The facelifted-for-2018 Honda Jazz has been revealed ahead of ordering opening in November 2017. To make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, changes aren’t just limited to a visual upgrade – Honda has introduced a new higher-powered petrol engine option.

Honda Jazz: new vs old

2017 Honda Jazz
2017 Honda Jazz

Visually, the new Jazz receives an upgraded face that brings it in line with more recent Hondas such as the latest Civic hatchback. Called ‘Solid Wing Face’, the grille has been revised and there’s a new LED running light pattern in the headlights. Honda’s also sharpened up the front and rear bumpers, and introduced a new colour called Skyride Blue.

2017 Honda Jazz

There’s a new trim line too, called Sport. This brings a sportier look with gloss black 16-inch alloys, a front bumper aero splitter (a bit like that on the racy Honda Civic Type R), triple-strake rear diffuser and neat red pinstriping. It also gets front fog lamps, side skirts and a bootlid spoiler, plus standard LED headlights.

Inside, the Jazz Sport has unique pinstripe seats, and orange stitching for the leather steering wheel and gearknob. This doesn’t cost any of the Jazz’s famed practicality though: the boot is still a massive 354 litres with the seats up, the Magic Seat system is standard and you can still fit in loads up to almost 2.5 metres in length.

While the 100bhp 1.3-litre i-VTEC petrol engine is retained for all models,Sport models come with a larger 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine. Honda hasn’t yet released performance figures, but it does confirm economy of 52.3mpg and 124g/km CO2 emissions. The US version of the Jazz, the Honda Fit, claims 0-60mph in around 8.5 seconds, so we’d estimate under 9.0 seconds for the EU-standard 0-62mph run.

Prices for the new Jazz will be confirmed nearer to ordering opening in November: deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2018.

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Gallery: 2017 Honda Jazz