Australian Car Advice | News Blog

Read more…

While you won’t be breaking any speed records, the 1.5 litre, four-cylinder, SOHC engine provides just enough oomph, whilst manageability is at a premium with light steering that doesn’t compromise stability.  There is nothing laboured about this jazzy number, gear changes are smooth and accurate and the highly responsive steering makes parking a breeze.  Despite its miniature frame the Jazz sticks to the road providing peace of mind on both sealed and unsealed surfaces.

The attempt at reducing driver distraction stuck out for me, starting with the design of the dash and instruments.  Commonly used controls, such as those for the ventilation system, are close to the driver and are both large and simple to use.  The cruise control is easy to use, just a matter of two button pushes and the LCD stereo display is easy to read (including the added bonus of song and album information) but isn’t overly bright which comes in handy for night driving.

Positioning on the steering wheel of the audio, info and cruise control buttons means you aren’t accidentally pushing buttons when trying to steer.  The stereo throws out great sound and also has an auxiliary connection to rig up your iPod or MP3 player. If I had to fault it, I’d say the dash is a tad ‘plastic’, which I feel does cheapen the car, but in terms of layout and design, still scores high points.

The instrument display isn’t crowded with too much information which is a big plus for me.  It is a “back to basics” layout comprising three large red dials – tachometer, speedo and fuel gauge. I especially like the size of the fuel gauge, so you are always reminded of exactly how much is left in the tank. A small LCD screen in the middle of the dials allows you to flick through other information such as fuel consumption and trip time.

The Honda Jazz is yet another one of those ‘beeping’ cars, must be aimed at the American market, which becomes a little annoying at times. It beeps when the door is open, if seatbelts aren’t on, if the key is left in when the driver’s door is open and if the headlights are left on, still it may help prevent a flat battery I guess.

The futuristic design of the car looks great on the road and is also functional, the front pillars have been bought forward, adding an extra panel of window just at the back of the side mirrors. The extra glass gives a much more spacious feel, detracting from the compact nature of the Jazz. Large side mirrors add to visibility, but the depth of the side pillars do make a quick blind spot check a little challenging.

I’ll be honest; I have had my small car issues in the past and never dreamed of attempting a family weekend away in such a class of car.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Jazz.  It has more space than first meets the eye; I was able to fit a pram and luggage (or a good load of shopping) in the boot.  The boot is also at a great height for lifting a pram or similarly heavy items in and out.

Two child seats easily fit in the back seat and the Jazz is equipped with three full child seat anchors across the rear roof.  However, the anchor straps do cut across the rear window, reducing visibility and carrying space. When a toddler is in a child seat, it puts them right at the door handle level, but the tried and tested child lock averts any disasters.  The rear seats also have space to stash extra bags underneath which I found very handy.

Legroom for the front seat passenger is limited though, there is no hope of opening the glove box without amputating the passenger’s knees and I also found myself punching the passenger in the leg when changing into first or second gear.  But space issues are always going to be there in a small car, it is after all a small car!

I missed the central console but loved the many (ten in total) cup holders, most notably the one on the right hand side of the steering wheel which means no looking down to find your coffee while driving. If kids aren’t involved and the cargo space is what you are after, the back seats fold down to create more space to fit anything from a surf board to more luggage.

The cargo space jumps to 848 litres with the seats folded as opposed to 337 litres with them in place.  Honda has come up with a ‘magic’ seat system which means the seats literally fold down in one easy action, no yanking, pulling or digging out the instruction manual required.

In the current climate of high petrol prices, economy is also a big plus for this little number.  The highest I saw the consumption climb was 6.3 L/100km in peak hour traffic with it dropping to 5.9L/100km on the open road.  Although filling up for the first time had the line of Friday evening petrol station goers behind me seeing red until I figured out you push the fuel door to open it, so don’t go searching for the release lever.  The fuel door does lock with the central locking.

The ride is quite comfortable, the only issue I had with the seats themselves was that the headrests adjust too easily and can be knocked out of position with the slightest touch.

Although safety is a priority with side curtain airbags, seatbelt indicators for all passengers and super bright brake lights, it isunfortunate that the engine/automatic gearbox combination that Honda Australia has chosen precludes the inclusion of Electronic Stability Control(ESC).

However, Honda is working with the engineers in Japan to bring this vital safety feature to the Australian version of the Jazz as soon as possible.

All in all, this is a great little car for your money. A compromise on space brings fantastic fuel economy and an easy, user-friendly car that is hard to fault.

CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:

Pricing:

• Honda Jazz GLi $15,990 (M) / $17,990 (A)
• Honda Jazz VTi $19,170 (M) / $21,490 (A)
• Honda Jazz VTi-S $21,590 (M) / $23,920 (A)

Specifications:

• Engine: 1497cc SOHC four cylinder (16 valve)
• Power: 88kW @ 6600rpm
• Torque: 145Nm @ 4800rpm
• Transmission: Five speed manual
• Brakes: Four-wheel discs with ABS
• Driven Wheels: Front
• Fuel Type: 91RON petrol
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 42 litres
• Fuel Consumption: 6.4 litres per 100km (Combined)
• CO2 Emissions: 151g/km
• Safety: Front, Side & Curtain Airbags
• EuroNCAP Rating: Four stars
• Service Interval: 6-month/10,000km
• Spare Wheel: Full size alloy
• Turning Circle: 9.8 metres
• Towing Capacity: 1000kg (Braked)
• Warranty: 3-year/100,000km
• Weight: 1090kg (Tare)
• Wheels: Alloy 16 x 6.0-inch

Road Test the Rivals:

• Holden Barina (from $14,490)
• Hyundai Getz (from $13,990)
• FIAT Punto (from $19,990)
• Ford Fiesta (from $15,990)
• KIA Cerato (from $16,840)
• Mazda 2 (from $16,500)
• Mitsubishi Colt (from $15,990)
• Suzuki Swift (from $15,990)
• Toyota Yaris (from $14,990)
• Volkswagen Polo (from $19,990)

Hide It

Read more…

The Thai built offering features a 1.5 litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine producing 88kW and is said to promote a relaxing interior feel whilst placing an emphasis on driving smoothness - watch out Civic!

Meanwhile over at the Ford stable, the new Fiesta hatch will take centre stage as the “Kinetic” designed three and five door models make their debut down under.

The German designed and developed Fiesta is powered by a 1.6 litre DOHC Duratec four-cylinder engine which Ford says is good for 6.1 litres per 100km combined average (when fitted with a manual transmission). For the budget savvy, Fiesta also comes with a 1.4 litre power plant with dedicated automatic in a similar vein to Nissan’s current Micra.

The new Jazz and Fiesta are among 40 new production models and concept designs being unveiled when the Australian International Motor Show opens at Sydney’s Darling Harbour on October 9. CarAdvice will of course be in attendance to bring you complete coverage.

Hide It

Read more…

The 2.4 litre EURO4 compliant DOHC i-VTEC engine produces peak power of 133kW and 222Nm, while boasting fuel economy of 8.8 litres per 100km.

With an equally impressive CO2 emissions level of just 209 g/km, the Accord outstrips many medium cars in the economy stakes and even rivals some small cars.

“The Accord offers the highest level of refinement in the large car segment and represents outstanding value for money. Both variants offer excellent fuel economy, which means less money being spent at the petrol pump.”

Since the release of the 8th generation Accord, it has acquired over seven percent of the market to become Australia’s most popular four-cylinder large car in the private sector.

Safety features include dual front and side airbags, ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Vehicle Stability Assist, active front head restraints and front seatbelt pre-tensioners as standard.

Creature comforts are equally generous, with steering wheel mounted cruise and audio controls, dual-zone climate control, power windows and mirrors, security alarm, audio system with six-stack CD player and six speakers with MP3 compatibility as well as 16 inch alloy wheels.

Hide It

Read more…

As far as we can gather, there are no major internal changes, merely cosmetic changes to the front and rear lights, with the addition of a more aggressive bumper and updated alloy wheel.

It sure does seems as though Honda is more focused on its new range of hybrid cars.

One other Honda hybrid car expected at Honda’s Paris stand is the CR-Z sports concept car. The car which we are determined will become the new CR-X. It will also be the first mass produced hybrid sports car from the Japanese company.

Honda intends to start a revolution with the CR-Z, by offering a small petrol-electric hybrid sports cars. The CR-Z, a sporty 2+2, takes many ideas from the CR-X cult-car, most notably it will utilise a split level glass rear window, a feature Honda has used in over three decades in the CR-X.

Hide It

Read more…

For years we, amongst many others, have criticised Honda for trying to compete with the Toyota Prius, a dedicated Hybrid, with a variant of the company’s popular Civic. Thankfully, Honda has listened, and the new Insight will heralds the return of a dedicated hybrid to the Honda model line-up.

The company says the Insight is the first of three new hybrid cars expected from the Tokyo based manufacturer over the next four years.

As pointed out by our readers previously, the Insight does appear to have taken many hints from the Prius, to deliver a halo hybrid car that is not only different in styling but also a practical and flexible family car with enough space for both passenger and luggage.

