You know you have screwed up when everyone shows up to the party in better outfits than you. In my case, I rocked up to a campsite in a banged-up little Honda Jazz amidst a park full of decked out 4x4s.
At that moment, I felt like a house poodle walking into a den of dire wolves. Though that is not entirely unexpected considering where I am.
Out here in the Victorian countryside, cars are a rare sight. Even the once staple Ford Falcon and Holden Commodores are getting few and far between. All slowly succumbing to the trying conditions of Australia’s country roads.
This change gave rise to a new breed of family haulers – the 4×4. Welcome to 21st-century country living. It is Patrol and LandCruiser country.
Don’t mistake these behemoths for your average city crawling SUVs, as few locals care for show and style on the street. Country folk favour them for their ability to do just about anything. Carry the family, fetch the groceries, pull the stuck cow, or haul your boat.
On top of that, if you fancy a jaunt across your hundred-hectare property, not a problem. You name it, the Japanese duo addresses any situation without breaking a sweat.
Honda Jazz – The little car that could
As for my first-generation Honda Jazz, its 1.5-litre engine could barely tow itself, or climb a molehill. With vast open spaces here and great distances between, it feels like a fish out of water. But enough dunking on the little Honda. I didn’t buy it for its plain utility, but utility-to-size.
If there is one thing the Honda Jazz does well, it accommodates just about anything thanks to its interior space that is nearly as vast as the car itself. Each time it astonishes me with its sheer packaging ingenuity and ingenious flat-folding seats.
For the Jazz, the job of packing for a five-day glamping trip for two with a ‘luxurious’ four-person walk-in tent was a breeze. Trouble is, as I saddled it up with the 52L Esky, chairs, tables, cooking equipment, and an assortment of tools, I started to wonder what could I replace it with?
Not spoilt for choice
My Jazz is still 200,000km young with no signs of giving up. But sooner or later, I would have to put it out to pasture and move on.
The simple answer would be to just upgrade to anything bigger. Maybe a Volkswagen Passat wagon or an SUV. But being a childless couple, the thought of supersizing the family car just for two is a little excessive. Is there something that is just as small that offers just as much space?
Well yes, there is, it is called another Jazz. Forget communist-era Ladas -those cars were never built right in the first place. Because, if there is a car that fits the adage ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’, it is the Jazz.
Different evolutions, same recipe
Yes, the Jazz is entering its fourth iteration, but its underlying design remains – for the most part – the same over the past twenty years.
Apart from improved refinement and added equipment, the big changes between each iteration were its exterior looks. And despite its plain appearance, to me, there is a timeless quality to the original Jazz’s design. Though I think I’m alone on this.
Many would hold the second-generation model as the best looking. And it is not hard to see why, it executes its ‘futuristic spaceship’ themes rather well. For younger demographics, it strikes a youthful, cutting-edge, vibe. A vibe that Honda tries to amend unsuccessfully with its successor.
The third-generation model is a mixed bag. Honda wanted it to be more grown-up, less whimsical, with a little sophistication in its presentation. What they ended up with was a fat beanie-wearing sibling of the cooler Civic.
It was as though Honda tried to apply its grown-up corporate styling. But, like wearing an ill-fitting suit, it looks all the worse for it. Especially around the rear, where the wheels look sunken into the body’s bloated appearance.
Back to the original
Thankfully, Honda went back to the drawing board with the fourth-generation model. This time its creases were ironed out, lines cleaned up, and fussy detailing pared back.
Sure, the resulting car looks like a cross between a Pokemon and the Apple iPod. And understandably, not everyone is a fan of its ‘inoffensive’ and ‘adorable’ looks. A strange complaint considering the Jazz was anything but sporty.
But to me, it is probably the best iteration of the Jazz yet. It looks suitably modern inside and out, whilst capturing some of the original’s modest form. Even though I’ve yet to see it in the metal, it looks convincing enough for me to set some lunch money aside in anticipation.
Missing from Australia
Sadly, despite chequebooks at the ready, no amount of cash would land one in my garage in Australia. As it turns out, Honda has yet to decide on the future of its Jazz model range in Australia.
At the time of writing, Honda Australia is restructuring its sales model. Part of the restructuring includes paring back its model line, with the Jazz and City marked for discontinuation.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Honda won’t be dropping any SUV models from its line-up. Not when it’s more popular than fine cut Colombian sugar. However, the market demand for raised buckets on wheels isn’t solely to blame for Jazz’s possible demise.
Other observers have noted that rising safety requirements have effectively priced the once budget-friendly Jazz out of its own market space. Particularly when considering that the below AUD20,000 base variant made up 70 per cent of Jazz sales.
In addition to that, Honda themselves aren’t too keen on offering it outside of Europe and Japan. In markets such as the Asia Pacific region, where visual sportiness and aggression moves budget cars, its ‘cutesy’ looks would be a tough sell.
Gone, but not forgotten
So that means I’m going to be stuck with my Honda Jazz for quite a bit. Sure, it doesn’t have the Ford Fiesta’s vivacious handling or the Volkswagen Polo’s soothing solid refinement. But what many observers don’t understand is that for a city car, the Jazz gets all the essentials right.
Small enough to duck into any space. Cavernous enough to not make you think twice at your next Ikea shopping run. Frugal and robust enough to outlast the council roads themselves. It defies all narratives that city cars are only good for carrying the bums on its seats. The Jazz does so much more than that, and competently. To see it leave the market would be a great tragedy.
On the flip side, there are plenty of replacements for the Jazz running around now. Just not the latest one. Its two successive generations still excel at what the original did best. So much so that the best replacement is pretty much any one of its successors.
Or I could just keep running with the old gal. Even with more mileage than the average city critter, it still feels fresh and enthusiastic on the go. Yes, maybe that is what I’ll do and hang onto it for the best I can. Right now, it might stick out in a camping ground, but it got me here in the first place. Passengers, gear, and all without a misstep. And that, for any car worth its salt, is all that matters.