Car of the Year Awards 2021: Best small car for practicality

Does the Jazz belong in this class or is it more a mini-MPV? To be honest, you could argue this point either way, because while Honda’s cheapest car has a similar footprint to a Volkswagen Polo, it has the tall body, upright driving position and clever seating flexibility that’s usually found in MPVs.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, its ability to carry people puts other small cars to shame. Head room is superb, both in the front and back, and there’s more rear leg room than you’ll find in any rival. Better still, the rear seat bases can be flipped up in the same way as those in the cinema, freeing up interior space so you can carry bulky things like a bike, or even a dog.

Not that the Jazz is just a big box on wheels, though; it’s a brilliant car even if you take practicality out of the equation. Its hybrid engine delivers strong performance and excellent real-world fuel economy, and if you go for SR trim you’ll get a very generous amount of standard comfort, convenience and safety kit. It isn’t cheap, but slow depreciation makes up for that.

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