Honda is still tight-lipped about the fuel economy figures, though we should expect full details from Paris next month. Of course, we suspect it will offer Prius beating fuel-economy and do it with lower emissions.

Reports from the States suggest the Insight will sit below the Civic Hybrid and be priced less than both its hybrid brother and the Toyota Prius.

Don’t be fooled by Honda’s emphasis on Hybrid cars however, the Japanese company continues to work on Hydrogen Fuel cell cars and has stated publicly that the future of Honda cars is with Hydrogen technology while current hybrid cars are only a solution for the medium term.

Hide It

Read more…

However Honda Motor Co. is not deterred by the first-generation’s set backs. The new insight will be a five-door, five-passenger hatchback, much like the Prius.

The Japanese company announced today that it will show-off a a concept version of the new Insight at the Paris auto show next month. With sales starting in the United States by April next year.

“The name Insight was chosen to denote Honda’s ‘insight’ into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers,” Honda said in a press release.

Unlike the first generation, this time around Honda plans to sell at least 200,000 of the vehicles worldwide annually. Although it expects that half of the allocation will be for North America.

The Insight is a little different to the Prius however, with the battery and control unit located beneath the cargo space. Meanwhile power is generated primarily from the petrol engine with help from the electric motor coming only when extra power is needed, such as during passing, starting and accelerating.

 Honda says the Insight is slightly smaller and lighter than the Civic hybrid. It will also be cheaper than both the Prius and Civic Hybrid making it a potential winner in the current fuel-crisis climate.

“Thanks to reductions in the weight and size of the Insight’s key components, Honda has also achieved significant cost reductions,” the automaker said.

Nonetheless the Insight is the first of many new hybrids expected from Honda. There will be a new sporty hybrid called CR-Z (think CR-X) plus a new generation of the Civic Hybrid and even a hybrid Jazz.

Honda Australia has been contacted for comment. Check back later in the day for an update.

Hide It

Read more…

Honda Australia has built and is now operating an experimental ‘Home Energy Station’ which is actively generating hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles. It also happens to supply electricity and hot water to the home to which it’s attached to.

Okay, so not only does Honda make cool cars (and ever cooler bikes), but soon, they will power your home with electricity and supply the warm water you shower in. Ambitious, but we like it.

The company says that by developing innovative approaches to sustainable energy, it’s reducing the environmental impact of the automobile.

How does the Home Energy Station work? Using Solar power. Oh yes, we know what you’re thinking. “But the production of solar panels create more pollution than they offset…” Correct, but not these ‘new’ Honda built, highly efficient photovoltaic cells.

Honda’s solar subsidiary in Japan, Honda Soltec Co, has been producing photovoltaic solar cells that incorporate copper, indium, gallium and selenium, as opposed to traditional panels produced from silicon. What does that mean? For a start they can capture significantly more energy making their production more worthwhile.

Honda plans to use the thin film solar cells to power its own fuel cell vehicles – like the FCX Clarity (pictured) – in a completely carbon free energy system.

The Japanese giant is also developing next-generation refueling stations that would use solar power to produce hydrogen from water for powering its fuel cell vehicles.

The big question, will this science-fiction-sounding technology ever see the light of day? Honda Australia’s Managing Director, Yasuhide Mizuno, thinks so. He recently confirmed the Home Energy Station technology will be seen here in the future.

“Honda has long been conducting research into the development of hydrogen production and supply systems for a hydrogen-based society of the future,” Mr. Mizuno said. “To have the Home Energy Station available locally is a really exciting prospect and would see Honda leading the way and launching emission free cars, like the Honda FCX Clarity, in Australia.”

If Honda built the Home Energy Stations like they build their cars, they will last a few decades and never breakdown, so the prospects are making us a little too excited but the reality and practicality and of course, the cost of the technology is still uncertain.

Nonetheless, would you consider a Home Energy Station from Honda to not only power your new FCX, but also provide your house with electricity and hot water?

Hide It

Read more…

The changes are subtle and the new Jazz hits the market with the same model line-up, GLi, VTi and VTi-S, as the previous car. In another ‘what’s changed’ move the opening price of $15,990 for the five-speed manual Jazz GLi remains unchanged.

There’s a choice of five-speed manual or automatic through out the range and for reason best explained by Honda Australia Senior Director Lindsay Smalley the car eschews the CVT transmission which is on offer in Europe and Japan.

Mr Smalley explained at today’s simultaneous media and on-sale launch that it was Honda Australia’s belief that local customers preferred the driving experience of a full-automatic over the stepless approach of the CVT transmission.

