Mini Jazz on way

THE Jazz is getting a little brother! Honda is planning a city car version of its popular supermini (above) – and it will rival Toyota’s iQ and Smart’s ForTwo.

Being developed in Japan, the new model could go on sale as early as 2011, giving Honda a vital presence in an ever-expanding market. With a stop-start-equipped super-efficient
petrol engine, and potentially a hybrid, too, it will be marketed as a penny-pinching urban runabout and help Honda to cut its overall CO2 emissions.

Based around the current Honda Life – a city car sold mainly in Japan – the new model would initially be offered in developing markets such as China and India, but Honda has not ruled out bringing it to Europe. It is expectedto be built at the firm’s plant in China.