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or automatic transmission. Standard fare on the entry-level version is impressive, especially when you consider the starting price of £32,095. LED lights, 13” touchscreen, Apple Car Play and
Android Auto, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, heated, powered and folding door mirrors, rear privacy glass, useful sliding rear seats, keyless entry and start, quickclear heated front screen and cruise control. My Active version sits one below
mpg average. On the road it handles well, but that shouldn’t be a
the top-of-the-range and with a 2.5-litre hybrid petrol unit, allied to CVT automatic transmission and all- wheel-drive, makes for a very practical, comfortable and well equipped travel companion. The full hybrid system offers smooth changes between gears and switches between electric, combustion and a combination of the two according to conditions. In terms of MPG, on a long haul up North to the Isle of Mull in Scotland, followed by lots of short journeys, it returned an impressive 50
HONDA JAZZ HYBRID - small car, big space
Honda Jazz Hybrid – small car, big space There are some cars that have the wrong kind of reputation, and some that have an unjustified reputation. The Honda Jazz definitely falls into that latter category because although it’s actually a great little car it’s also widely viewed as being the favourite of, how can one put it, more mature drivers. In its latest form the Jazz Hybrid has all the virtues of a Honda, being well built, reliable and immensely practical for its size. Prices start at £26,885 with three trim levels in the line-up - Elegance, Advance, Advance Sport – and then the Crosstar which has a bit of an SUV vibe. Slightly raised ride height and plastic cladding to the wheel arches and door bottoms complete the look. Standard fare is generous to a fault, even the lead-in version has everything from keyless entry and start and adaptive cruise through to navigation and Bluetooth with wireless CarPlay. In addition to terrific practicality and space, given the Jazz’s diminutive proportions, the visibility is from another age, in a good way. Lots of glass and slim pillars makes for a nice and airy interior. None of the lowered rooflines, slimline windows and chunky pillars that one normally expects nowadays. The magic rear seats offer a myriad of different folding options that can effectively turn the Jazz into nothing short of a small van. It is amazing what will fit inside it. The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine is mated to not one but two electric motors with three drive modes - electric, hybrid and engine – and a CVT automatic
Kuga hangs on to electric power for longer than a lot of hybrids, which is good
In urban driving the
surprise as every Ford I have driven, whether humble or expensive, handles well. In urban driving the Kuga hangs on to electric power for longer than a lot of hybrids, which is good, and when the engine does power up it is discreet and smooth. Being a CVT (continuously variable transmission), rapid acceleration is accompanied by some vocal notes from under the bonnet as the engine revs rise while the Kuga gets up to speed. All CVTs share the same characteristic, but linked to the 2.4-litre petrol engine the Kuga is a smoother and quieter operation than many. Overall the Kuga is an impressive means
of travel whether for urban commutes or more far flung adventures that utilise the very effective all-wheel-drive. It manages to do its bit for the environment without the current (excuse the pun) impracticalities of a full EV.
transmission. Regular readers will know that CVTs have a particular characteristic where hard acceleration causes the engine revs to rise while the speed catches up. It can be quite vocal so feathering the throttle makes life quieter and is soon adopted when you’re used to the car. Electric power switches in seamlessly and the Jazz will run electric only at low speed or you can select engine power or full hybrid mode that leaves the car to choose which mode of power depending on driving conditions. If you thought the Honda Jazz was a car for
downsizers, the more mature driver or those with just a weekly run to the shops, then think again. It looks smart, in my opinion, and has lots of standard equipment and seems to hold its price well on the used forecourt. All of which makes up for that higher initial purchase price.
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