Pricing details have been revealed for the all-new 2020 Honda Jazz. The entry-level model comes in at £18,980 with Honda saying that you’ll be able to finance one from £225 per month on Personal Contract Purchase (PCP).
The new Jazz is undergoing something of a transformation. In an effort to shed the old car’s rather pedestrian image, the new car gets a completely new and sleeker look to complement the new tech and equipment that’s being introduced. There’s also a new SUV variant joining it, the Jazz Crosstar.
Extensively re-engineered, the fourth-generation Jazz has a tough task ahead of it, as it’s likely to be on the same shopping lists as the brilliant Ford Fiesta, the solid Volkswagen Polo and brand-new Vauxhall Corsa.
The new car looks wider and lower than before, and promises to be far easier to see out of, thanks to a significant reduction in size of the windscreen pillars – improving safety as there’s less vision-obscuring bulk in the driver’s eyeline.
The good news is that the Jazz is as practical as ever, despite its new look. It has retained the cleverly folding Honda Magic Seats arrangement (where you can put really tall items on the floor in the back, with the seat bases folded up) and generous height that makes it one of the most practical cars you can buy with such a compact footprint.
Jazz Crosstar: Honda’s hatchback with attitude
The biggest news is the arrival of the new and more rugged SUV-style model called the Crosstar. As is usual with these toughened-up versions, you get a raised ride height (so you sit higher), contrasting details such as wheelarch protection, with a new front-end design, water-resistant seats and integrated roof rails.
As yet, there’s no indication of this getting all-wheel drive, but even in front-wheel drive form it has the looks to carry it off as an alternative to the popular Ford Fiesta Active.
More safety tech and higher quality interior
Inside, the Jazz has an all-new and striking interior with a wider dashboard, less complex design and higher-quality materials. A large central touchscreen indicates new infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay support and an on-board WiFi hotspot introduced to the range for the first time.
Improved camera and radar sensing allows the Jazz to detect road edges and kerbs without markings, and completes a suite of safety technology that includes adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping, and night-time detection of pedestrians and traffic turning across the Honda’s path for the autonomous emergency braking safety system.
Jazz goes hybrid
As its rivals are moving towards electric or small-displacement turbo power, the Honda Jazz will be offered with just one power option in the UK. Honda’s new e:HEV system is a two-motor hybrid that we’ve yet to be given more detail on – Japanese videos introducing the e:HEV version confirm the battery pack is at the rear, and a petrol engine with electric motors are upfront.
Previous Honda systems have referred to the drive motor and generator as a two-motor setup – so we’re confident that the new Jazz will be front-wheel drive. The e:HEV name is being introduced to bring it into line with the all-electric Honda e.
Honda aims to give the new Jazz the same feel as an electric car. That means seamless and rapid acceleration from a standing start, and silent operation in EV modes.
What this means for you
The Honda Jazz has always been a worthwhile and practical small car, but what it’s lacked is kerbside appeal. This new model retains the old car’s practicality and passenger space but adds more appealing styling and that all important hybrid technology. The arrival of the Crosstar is also interesting, and should appeal to those who fancy some SUV attitude, but love the Honda’s promised reliability.
Expected to go on sale in the UK in mid-2020, the new Jazz and Jazz Crosstar look competitively priced. With an entry-level price of £18,980 for the e:HEV rising to £20,180 for the mid-level SR grade, it’s right in the mix with the Ford Fiesta and new Vauxhall Corsa. SUV fans will look at the £23,580 being asked for the range-topping Crosstar EX and may wonder what it offers over a cheaper Renault Captur.
Dealer finance is there or thereabouts, with the headline £225 per month for the e:HEV SE looking competitive based on a 5.9% APR 36-month agreement with a mileage cap of 10,000 miles per annum and 20% deposit. However, before you commit to the new car, consider that the outgoing Jazz is available with zero-percent finance from Honda, and is something of a bargain right now.
>> Find out all you need to know about the Honda Jazz
>> Full list of zero-percent APR cars on sale right now
>> Visit the Honda website for more details of the zero-percent deal
