- High levels of standard safety equipment
- Jazz achieved a five-star rating in 2015
- High-spec models also feature lots of driver assistance tech
Euro NCAP tested the Jazz when it was launched in 2015, awarding it a five-star rating. The Jazz performs well due to a strong body structure that should stand up well in the event of a crash, but there are also plenty of extra systems to prevent or reduce the severity of a crash in the first place.
City Brake Active System is standard, which helps to avoid or mitigate low-speed accidents between five and 20mph by monitoring the distance between you and the car in front, sounding a warning or even applying the brakes if the driver doesn’t react.
Mid-range SE models and above come with Forward Collision Warning (uses a camera to detect an oncoming collision), traffic sign recognition, an intelligent speed limiter (adjustable using the sign recognition function) and lane-departure warning.
- Big, easily accessible boot
- Huge area with seats folded down
- Excellent passenger space
This is the car’s trump card and it comes down to clever packaging which allows maximum interior space.
You get decent-sized door pockets, three cupholders and a large central bin in the front. Rear passengers don’t fare so well with smaller pockets in the doors and seat backs.
However, space on offer for passengers is very good. The tall body means headroom is good all-round (although a tall front passenger might feel a bit too high up), but it’s impressive how easily you can fit adults into a car the size of the Jazz.
Legroom is good, too, and everyone has a good view out thanks to large windows and a higher-than-normal seating set-up.
The Jazz appears larger than many other superminis, but that’s mainly down to the fact it’s taller. It’s still very easy to slot into tight parking spaces thanks to flat sides, big windows and big mirrors. It’s a doddle to use in town, and you won’t have any trouble with small parking spaces or tight city-centre roads.
Boot space measures in at 354 litres with the rear seats up and 897 litres with them down, measured up to the window line.
The Magic Seats have several different positions, each offering something different. In Utility Mode they fold forward and the seat base is lowered into the footwell, creating a 1,505mm-long flat floor.
In Tall Mode the seat base can be locked upwards (like a cinema seat) to give a height of 1,280mm from floor to ceiling, so you can carry tall items behind the front seats.
Finally, in Long Mode the front passenger seat can be folded back completely flat to accommodate items up to 2,480mm long.
