Paying for quality

NEW headlamps, grill and hood makes the Jazz even more aggressive looking.

I have a confession to make. The past few years have not been kind to Honda Cars Philippines, and I am one of their staunchest critics. It’s not that I dislike the Honda brand. On the contrary, I am such a huge devoted fan of Honda, having been raised in an environment where Type-R’s were the attainable dream cars of my youth, the NSX is the supercar the Europeans should have built, and the B-Series engine was the greatest thing since sliced bread (and hotdogs) and Honda’s double wishbone suspension was the standard by which all other suspensions were judged. Alas, perhaps having sat on their fat sushi-fed arses for so long, Honda might have gone a bit soft, choosing to build a car based on committee and consensus formed by people who see cars as a fast-moving consumer product, rather than a single-minded engineer with one loose nut in his head, such as the company’s founder, Soichiro Honda.

But the one shining star in Honda’s entire vehicle line-up has been the Jazz. If only all Hondas were as efficient, enjoyable and exciting as the Jazz, Honda would kill its competitors in the segments it was present in.  Since its introduction in 2005, the Jazz has been the standard by which all small cars have been benchmarked and judged against and it’s easy to see why. First is the ingenious shape, a mini-MPV-2-box roofline with a very square interior means entry and exit is very easy and convenient for both young and old, tall and vertically challenged alike. Second, the engine and transmission options are a perfect balance of power and economy, thereby delivering maximum fuel efficiency. Imagine getting an easy 14km/liter on the highway on a full load cruising between 100-12km/h? Or how about an easy 11-12 km/liter in the city with traffic thrown in? Amazing barely describes it.

CLASSY cockpit with the instruments set against an all-amber/orange interior dash back-lighting

Third, Honda’s then-new ULT seating system allows the seats to fold and tumble in a variety of configurations to allow hauling of huge and bulky pieces of cargo or essentially transform the Jazz’s interior into a tent/love shack. Did I mention that five normal-sized adults fit comfortably inside without risk of sexual harassment? That’s actually better room than most sedans a class bigger on the market. It’s at home in tight, narrow inner city streets as it is on the highway, fun on motorways as it is on a twisty piece of road and ultimately equally enjoyable, if not necessarily blindingly fast, on the race track.

When the second generation came out in 2009, the entire market was excited. Everyone was pleased with the improvements: bigger room, more handsome, angular and aggressive looks and more powerful engines, the top-spec V variant coming with a 1.5 liter i-Vtec engine that produces 120 ps and 14.8 kg/m of torque, mated to a 5-speed automatic with F1-style steering wheel mounted paddles.

Alas, it wasn’t perfect. There was a really loud clapping noise at the rear suspension which seems prevalent with all other Jazzes of this build date, and the suspension was unusually stiff and a bit under-damped. Lastly, the engine made a strange noise at start-up, which quickly went away. I observed this in three other Honda Jazzes and we were told by the dealership that it was normal. But the worst part was that foglamps, on a car that was clearly a good P70,000 or so more expensive than its nearest rival, was not standard, and an expensive P20,000 dealer-fit option. That was really cheap of Honda to do so. Otherwise, it still had the same great driving dynamics, roomy and versatile interior and efficient engines.

THE SEATING system still allows the seats to fold and tumble in a variety of configurations.

A facelift was introduced in 2011, which made the Jazz look a bit anime-ish, a bit tuner-car, begging for some shiny carbon fiber bits, bigger wheels and a more hunkered down stance. Fog lamps were thankfully now standard, and the slapping metal noise at the back had improved somewhat, but the engine still made an odd noise after start-up. But the price had gone up significantly, adding as much as P30,000 to my recollection. Honda was slowly pricing itself out of the market, and newer competition offered cars with better value for money.

SPACIOUS trunk with the second row folded.

Yet Honda remains bullish and has released the 2012 Special Edition Jazz 1.5 EX. Differentiated by a new front bumper that has fog lamps thankfully as standard, and incorporates the facelifted Jazz’s new headlamps, grill and hood, which altogether make the Jazz even more aggressive-looking. This variant is only available in Fresh Lime, Taffeta White and Crystal Black. Interior fabrics are new, offering really grippy surfaces to keep you from sliding around, and auxiliary mounted controls on the steering wheel allow you to toggle with the audio system and enable cruise control. There is also both USB and aux-in connectivity for your MP3 device, set against an all-amber/orange interior dash back-lighting, and the handsome 3-spoke steering wheel is itself now wrapped in grippy perforated leather. Thankfully, the metal slapping noise at the back is now completely gone, and the engine is more quiet, smoother and more serene when puttering about. Of course, driving dynamics remains excellent and first rate, as do fuel efficiency and interior versatility.

3-SPOKE steering wheel wrapped in grippy perforated leather.

COMPARTMENT made bigger

The special edition Jazz is definitely everything and more that has helped make the model Honda’s shining star in this age of trials and challenges. The problem is, it’s priced at P899,000, which in this segment, is a whole lot. Expensive, yes, but grudgingly, I have to admit, it’s still the best in its segment, by far.