Honda offers Australia’s cheapest hybrid

HONDA has announced a starting price of $22,990 plus on-road costs for the new petrol-electric version of the Jazz, undercutting the Toyota Prius C by $1000 and taking the title of Australia’s cheapest hybrid.

The addition will bring Honda’s Australian hybrid line-up to four when the Jazz launches joins the Insight hatch, Civic sedan and CR-Z sports coupe on February 25.

The hybrid version of Honda’s smallest car pairs a 65kW/121Nm 1.3-litre i-VTEC engine with a 10kW/78Nm electric motor for total outputs of 72kW and 167Nm.

This Integrated Motor Assist powertrain is the same as that found in the Insight, and features idle-stop, ECON economy mode and an eight-year/unlimited kilometre battery warranty.

The greenest Jazz loses none of the regular version’s class-leading cargo space. The flexible flip-fold Magic Seats remain, yielding up to 722 litres of boot space up to the window when folded.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with claimed fuel economy listed as 4.5 litres per 100km, equating to CO2 emissions of 107 grams per kilometre.

While this figure undercuts the most frugal petrol-powered Jazz (the manual 1.3 GLi uses 5.8L/100km), it is still shy of the Prius C’s 3.9L/100km, as well as a host of small European diesels including the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, Mini Cooper D and Audi A1 TDI (all 3.8).

It is also shy of the 4.3L/100km consumed by the larger, but more aerodynamic Insight. Both the Jazz and the Insight will be beaten by the new Civic diesel hatch, however, which will consume 4.0L/100km when it launches locally in April.

Nevertheless, Honda Australia director Stephen Collins called the Jazz Hybrid “another example of Honda’s commitment to producing fuel efficient engines for fun, stylish and practical cars”.

Visually, the Jazz hybrid is distinguished from the rest of the Jazz range by chrome blue headlight surrounds, clear rear LED tail-lights, chrome blue front grille and a chrome tailgate finish.

Standard equipment is on-par with the higher-specified Jazz 1.5-litre variants, and includes six airbags (front, side and full length curtain), Bluetooth/USB/auxiliary jack, steering wheel audio controls and alloy wheels.

GoAuto will drive the new Jazz Hybrid as part of the car’s official launch on February 25.