Honda hybrid cars make a lot of sense. Who wouldn’t want a car that could just about be named a teetotaller? Honda Teetotaller has some “cool factor” in its tone, but probably it doesn’t have enough suave to the name, however Honda Jazz sounds pretty cool. The use of hybrid technology in the new Honda Jazz Hybrid hatchback makes this Honda’s latest piece of exceptional engineering. This is an exceptionally fuel efficient car that covers a lot of ground in between fills at the gas station. Now that’s a draw card that we can all appreciate.

Enter the cabin of the Honda Jazz Hybrid, and the texture of the sports seat fabric, nice blend of colour tones and sweeping interior style ensures that the drive inside the Honda Jazz is a first rate drive. You can spend hours at the wheel of the Honda Jazz Hybrid and still feel ready for action at your destination. So it really is ‘hop in and drive those long journeys away’ with a pleasant lack of expense. What you don’t spend at the gas station can be spent on a dinner for two or a night at a luxury hotel.

Inside the new Honda Jazz Hybrid there are a number of handy storage locations. Room in the rear seats is outstanding, and I reckon this has to be the best in its class for a small car. Luggage space can get as big as 722 litres, so there is heaps of room here for a great get away for two.

Now, about the hybrid engine. Honda’s 1.3-litre petrol/hybrid engine boasts Integrated Motor Assist technology and is as creamy as Starbuck’s coffee. Never breathless, the Honda Jazz Hybrid seems to have all the power it needs for getting the job done in style. On average, you can expect 4.5 litres/100 km fuel efficiency from the hybrid blend of power, while the 107 grams of CO2/km is superbly low. Maximum power of 72 kW peaks at 5800 rpm, so when you really need to push passed slower traffic, you let the revs climb through the mid-range and the power keeps climbing nicely for you to be back on the right side of the road in nippy time. Getting off the mark with a fully laden Jazz Hybrid is also easy because the 1.3-litre hybrid engine boasts more torque than the 1.5-litre petrol versions, and 167 Nm of torque is available from 1000 rpm. This equates to instant response.

Transmission choice is restricted to just the CVT for the Honda Jazz Hybrid. Smooth, seamless gear changes match the engines power and efficiency very well indeed, so it’s a pleasant car to drive both in built-up city areas and on lonely Australian back roads. Funnily enough, it makes little difference whether you are driving in town or out in the country, your fuel economy suffers very little – now that’s my kind of car!

Handling is first rate, and stopping ability is excellent. Safety ratings from ANCAP gives the Hybrid Jazz the full five stars. Actually, the Honda Jazz Hybrid is a very complete small hatch and I would have to rate it as one of the best in its class. Credit goes to the brilliant design team at Honda.

The current Honda Jazz models include the:

• Jazz Hybrid
• Jazz Vibe
• Jazz Vibe-S

For any more information on the new Honda Jazz Hybrid or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Honda dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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