Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2011 | Page 78

fashion health & beauty

Island Life - February/March 2011

Test driven on the Island
by Peter White

All
that
Jazz

The new-look Honda Jazz is about to be
seen on Island roads for the first time.
Northwood Honda will be staging
their launch of the revised Jazz range,
which includes a Hybrid model, at
their showrooms on the weekend
on February 19-20, and they are
anticipating a lot of interest in the
weeks ahead.
One of the most significant ‘changes’
to the new models is the return of
Constantly Variable Transmission,
more commonly known as CVT. It first
appeared in the previous Jazz range and
after huge customer demand has been
brought back.
The CVT is an automatic transmission
that keeps the engine in a rev range
where the car is most efficient. It
ensures the whole power train of the
Jazz is more efficient, and offers a
78

smooth and effortless drive. The CVT
transmission is a standard feature on
the Hybrid while it is available as an
option on 1.4-litre petrol models.
New front and rear bumpers have
changed the look of the car, and have
been designed to reduce drag as the
airflow passes over the Jazz’s body and
to avoid turbulence when the airflow
detaches from the rear.
The challenge for Honda’s engineers
was to freshen and improve the
car without compromising on the
characteristics that make the Jazz so
popular. As a result Honda feel they
have taken the Jazz on to the next
stage, producing a car with greater
flexibility, better looks, increased ride
comfort and improved eco credentials.
Leather upholstery makes a very
welcome appearance for the first time

in the Jazz range. Leather seats are
standard on the Jazz Hybrid in HX trim
and available as a £1,250 option on
the 1.4-litre petrol EX model. Another
change across the range is a new darker
dashboard material which contrasts
strongly with the orange and blue
back lighting of the dials, gauges and
displays across the dashboard.
The Jazz Hybrid is an ultra-efficient
car with a combined fuel consumption
figure of 62.8 mpg – and with the same
super-smooth electric system as the
Insight, even more fuel is saved around
town. While a CO2 output of just 104g/
km makes the Jazz Hybrid the lowest of
any automatic car in the B-segment.
Two new models will be available
to test drive at Northwood Honda.
Appointments can be made by phoning
01983-297217.
Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com