Forbidden Fuel-Roaming Daily Warrior

A moment of silence for all those neat (and even lame) sedans and hatchbacks we used to have in America before the advent of SUVs. The Honda Fit was one of them, and it stood bravely through the decline of its fuel-sipping subcompact friends, but ultimately, its funky, bubbly, non-American-friendly shape forced a visit from the Grim Reaper in 2020. However, in Europe, the Fit (or Jazz as it is known in some markets) and many of these little guys are still alive and well, and I recently got to experience one for several days. Say hello to the adorable, practical and super fuel-efficient Honda Jazz e:HEV. It’s the Honda Fit that missed out.

As the proud owner of a 2007 Honda Fit Sport, I was excited to drive the modernized version of my nearly 20-year-old car, even though it was a right-hand drive car. close enough. I’d often see new jazz (jazz?) on the road during trips across the pond, but had never been able to see one up close, let alone drive one. When Honda offered me a tour of the city during the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, I jumped at the chance.

the basics

In terms of metal, the new Jazz is very different from the old Jazz, but its do-it-all spirit and rear magic seat remain untouched. It’s wider, longer, heavier and of course taller. The 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and the two-motor hybrid system hidden under the body are partly responsible for the bloat, but they still keep the Jazz alive today.

The Jazz e:HEV, which stands for Hybrid Electric Vehicle, produces a respectable 122 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque. In my tester’s range-topping Crossstar Advance trim, it weighed 2,760 pounds. For comparison, my 2007 Fit also has a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, although it produces 107 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque while weighing 2,551 pounds.

Frankly, I was ready to panic when I was researching these weight figures, and I was quite surprised to learn that there’s only a 209-pound (and 20-year) difference between these two iterations. Meaning that, without calculating horsepower-to-weight, the extra ponies, wider track, 16-inch wheels and electric torque should make the new one handle equally well. More on this later.

Inside, the Jazz E:HEV Crossstar Advance is quite basic. It’s definitely a function-over-form type of cockpit, with a center touchscreen and buttons around it for key media functions and climate controls. There’s a physical volume knob and hard buttons or dials for the most commonly used features, and the center touchscreen is just 9 inches, so it doesn’t look overpowering, nor so small that it makes the interior feel like a bare-bones economy car.

The digital gauge cluster is super basic and reminds me a bit of a motorcycle. Not pretty, but it works. The seats are made of cloth with artificial leather trim, are heated, and feature manual adjustment including lumbar support. I will say this: They are much more comfortable and supportive than my Fit, which feels like normal office chairs.

Here comes the kicker. In the UK, the total cost of my test car was 31,795 British pounds, which is $42,752. It sounds extremely silly, but comparing prices between the UK and North American markets is not apples to apples. For reference, a Honda Civic Sport e:HEV costs the equivalent of $48,300.

Driving the 2026 Honda Jazz e:HEV

As soon as I got behind the wheel, my first impression of “wow, look how adorable this thing is” quickly evaporated. After a long day of travel to London, I was looking forward to going to my hotel and getting some rest before what was a very busy F1 race weekend. My iPhone’s battery was very low, and I still needed to run Google Maps via Apple CarPlay for the nearly two-hour drive from Gatwick to near Silverstone. However, the Jazz was only equipped with old-school USB ports instead of the now-standard USB-C. I could run CarPlay wirelessly, but I couldn’t charge my phone. Nonsense.

After rummaging through my backpack to find an adapter, I ended up heading north on the wrong side of the road and getting accustomed to the Jazz’s controls and driving characteristics. I was impressed by how spacious the cabin seemed. It’s so airy, it’s like one of those circular carnival rides, and wherever you look, your vision is excellent. Later, I told someone that jazz feels almost like a miniature odyssey; It’s very spacious inside, and the windshield is huge.

Unlike my Fit, this Jazz had no problems merging onto the highway or passing slower traffic. Acceleration is brisk considering its credentials, and it has enough power to take you well past the posted speed limit. Obviously, it’s not a sports car, but it’s far from anemic.

On the highway or “motorway”, it was smooth and quiet when going at 70 mph. After the first 45 minutes, I set the adaptive cruise control and tailored the ADAS settings to my environment, and was surprised to see how much more accurate the lane-keeping assistance was than any other North American Honda model I’ve driven. There was no ping-ponging between lanes, and it was very quick to react to cars coming in and out of front of me, although I found it a little over-sensitive with its brake applications.

The commute between my hotel and Silverstone was entirely on winding country roads, and if you’ve ever experienced these, you know how narrow they can be. However, they’re also a lot of fun to drive fast, while the RHD aspect adds another layer of excitement as things feel very different and you have to concentrate a little more to make sure you don’t clip a hedge on the passenger side – and certainly not an oncoming car on the driver’s side.

This is where the Jazz’s handling really shined and it was surprisingly good. It’s not as fast and engaging as my Fit, but then again, very few cars are after 20 years. Lord knows I’m not as fast today and certainly not as agile as I was in 2007.

The power feels even more ample on these roads, as you get a slight kick of electric torque as you exit a corner. Modulating the throttle while weaving through corners is a lot of fun and is more akin to an EV than a gas car. It’s quick on its feet, but you get the feeling that jazz never takes itself seriously. After all, it has a CVT and, unlike my Fit, no paddle shifters (which is really refreshing).

The suspension isn’t too plush, so you can definitely tackle corners at speed without fear that the front end will sway on turn-in. As it sits, the package isn’t designed to handle like a driver’s car, so don’t expect it to, but it’s adequate, and most importantly, fun. It’s the right amount of entertainment while keeping comfort and fuel efficiency as its main mission. I’d argue that with a different wheel-and-tire package, handling could be significantly improved without incurring a huge mpg penalty.

decision

After nearly 400 miles of driving during my time with the 2026 Honda Jazz e:HEV, I still had a hair under half a tank left, meaning that, in theory, someone with similar driving habits (70-30% highway/city split) could reach that. claimed 62 mpg figure under WLTP criteria. That’s about 700 miles per tank. It’s light-years better than my car.

I reached out to Honda to remind them of the official reason for the Fit’s demise in the States in 2020, and a spokesperson had this to say: “Since Honda introduced the first-generation Fit in 2006, the market has evolved. The HR-V and Civic hatchback have become the new gateway models, offering significant utility, performance, and value. Today (in 2020), the Civic hatchback outsells the Fit by nearly 2-to-1. while the HR-V has also experienced substantial organic growth.”

So there you have it—now there just wasn’t a good business case for it. And frankly, as it currently stands, jazz wouldn’t be a good fit in the States. There’s something about funky hatchbacks and wagons that Americans hate. God save the king, hey, jazz.

Honda The Drive was provided a five-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.

2026 Honda Jazz e:HEV Crossstar Advanced Specs

Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com