Who buys a Honda Jazz?

The answer is – and I’m not revealing anything the Japanese manufacturer isn’t already aware of – anyone but young people.

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The Jazz has traditionally been preferred by people of a certain age thanks to the space and ease of access its MPV-like styling provides but it’s always lacked the necessary kudo to attract those frustratingly stubborn youngsters.

This is the third generation Jazz and Honda believes that it finally has the right formula to lure the younger generation out of their Fiestas, Corsas and Polos.

It still looks like a mini-MPV but the addition of bold creases, stronger lines and more confident styling cues gives the Jazz a greater sense of identity. There’s also a wide palette of rich colours available – including the eye-catching Skyride Blur of my test car – and they are all nigh-on impossible to miss.

As well as the sharp creases and high window line the Jazz also shares its grille and headlights with the HR-V crossover giving it a much more athletic, visually striking appearance.

The subject of this review – the Sport Navi – rides on 16in alloy wheels and is fitted with slightly more aggressive front and rear bumpers, side skirts and a tailgate spoiler. Whether that’s enough to do the Sport moniker justice is another matter.

The interior has been refreshed as well and equipment levels and quality are top notch. All but the basic S model are equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen and the Garmin-powered sat nav is integrated perfectly.

The Honda Connect infotainment brings with it a seven-inch touchscreen that includes internet browsing, real-time news, traffic and weather and various web-based music stations. You also get the benefit of six – rather than four – great-sounding speakers and two USB ports instead of just one. Bluetooth and DAB radio is standard across the range, as are steering wheel-mounted controls.

The third generation Jazz is 95mm longer than the car it replaces and 30mm of that is between the axles. That means that what was already a roomy car is even more so now. Carrying four adults should never – except in rare and exceptional cases – be a problem and in most circumstances getting five people in should not prove too much of a squeeze.

There’s 115mm of additional legroom for rear seat passengers and 20mm extra shoulder room compared to the mkII. Incredibly Honda would have us believe that this Jazz has more knee room available than a Mercedes Benz S-Class.

There are loads of cubby holes and storage bins to stick your bits and bobs in – the door bins will take bottles, there are cup holders in front of the gear lever, another by the steering wheel and a storage bin between the seats – and though the glove box isn’t huge it’s big enough to squirrel away a few odds and ends.

I know what you’re thinking. The cabin might be spacious and well laid out, and the quality first class, but where’s the magic.

Well that would be in the back where you’ll find Honda’s brilliant Magic Seats that fold flat in one fluid movement to create a totally flat floor.

Under the bonnet is a new 1.5-litre i-VTEC unit. It’s naturally aspirated and produces 130PS. There’s also the option of a 1.3-litre power plant. They share the same top speed but the sprint – and, in the manual version at least, that’s now much closer to the truth – to 62mph takes a far more respectable 8.7 seconds.

There’s additional soundproofing in the wheel arches and behind the dash which does a commendable job of suppressing wind and road noise. That being said, if you’re intent of wringing out every last drop of performance out of the tiny motor it can become a little intrusive but it’s a pleasantly rorty note.

Away from the motorway and you’ll notice that the ride is on the firm side. It’s compliant enough to smooth out the largest imperfections with little fuss while remaining lively and responsive. The steering is quicker than the outgoing model and you get a decent amount of feedback through the wheel so you can throw it into bends if you want to throw off the shackles a little.

With the rear seats in place the boot is a generous 354 litres up to the parcel shelf. Drop the Magic Seats and that rises to a cavernous 1,314 which is more than all of its main rivals. The rear seat squabs also fold upwards to liberate more space in the rear footwell.

If you’re young – and I’m not quite sure at what age the Japanese firm would consider you no longer fall into that category – then Honda want you to buy this car. The question is whether the promise of all that space and lavish amount of equipment is enough to tempt you.

The answer is, probably not. I doubt I fall into the ‘young’ category and even I don’t feel quite ready for a Jazz but that’s not because it’s not a great car. It is. It’s just not great in the way that young people, or people like me who, at heart, are still teenage boys, want.

Honda Jazz 1.5 i-VTEC Sport Navi

Price: £17,765

As tested: £18.265

Engine: 1.5-litre i-VTEC

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Max power: 130PS

Max torque: 155lbft @ 5,000rpm

Max speed: 118mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 8.7sec

Urban: 39.2mpg

Extra urban: 55.4mpg

Combined: 47.9mpg

Emissions (CO2): 133g/km

For more information visit www.honda.co.uk