Honda's Jazz is a new take on the supermini idea. Halfway between a conventional supermini and a mini-MPV, it has a snub nose, a tall stance and a petrol tank under the front seats. This releases space for the 'Magic Seats' - rear seats which fold flat and low onto the floor, or whose cushions can stack vertically next to the backrests to create a large midships cargo space.

The Jazz is bigger and more upmarket than the uninspiring Logo it supersedes, and has been a huge sales hit and award-winner in Japan, where it's called the Honda Fit. Its 1.4-litre, 83 bhp engine, designated i-DSI, features two spark plugs per cylinder which, unlike Alfa Romeo's seemingly similar system, fire at slightly different moments according to the demands on the engine. This is claimed to deliver excellent economy and low emissions without a performance penalty. A CVT automatic transmission will be available in the summer.

Three trim levels are offered: S, SE and SE Sport. The last of these has wider alloy wheels, side airbags and a CD player. The Jazz name was last used by Honda in the early 1980s, applied to a supermini which was also tall.