What's all this about?
Honda is treating the Jazz supermini to a mid-life facelift. And not only that, but it is introducing a new trim line and a more powerful i-VTEC engine.
Ah, good. Let's start with that, shall we?
OK, until now the Honda Jazz MkIII has had just the one engine choice, which you can pair with either a six-speed manual (sweet...) or a CVT (shudder...) - and that motor was a 1.3-litre i-VTEC with 102hp and a modest 123Nm. It continues in the facelifted version, of course, but if you need a bit more oomph to ensure you're the first to get to the local Gala Bingo hall, then there's now a 130hp 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol option. No word on torque as yet, or performance figures against the stopwatch, but Honda does say it can do as much as 52.3mpg, with CO2 emissions as low as 124g/km. Although that's with the (gulp) optional CVT...
And you don't like that gearbox?
No, we do not. However, Honda does say it has revised the transmission to deliver a more linear and refined response under acceleration.
Fine. What about the altered looks?
At the front, the 'Solid Wing Face' of the Civic has been grafted onto the Jazz, while the bumpers have been tidied fore and aft. They're both defined by wide linking strips of trim and edgier shapes for the air vents (front) and grilles (rear). There's also a new body colour, Skyride Blue metallic, but if this doesn't sound enough for you, then you can always have a front splitter, rear diffuser and tailgate spoiler.
Surely you're joking here?!
We're not. The Dynamic model has a thinner front splitter beneath the lower grille, a triple-strake diffuser as part of the rear bumper (both of these finished with a sporty red accent line), a tailgate spoiler, side skirts, gloss-black 16-inch alloy wheels, and LED headlights and front foglamps. Inside, there's a unique pinstripe pattern for the upholstery, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, all of which are enhanced by orange stitching. Think of this as a very light Jazz Type R, if you will.
I won't - but I take it the 130hp engine is part of the Dynamic grade?
Correct. Other than that, it's the usual excellent stuff for this capable supermini: a 354-litre boot, rising to 897 litres with the 60:40 split Magic Seats in the rear folded away; standard kit like cruise control, automatic headlights and the City Brake Active safety system; and plenty of optional toys, like a seven-inch Honda Connect infotainment set-up, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and go, and driver assist safety systems like Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition.
When will we first see this Jazz v3.5 in the metal?
It'll make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with order books opening soon after in November. The first cars should then hit the roads in early 2018.
Matt Robinson - 14 Aug 2017
