Honda Jazz

Strike up the band – the new Jazz is here!

Honda promises the all-new Jazz supermini will trump its predecessor in every area when it hits showrooms in October.

And that’s some promise, as the current Jazz has proven consistently popular with owners – almost 161,000 in the UK – since it was launched in 2001, regularly featuring in the Auto Express Driver Power survey top ten.

As you can see, the look is evolutionary rather than groundbreaking, but the Japanese firm's latest urban runabout boasts even more passenger and storage space, thanks to being slightly longer and wider than the outgoing car.

But in a surprise move, there will be no diesel engines under the bonnet, as Honda believes the refinement, fuel economy and performance of its i-vtec petrol engines justify shunning an oil burner.

So, 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol units will power the new Jazz at launch, and a hybrid will come during 2009 promising tax-busting emissions fuel bills low enough to satisfy even the most credit crunched.

Set to be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October, prices for the Jazz will start at £10,000, rising to around £14,000 for a well-equipped 1.4-litre model.