Somewhere before the planet’s recent EV craze, or perhaps during its eventual downfall, we seem to have forgotten about the golden middle ground: a hybrid.
You should know: Hybrids have been around for a few decades, see page one chapter one called The Toyota Prius. Alas, back then they were also snapped up by celebrity virtue signallers and other tawdry do-gooders who used the subjectively boring automobile to indicate their pure and righteous intent.
More info: Sorry, was that too sarcastic? The whole point of a petrol-electric hybrid like this refreshed Honda Jazz 1.5 Hybrid e-CVT is to offer the best of both worlds: trusted petrol propulsion with the added benefit of an electric helper. Sorry, did I just type “Jazz”? I meant “Fit”, of course, as our range of compact Hondas was only renamed after the last iteration.
What else? The Jazz / Fit recipe has always been a hidden gem, with excellent build quality, superb versatility and semi-decent value for money offering one of the best small family hatchbacks money can buy. I have yet to meet a Jazz or Fit owner who doesn’t wax lyrical about their clever, spacious and economical car.
My colleagues and I each got about two days to zip around with this Crystal Red metallic press vehicle and were easily dipping below 7L/100km from the 40L tank. Honda’s claim is half that (yes, 3.5L/100km) but we suspect that they were measuring a best-case scenario. Without a driver. Or luggage. Or hills in their neighbourhood.
Why you shouldn’t: The biggest problem with any new Fit, or any of its forebears for that matter, is that they are jolly expensive to buy. Especially when you line them up next to their (admittedly less solid or versatile) main competitors, the Honda will always cost a bit more. And most buyers go for budget, not quality.
Why you should: Get yourself down to the nearest Honda dealership and take this little peach for a run, at which point you will quickly figure out why it costs more. The rear seats, as their name suggests, are truly magic. The boot space is fantastic for this segment (300L) and can literally quadruple if you drop all the furniture.
To start summing up, Honda has done their best to make this car feel qualitative while tweaking its looks with cool curves, chic alloys, silver accents, snazzy headlights and the world’s most protruding front bumper. Its EV mode might be limited to village speeds only, but the overall efficiency of drive train and cabin are top class!
FULL SPECLIST
| Engine: | 1,498cc i-4 petrol-electric hybrid |
| Transmission: | CVT, FWD |
| Max. Power: | 90kW @ 6,400rpm |
| Max. Torque: | 253Nm @ 4,500rpm |
| Avg. cons.: | (claimed 3.5L/100km) |
| 0-100km/h: | 9.01 seconds (2021 test, claimed 9.4) |
| Top Speed: | No claim |
| List Price: | R544,900 |
It’s good how can I get
https://www.pupkewitz-motors.com/honda/new-cars/