Honda's made a Jazz hot hatch!

Can’t quite stretch to a Honda Civic Type R? Or worried its suspension will rattle your driving hat off? Worry not, because the significantly more sensible Jazz Dynamic is here to solve your problems.

We jest, of course. This is no shrunken Type R, red exterior details notwithstanding. But the recipe is actually promising: the Jazz, which is a surprisingly tidy car to drive as standard, has been given a 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine.

No, it’s not going to set any land speed records. But it is a third more powerful than the car it nabs the enviable title of ‘fastest Jazz’ from, while producing barely less than the heroic little Suzuki Swift Sport.

And look! It’s got a manual gearbox! Honda’s very good at those. It will still give you a biddy-friendly CVT auto if you ask for it, but here’s a warmed-up hatchback with a standard manual transmission and keen little petrol engine. Excuse us for hoping and praying it’ll be a laugh. There’s even a set of 16-inch alloys and a roof spoiler.

While it’s an easy target for mocking, a standard Jazz is a fine thing. There’s nothing as practical for the money, and we’ll eat that driving hat if it ever breaks down on you. The Dynamic’s introduction is part of the Jazz’s latest update, which brings a light styling tweak and new colour options, while tonnes of active safety tech and a rear parking camera are standard equipment.

What do you reckon? Secret hot hatch in the making?