more impressive is that this action doesn't involve scurrying around the car to manually slide the front seats forward, it can all be accomplished from the rear door thanks to a convenient set of levers.

You can also load up the surprising spacious Double Trunk boot which can divide its 399-litre capacity into four different configurations for carrying different loads. Fold the rear seats and there's 883 litres of space.

Honda traditionally prices its products a shade higher than equivalent mainstream models, and the Jazz is no exception. The 1.4-litre engine is offered with the two higher trim levels badged as ES and EX. The price difference between two grades is a hefty 1,300 but the EX does come with a whole heap of equipment. Most buyers will still settle for the ES.

Standard safety equipment looks very generous with dual front and side airbags, plus full length curtain airbags on all models. There are also five three-point seatbelts with reminders for the belts in the front and the back. Honda's VSA stability control system is available as an option on all models.

By leaving the sporty end of the supermini sector for others to fight over, the Honda Jazz is left free to concentrate on economy and its advanced petrol engines do a grand job. The 1.4-litre manages a 54.3mpg showing on the combined cycle.

There's also an SLI Shift Light Indicator on manual models that shows the optimum time to change up for improved fuel economy.

The Jazz is a definitely an unusual supermini but we didn't really expect anything else from Honda. It's at the top of the class for practicality, even trumping some small MPVs, while the petrol engines are highly efficient and the driving experience is ideally suited for urban areas. The car is also very well built and should prove reliable if Honda's customer satisfaction record is anything to go by.

Still, some buyers just won't get Honda's take on the supermini genre. Unlike most of the alternatives, it isn't sporty to look at or drive. Refinement can be an issue on longer journeys and the ride is on the firm side. Aspects of the dash design will also be an acquired taste. Honda has manufactured a great little car that goes against the supermini norms and caters for a particular type of buyer. If the values of the Jazz happen to tally with yours, there's no better supermini out there.

FACT BOX

CAR: Honda Jazz 1.4i

PRICE: 12,758-13,363 OTR

INSURANCE GROUP: 5

EMISSIONS: 128g/km

PERFORMANCE: Max speed 112mph; 0-60mph in 11.8 seconds

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 51.4mpg