Honda Jazz 1.5 S Skyroof i-VTEC Review: The right tune?

Meanwhile, his missus prefers something more family-oriented, such as an MPV. The newlywed guy has given up singlehood in favour of the quiet life, but he’s still not ready to be seen in a minivan. Sounds familiar?

If it does, then your first car purchase as a married couple is the first of many speed bumps. But luckily, before this simple discussion between you lovebirds deteriorates into a heated argument, the perfect compromise has arrived in the form of the new Honda Jazz.

The new Jazz still has the cutesy look that’s pleasing to women. Men, however, need not worry - the top-end 1.5-litre Skyroof model we drove was equipped with full body-kit. And those Honda alloys give the Jazz a more masculine stance too.

Once you get in the car and shut the door, something amazing happens. Remember Alice In Wonderland? Alice goes down into a tiny rabbit hole and finds herself in a whole new world. And that’s exactly how it is with this car.

Those rakish A-pillars that have been stretched by Honda’s engineers give the phrase “cab-forward design” an entirely new meaning. With expansive glass all around (especially that massive windshield), the interior gives you that airy feeling associated with roominess. Open up the Skyroof, and that feeling is further multiplied.

No matter how much you tell yourself you’re in a Honda Jazz, your senses will say otherwise. It feels as if you’re in a large minivan (gasp!). In fact, when you alight from this car, your legs are already on the ground. However I’m not even sure if minivans require drivers to stretch so far just to insert your Cashcard into the IU - if you’re approaching an ERP gantry with no card in the unit, it’s already too late.

The seats are firm and offer good support, which is crucial for couples who enjoy road trips up North. Husbands will love the silver-ringed instruments with red backlighting and three-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters. The audio system is MP3 compatible – which is a must for today’s cars.

The Honda Jazz’s much-lauded flexible seating and stowage system continues with this model. Despite having a length of only 3,920mm, the wheelbase is still an impressive 2,500mm. For newlyweds who are moving into their new home or simply carting back their wedding presents, well, the Jazz will amaze you.

So it’s got cool looks and a great interior - but how does it drive? Under the hood is a 1.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC powerplant that delivers 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 145Nm at 4,800 revs. While it might be the most powerful 1.5-litre engine around, it’s still a Honda, and it needs to be worked hard – which is what those paddles are for. And no, you don’t need to shift into “S” before they’ll work.

The downside to this engine is its noise. It’s nowhere as pleasing as I had anticipated it to be, and sounded pretty rough at higher revs. Just remember, if your wife is in the car, don’t get aggressive…unless she happens to be asleep.

To illustrate just how splendid this car is, I took a friend (who happens to be a working tai-tai) for a joyride. She liked the commodious interior, smooth ride, Skyroof and dashboard instrumentation (yes, the instruments!). But felt disappointed with the “naked” plastic bits. Despite that, she still felt the Jazz was a great car. Yup, this Jazz even has a tai-tai’s approval.

Despite having a softer ride, this new Jazz still handles fairly well. It’s frugal too - I drove this car for an entire day, and averaged 13.6 km/litre.

The new Jazz is comfortable, spacious, and economical. My wife and I however, agree that the only reason not to buy it would be because everyone is going to have one – or is planning to. Bummer…

Credits: Story by Azfar Hashim, Jarvis Seo and Jeremy Chua. Pictures by Azfar Hashim