A great example of this is in the latest offerings from Honda, in the form of the much anticipated Civic Type R and Jazz Sport. I travelled down to KwaZulu-Natal to drive these two newcomers and establish what they have to offer in their respective segments.
The Jazz Sport
There’s no doubting the fact that the Jazz has faced a bit of a perception problem over the past few years. For all its virtues such as reliability, practicality in the form of those "magic seats" along with good residual values, there have been problems,
such as its relatively high price tag and indeed, the fact that it didn’t really appeal to a younger audience.
Enter the Sport, which has now replaced the Dynamic as the new flagship Jazz model. This latest addition gets a sportier appearance with black and red accents along with a sportier front bumper, extended side sills, a new rear wing, faux diffuser, LED front and taillights and black 16-inch alloy wheels.
The interior has also been breathed upon with carbon fibre-look interior panel inserts, red accents including red stitching on the seats and alloy pedals.
In terms of specification, expect the brand’s seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth/USB/HDMI and a rear-view camera. There’s also a leather-trimmed multi-function steering wheel, electric windows all round, cruise control, air-conditioning and rear parking sensors.
Underneath the bonnet, the 1.5-litre petrol engine is also new and now develops 97kW/155Nm and is mated to a CVT gearbox. The general impression of the powertrain is mostly positive, although, in traditional CVT fashion, during overtaking and under hard acceleration, it does tend to drone quite a bit.
In terms of performance, expect the Jazz to get to 100km/h in a shade under 10 seconds with claimed consumption at 5.6-litres/100km, although our test route yielded a figure of 6.7-litres/100km.
Civic Type R
The Civic Type R is an iconic nameplate that harks back to 1997 when the EK9 model showed that Honda could make something small, fast, practical and fun to drive. Fast forward over 20 years, and the latest FK8 has reached local shores not too long after the FK2 made its local debut.
Unlike the FK2 though, the FK8 ditches its hatchback roots for a more coupe-like silhouette. Much like the model it replaces, the latest Type R likes to shout about the fact that it is a performance car.
It would appear that every visible surface on the car has been tinkered with and features some sort of vent, slat or highly stylised piece of body work. Honda claims that the fins and grilles aid cooling, aerodynamics and that the car even produces some downforce. Personally, I love the look and the fact that it has three, yes, three exhaust tips.
The interior continues the boy/girl racer theme with red bucket seats complete with Type R logos, a round, aluminium gear knob, sporty pedals, leather trimmed steering wheel complete with the red Honda logo, carbon fibre trim, a plaque with the car’s unique number and a TFT instrument cluster.
The interior was less impressive, considering the price of the Type R, as I found the infotainment system to be a generation behind the likes of the Renault Megane and Volkswagen Golf, while some of the materials inside were not up to scratch.
Luckily though, a Type R is all about the driving experience, which as I discovered, is really rather special. Let’s start with its superb powertrain, a rev-happy 2.0-litre turbo motor that uses its variable valve timing (VTEC) very well.
With 228kW/400Nm and one of the best six-speed manual gearboxes you’re likely to ever find, the Type R isn’t lacking in the poke department. The acceleration figures are less impressive because the car is front-wheel drive with a 0-100km/h time of 5.8-seconds and top speed of 272 km/h.
It is however in the corners where the Type R really starts to make sense. There are three driving modes, Comfort, Sport and +R, which control the electro-magnetic dampers in the suspension and adjust to prevailing driving conditions. There’s also a dual-pinion electric powering steering system, which is adjusted according to the driving mode.
Combine the dampers, super-sharp steering, Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential, the willing powertrain and chassis that absolutely loves to be thrashed around a circuit, and you have the best front-wheel drive driver's car I’ve driven for quite some time.
Verdict
The Jazz Sport and Civic Type R have given me some hope for the Honda brand. Sure, the ‘sporty’ Jazz is more cosmetic than substance and remains rather expensive, but it comes across as a more appealing, youthful product. As for the Type R, well, if you like driving, the latest iteration of Honda’s performance car will certainly satiate the performance aficionado.
Warranty and service
Both models come with a five-year/200 000km warranty, but the Jazz gets a four-year/60 000km service plan whereas the Type R gets a five-year/90 000km service plan.
Pricing
Jazz Sport: R310 000
Civic Type R: R627 900
