THE HONDA Jazz has a new range-topping Sport trim that’s likely to appeal to a younger audience.

The car has received some styling tweaks to make it look more dynamic, as well as being given a peppier engine.

The visual changes include a stylish new grille and a more pronounced bumper, as well as lightly tweaked headlamps.

And a body kit has been added to the Sport version to add a bit of extra visual impact, with the gloss-black 16in alloys completing the sporty look.

The most significant change to come about as part of this mid-life facelift is the new engine, which gives the Jazz a bit more flare and appeal.

While the new 1.5-litre I-VTEC unit doesn’t creep into hot hatch territory, it certainly has enough grunt to create a lively and engaging driving experience.

Motorists who are accustomed to modern turbo engines will notice that this naturally-aspirated unit needs to be worked hard, with the more responsive performance found high up the rev range.

However, the 128bhp engine becomes loud and whiny when you hit the higher revs, so the Jazz’s peak performance is found at the expense of refinement and relaxation.

A respectable 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds is achieved with the help of a slick six-speed manual gearbox with short ratios.

The Jazz feels nippy in and around town, thanks to a sharp steer and nimble set-up.

Ride quality is decent, with the suspension ironing out all but the worst road imperfections and the car taking speed humps in its stride.

On the more open cross country roads, the Jazz’s handling is accurate and trustworthy.

However, the light steering that makes the car easy to thread through city traffic means the steering seems to lack a bit of feel when you get onto open roads.

There’s also a noticeable amount of body roll to look out for when tackling tighter corners.

As for whether or not the car’s looks and performance are dynamic enough to outshine opponents in the supermini market, it’s a matter of opinion.

However, one area where the jazz seems to be ahead of its class rivals is practicality, thanks to a cavernous cabin.

The bizarre thing is that the car looks pretty standard size-wise when viewed from outside, but you only have to open the door to appreciate its Tardis-like quality.

Indeed, there aren’t too many superminis that could absorb four adults in such comfort on a long journey as this one. Rear passengers will enjoy a vast amount of legroom, even if sat behind a 6ft-tall driver.

Boot space comes in at an impressive 354 litres with the seats up, and increases to 897 litres with them folded down.

Indeed, that big square load bay is as good if not better than anything in this class.

And it’s that focus on roominess that’s helped Honda sell so many of these cars since the Jazz launched in 2001.

In terms of materials used in the cabin, it’s more functional than flamboyant, with quite a few scratchy plastics to be found.

That said, there’s some contrasting red stitching to be found on the seats which lends an otherwise-drab interior a splash of colour.

All the controls are solid, chunky and within easy reach of the driver.

However, the slightly fiddly infotainment system, accompanied by a 7.0-inch display screen, seems to overcomplicate normally-simple tasks such as changing radio station, requiring more attention than you really want to give it.

In conclusion, this Sport version retains all the practicality of the normal Jazz, while offering enough performance to bring a smile to the face.