Honda Jazz Review 2023

If you’re looking for an incredibly versatile small car that won’t cost a fortune to run, the new hybrid Honda Jazz is a brilliant option. It’s more appealing than ever before, thanks to fresh new looks and a revamped interior - not to mention the much improved media system and the latest safety technology. On the downside, it’s a little expensive, and the hybrid setup won’t appeal to everyone. Find out more in our Honda Jazz review.

The Honda Jazz has been an Honest John favourite ever since the original model arrived in 2001, with its big-car versatility, low running costs and a reputation for reliability.

It’s a car that’s always been popular with the older generation but the latest model, launched in 2020, ought to have a broader appeal. Not only does the latest Honda Jazz look trendier than ever before (you can decide for yourself whether you like its chunky looks), but it also has an almost premium interior that’s absolutely loaded with technology.

There’s loads of space inside the Honda Jazz, helped by the so-called ‘magic’ rear seats which can flip and fold to provide more space. If you need to carry bulky loads rather than rear passengers, there isn’t a better small car on sale. That said, it’s very good at carrying passengers, too - adults will be very happy in the rear, and it’s easy to get comfortable up front.

All Honda Jazz models get a digital instrument cluster, while most also come with an impressive nine-inch media system. This is leagues ahead of infotainment screens used in previous Hondas, with intuitive smartphone-like inputs and quick responses.

There’s also loads of driver-assist technology with the Honda Jazz, powered by a wide-view front camera which monitors the road ahead and, Honda claims, is more advanced than similar systems used by other manufacturers. It can spot pedestrians on the road at night, for example, and can apply the brakes to prevent (or mitigate) a collision).

There’s only one engine available in the latest Honda Jazz, and it’s a hybrid setup. That means it combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a pair of electric motors, via a single-speed gearbox. This might sound complicated but it really isn’t - you don’t need to charge it (it’s not a plug-in hybrid), while the Honda Jazz drives just like any other automatic petrol car. Albeit one that can drive away in silence and return incredible economy.

Officially, the Honda Jazz can return up to 62.8mpg and - although it’s a bit too new to feature in our Real MPG data - our experience suggests that’s fairly viable in the real world. It’ll be cheap to run in other aspects, too. You get a £10 yearly discount in tax because of its hybrid status, and insurance shouldn’t be any more than a Ford Fiesta.

Despite feeling like a much bigger car than it actually is, the Honda Jazz is a very easy car to drive. You sit a bit higher up than you would in a more conventional alternative, enjoying a good view of the road ahead thanks to the deep front windscreen. It’s also very refined - both in and out of town - while standard reversing sensors (on all but entry-level models) make it a very easy car to negotiate tight parking spaces. 

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Honda Jazz review.

Versatility has always been the Honda Jazz’s unique selling point. If you like to carry bulky loads, you’ll be pleased to discover that the hybrid setup hasn’t hindered its practicality at all. It retains its trick Magic Seats - essentially a rear bench that can flip and fold to allow you to carry upright items in the boot. There’s room for up to 1205 litres of luggage with the bench dropped, while the Honda Jazz has 304 litres of boot space when the rear seats are in use.

The Honda Jazz is also very good at carrying people. Two tall adults can comfortably fit in the back, with loads of head and legroom - although the middle seat really is for occasional use only. Isofix points are fitted as standard, making it easier to fit child seats on the outer seats.

There’s plenty of room up front with the Honda Jazz, while there’s plenty of useful cubby boxes for storage (although the door bins aren’t huge and coffee fans might like slightly bigger cup holders). It’s easy to get comfortable, with adequate adjustment in the steering wheel and a slightly higher than normal seating position.

The Honda Jazz’s cabin looks and feels significantly more stylish than its predecessor. There’s a huge swatch of fabric across the dashboard, while shiny silver switches almost look premium (emphasis on the ‘almost’ - they don’t feel as solid as they look).

While the Honda Jazz is generally very well finished, it does depend on spec. You’ll need a mid-range SR model for the soft leather interior panels and part-leather upholstery, while only the top-spec EX gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector. We’ve not sat in an entry-level SE model, but we suspect it could feel a bit drab.

Buy a mid- or top-spec Honda Jazz and it’ll come with a nine-inch media system (complete with navigation on the EX model). It’s a huge improvement on previous infotainment attempts by Honda, with a tiled home screen and customisable shortcuts (like a smartphone).

If we’re being picky, it’s positioned in the centre of the dash and angled slightly upwards, so reflections can make it slightly difficult to read on a sunny day. It’s easy to use, though, and there are still plenty of physical buttons and dials - meaning you don’t have to negotiate the touchscreen system to adjust the volume or change the temperature of the climate control.

The Honda Jazz isn’t exactly a bargain, with prices from launch starting from around £19,000 for the entry-level SE model. That soon edges towards £20,000 when you choose a vaguely more interesting paint colour, which sounds pretty strong when you can buy a Ford Fiesta for less than £17,000.

In the Honda Jazz’s defence, you do get quite a lot for your money. All Jazz’s use the same engine - so no lethargic petrol sitting at the bottom of the range - while even the SE comes with adaptive cruise control, LED headlights and DAB radio.

