2020 Honda Jazz Sport: A stylish and compact hatchback

Revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show, the 2020 Honda Jazz compact hatchback boasts stylish looks, impressive drive, extreme practicality, and respectable fuel efficiency. The 4^th-generation Jazz is available in four models in South Africa, namely the Trend, Comfort, Elegance, and the Sport. In this blog post, we’re specifically looking at the Honda Jazz Sport.

First introduced in South Africa in 2018, the Jazz Sport comes with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine. Compared to the 1.2 litre SOHC i-VTEC Inline 4, available in the standard Trend model, which achieves just 66 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 110 Nm of torque, the 1.5 litre i-VTEC DOHC mill generates 97 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 155 Nm of torque, and thus is more fun to drive. The Sport can zoom to 100 km/h from zero in only 9.8 seconds and max out at 180 km/h compared to the basic Trend variant that takes 13.5 seconds for 0-100 kph distance with a maximum speed of 175 km/h. The Sport pairs with the 7-speed CVT gearbox, which helps it to deliver 5.6 L/100 km fuel efficiency in ideal conditions. Independent reviews mention it around 7.0 L/100 km, though.

It would be more fun to drive if you make use of the paddle shifters behind the wheels and stretch the engine’s legs a bit.

The new Honda Jazz Sport looks a little different compared to its siblings. It sports new LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and gloss Piano black & chrome detailing on the front grille along with a few red pinstripe details dotted around the exterior. At the back, it has a cosmetic tailgate spoiler and the parking sensors.  

Inside, it appears more conventional with red stitching, sports pedals, a push-button start, keyless entry, six-speaker audio system, 7-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth connectivity, USB/HDMI connectivity, and a rearview camera. Moreover, it retains the Magic Seats, offering fold-flat or flip-up functionality.

The occupant’s safety has always been a priority for the Japanese automaker, and this is evident from the active & passive safety tech along with advanced driver-assist features. The Active Safety systems include six airbags, ABS brakes with EBD, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Automatic brake hold, Hill Start Assist (HSA), Agile Handling Assist (AHA), LaneWatch™, Driver attention monitor, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Highbeam Support System, Active Cornering Lights (ACL), and so on.

The state-of-the-art driver-assist systems comprise ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) with the ability to detect pedestrians and cyclists at night, Honda Sensing®, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Following (LSF), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) among others.

With a starting price of R359,300, which is R123,200 more than the base model, the Honda Jazz Sport is stylish and fun to drive. It certainly offers excellent value for your money, especially with its five-year/200 000 km warranty, a four-year/60 000 km service plan, in addition to a three-year AA Roadside Assistance package.

Looking for a new car? The first place to start is online, where you can conduct research on your various cars. Let the Reviews section of the MotorHappy blog be your starting point – we unpack the pros and cons of at least two new cars every month. Happy reading!