MOBILKU

• Pros:
• Hugely practical and spacious
• New eco-friendly hybrid version
• Great build quality and reliability

• Cons:
• No diesel option
• More expensive than rivals
• Firm ride and noisy engines

Don't miss our review of the new Hybrid Honda Jazz, on other website autoexpress.co.uk
Honda's hugely popular and highly practical Jazz supermini first went on sale in 2002, and since then the Japanese company has sold close to a quarter of a million cars in the UK alone. This updated model sticks closely to the winning formula - so the Jazz still offers loads of passenger space, efficient engines and lots of standard equipment. A new hybrid model has also been added to the range, which uses the same battery assisted technology as the Honda Insight. At £15,995, it is also the cheapest hybrid car on the market. The CVT automatic gearbox has also returned, prompted by high customer demand.

Drive

The Honda Jazz has an upright driving position that gives a great view of the road ahead. All of the controls are only a short reach from the steering wheel, so it's very easy to drive. The suspension has been improved for 2011, and although it's better than before, the Jazz still struggles to deal with poor road surfaces, with bumps transmitted through to the interior. Neither the 1.2 or 1.4-litre petrol engines feels very powerful, and have to be worked quite hard to make steady progress, especially if you're carrying a few people and luggage. The hybrid version uses battery assistance for extra torque, and consequently feels like the quickest in the real world. The CVT automatic gearbox has returned for the facelift too, but is noisy and best avoided.

Comfort

Honda has tweaked the suspension to improve comfort and driveability - and the new car rides noticeably better than before, especially at higher speeds. The raised driving position gives excellent all-round visibility, and a luxurious full leather interior is now available as an option. The tall cabin means head and legroom are both ample, and the rear seats now recline for added passenger comfort.    

Reliability

The Jazz consistently scores highly in ownership surveys, as it seems to be impervious to mechanical problems. Its near-100 percent reliability score in the Driver Power survey underlines this, as does its overall 11th placing in the Top 100. The Jazz fares better than virtually all of its supermini rivals in the JD Power survey.

Practicality

Practicality is where the Honda Jazz really impresses. The new version is no exception, as the rear seats fold completely flat at the touch of a button, or if you want to carry something tall across the back seats, the seat bases flip up cinema-style to create more space. Add to that a boot big enough to rival small family hatchbacks , and the Honda Jazz proves a very practical car indeed. The hybrid version stores its battery in the boot, which means it loses the 'hidden' storage tray, but is still just as practical as the rest of the range.

Value for money

The Jazz starts at £11,295 on the road for the 1.2-litre S, but the base model doesn't come well equipped - doing without air-conditioning and alloy wheels. Prices for a mid-range ES automatic are close to £15,000, and the hybrid is even more expensive, with prices starting at £15,995. On the plus side, the Jazz does hold its value extremely well, so you should get your money back when you come to sell it.

Running costs

The Jazz won't cost much to run, as all the engines manage to return over 50mpg on the combined cycle. Not only that, but the Hybrid version will do over 60mpg, and emits just 104g/km of C02, making it free from road tax for the first year, and only £10 annually thereafter. Insurance and maintenance costs are also low, making the Jazz much cheaper to run than it is to buy.