Most buyers will want a mid-spec SR, though, for its 15-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors (front and rear) and various interior niceties, including part-leather upholstery and a nine-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Prices for this model start in the region of £20,000.

The EX gets a bit more expensive, starting closer to £21,500. This is all the Jazz you could possibly need, though, with heated seats, navigation and a rear-view camera.

Topping the Jazz range is the Crosstar EX. This is aimed at the outdoorsy market, with water-repellent fabric upholstery as standard as well as exterior body cladding to give it a roughty-toughty look. It also gets a premium sound system, roof rails and silver door mirrors with integrated LED indciators. Otherwise, the Crosstar's spec is the same as the standard EX model.

The Honda Jazz Hybrid will officially see 62.8mpg, according to WLTP fuel economy tests. In our experience, this is actually relatively realistic. We’ve seen early-60s MPG during day-to-day driving without much effort. The same can’t be said for rivals with small turbocharged petrol engines.

A 40-litre fuel tank means it won’t cost you much more than £40 to fill the Jazz entirely. You should be able to see upwards of 400 miles from a tank. 

You’ll pay £145 for the first year’s tax (included in the retail price), after which you’ll pay a flat rate of £140 a year in tax. This includes the generous £10 discount for hybrid vehicles.

With its relatively high seating position and huge front windscreen, the Honda Jazz provides excellent visibility and is a really easy car to drive around town. It’s got a tight turning circle and light steering which means it doesn’t take much shuffling of the steering wheel to slot it into a parking space.

You might struggle to see where the front of the Honda Jazz’s bonnet is, but that’s true of the old model too (and, indeed, most modern hatchbacks). Fortunately, front parking sensors are standard on all but the most affordable SE model, while the EX gets a rear-view camera. We’d like to see the same digital rear-view camera as the Honda E, but that might be a little too high-tech for the humble Honda Jazz.

On the open road, the Jazz feels more akin to a small MPV than a hatchback (which, arguably, it is). It’s very refined, with little in the way of road or wind noise. Sure, it’s not as agile as a Ford Fiesta on a twisty road, but it feels very safe and grown-up in the way it drives.

Our biggest complaint is the ride quality. The Jazz thumps over broken road surfaces, particularly on the larger 16-inch alloy wheels fitted to our test car. You might want to look for a lower-spec model with the 15-inch alloys if you want a smooth ride.

The Honda Jazz is now a hybrid-only affair, consisting of a 1.5-litre petrol engine combined with two electric motors and a compact lithium-ion battery pack. It produces a fairly modest 109PS but, without any gears (it uses a single-speed setup), it actually feels pretty eager. It’ll accelerate to 62mph in 9.4 seconds, getting away from the line with little hesitation (great for city driving), although it does make a bit of a CVT-like drone during prolonged acceleration.

There’s no need to charge the Honda Jazz - it’ll use its petrol engine to charge the two electric motors, while the regenerative brakes can recuperate energy while slowing down. Leave it in the standard Hybrid drive mode and it’ll flick between petrol and electric power. At high speed, for example, it’ll run under petrol power and charge the batteries, while around town it’ll use the electric motor as much as possible.

You’ll struggle to notice when the petrol engine kicks in. The four-cylinder motor is considerably quieter than sprightly three-cylinder alternatives, while the hybrid setup makes for very relaxed town driving. It’ll turn the engine off before you come to a complete halt in stop-start traffic, while it can also set off entirely under electric power.

The latest Honda Jazz has the latest semi-autonomous safety features to help keep you safe on the road. This includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System (which can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a crash or reduce the impact), as well as Road Departure Mitigation System (which can nudge the steering to keep you on the road). It’s also available with automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control and an intelligent speed limiter (which can adjust the top speed of your car depending on the speed limit).

Widespread use of high-strength steel and no fewer than 10 airbags means the Jazz is a very safe car to be driving if you are involved in a crush. Unfortunately, there’s no room for a spare wheel in the Jazz Hybrid, so a tyre inflation kit is provided as standard.

Euro NCAP awarded the Honda Jazz a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested in 2020.

The 2020 Honda Jazz isn’t rated to tow anything. Nada. Zilch.

Few buyers will be surprised or disappointed but the previous Jazz could actually tow a braked trailer up to 1000kg. That’s the equivalent of a small caravan.

The entry-level Jazz is the SE, which starts from around £19,000 and comes with 15-inch steel wheels, LED head and tail lights, DAB radio, an electronic parking brake with hill-hold assist, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, fabric seats and Honda’s Sensing safety tech.

The mid-range Honda Jazz SR model is more popular. This comes with a nine-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors, 15-inch alloy wheels and part-leather upholstery. A new one will set you back around £1200 more than the SE.

The high-spec Jazz EX comes with a rear-view camera, keyless entry and start, heated front seats (and steering wheel) and Garmin navigation, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels.

Topping the range is the Jazz Crosstar EX, which we’ve reviewed separately. This adds roof rails, a two-tone roof, a water-resistant fabric interior and a premium sound system.