The decision also allows Honda Australia to configure the car with more powerful engines, 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre, than are on offer with the CVT.

The downside is that Honda has not yet developed Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), it’s acronym for the all-important ESC, to work with the more powerful engines and automatic transmission so we will not see this important safety feature in the Honda Jazz in Australia in the immediate future.

Mr Smalley told CarAdvice that “Japan R&D is working as quickly as possible to develop the VSC to work with our engines.”

Mr Smalley emphasised that Honda had gone for a more sporty driving experience with the new Jazz, wanting to enhance its appeal with a younger market and to broaden the market as the Australian market more widely embraces smaller cars.

The new Jazz is a much more driveable car with sharper handling, more dynamic feel and more responsive engines.

The downside of not using the CVT transmission is slightly increased fuel consumption, but again Mr Smalley defended this saying that “ real-world experience meant the manual/auto choice in Australia is line-ball with the CVT. “

Next page…

Pages: 1 2 3

Hide It

Read more…

Those of us with a good memory might be thinking the new Civic looks a little similar to the Honda OSM concept, and we’d be right. The front-on look is without a doubt inspired by the concept car.

Honda will have two different variants of the European Civic, a three-door hatchback ‘coupé’ for the young and a five-door, for the, uh… traditional Civic buyers.

The three-door variant will come with sporty alloys, sports bodykit, plus it will sit closer to the ground and hug its occupants with sports seats. Additionally the five-door will have a higher roofline and more practical features like a decent sized boot and a more comfortable ride.

Engines are still unconfirmed, however rumour has it the Civic will get a revised 1.5-litre hybrid engine that will manage at least 112kW and produce less than 120g/km of CO2 emissions.

The car we are interested in most, of course, is the next generation Type-R. This time it’s fair to assume that Honda might infact release a hybrid Type-R, put the current high-revving 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine and add an electric motor? Yes please.

More information on the new generation Civic as it comes.

Honda Civic Reviews:

• 2008 Honda Civic Type R review
• 2007 Honda Civic Type R Road Test
• 2007 Honda Civic Type R First Steer
• 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid Road Test

Hide It

Read more…

From the outside, there are 12 noticeable differences as well, starting with larger 18-inch allow wheels (245/45R18 tyres). Other enhancements include a new aluminium bonnet (less weight), new bi-xenon headlights and upgraded pentagonal grill, a new front bumper which encompasses integral fog lights and distinctive lower cooling air intakes, new rocker panels, new higher rate spring and damper settings, a new boot lid with integral spoiler, a new rear bumper, new tail-lights and a new exhaust treatment.

The final enhancement is the integration of a new ‘acoustic windscreen’, which Honda says includes a thin film of butul alcohol between two bonded glass panels to deliver a whisper-quiet cabin.

Under the bonnet sits the same V6 VTEC engine as found in the current Legend. However capacity has increased from 3.5 to 3.7-litres, with total power now at 226kW and maximum torque increasing to 370Nm.

Fuel consumption has also come down, while power has gone up. Dropped from 11.8L/100km to 11.3L/100km.

The 3.7-litre engine is special in many ways, most importantly for being the most powerful production engine ever offered by the Japanese company.

The power and torque is delivered to the wheels through an upgraded version of the five-speed Sequential SportShift transmission available in the MY08 model. The auto comes with sports mode and steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift controls.

The most obvious advantage the Legend has overs its comptetitors is the car’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. Honda says the SH-AWD is different to the systems offered by rival Japanese manufacturers (Subaru and Mitsubishi), in the sense that in demanding cornering situations it boosts torque delivery to the outside rear wheel, allowing for better handling.

Going back inside, the MY09 model also features a host of interior upgrades. The front seats now come standard with 10-way power adjustability, there is a new steering wheel which, just like the gear selector is trimmed in supple leather.

Additionally the 10-speaker BOSE Sound System and Satellite Navigation System now come as standard equipment on the new Legend. Finally the climate control air conditioning functions have been redesigned for better practicality.

Safety is taken care of by six airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, anti-lock brakes and a standard reversing camera and more.

Interested? The new Honda Legend will retail from $77,500 (only one grade) and will hit Honda dealers from September 1st 2008. Expect a review of the new Legend soon.

Hide It

Read more…

Likely to fall under the Acura nameplate in overseas markets, Honda has the soon-to-be-released BMW X6 set squarely in its sights.

Little is known about this new model at this stage; however its low-slung roofline and huge alloys suggest this will be more of an urban assault vehicle rather than an off-road warrior.

Early speculation suggests we will catch our first official glimpse of Honda’s new SUV by 2010.

Hide It