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HOW much are you willing to pay for a small car? Right now, you can find new models from just under £10,000 – but there’s an ever-increasing amount of evidence that this is going to change, and soon. As we reveal this week, the next Honda Jazz (Page 8) is going to get a radical rethink and hybrid powertrains across the range. And that means this pocket-sized practicality star is likely to be more expensive. It’s only part of a growing trend, though, for cars that are smaller but not necessarily much cheaper. That’s because the safety kit, refinement and efficiency required for regulations and customer tastes simply cannot be produced cheaply enough to deliver the same price tags that have existed for the past decade or more. As if to prove this…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram ● All-new supermini set to get a rugged SUV-style makeover ● Hybrid drive inspired by CR-V will be sole drivetrain option “The Jazz won’t grow significantly in size, but it will sit on a new platform to boost its practicality” HONDA’S small car line-up is set to receive a much-needed shot in the arm at the end of the year, when the new fourth-generation Jazz takes to the stage at October’s Tokyo Motor Show. And as Honda looks to electrify its model range, the new Jazz will be hybrid only. While previous versions of the Jazz have sported an upright MPV-like appearance, the next-generation car will have mini SUVs like the SEAT Arona and Citroen C3 Aircross in its sights. This will help to broaden its appeal, courtesy of a chunky SUV-inspired design. As our…

HOW much are you willing to pay for a small car? Right now, you can find new models from just under £10,000 – but there’s an ever-increasing amount of evidence that this is going to change, and soon. As we reveal this week, the next Honda Jazz (Page 8) is going to get a radical rethink and hybrid powertrains across the range. And that means this pocket-sized practicality star is likely to be more expensive. It’s only part of a growing trend, though, for cars that are smaller but not necessarily much cheaper. That’s because the safety kit, refinement and efficiency required for regulations and customer tastes simply cannot be produced cheaply enough to deliver the same price tags that have existed for the past decade or more. As if…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ● New drop-top SUV revealed ● Prices from around £25,000 “The T-Roc Cabriolet continues 70 years of convertible production at VW’s Osnabruck factory” THIS is the brand-new Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet – and in a world of increasingly niche SUVs, this could be the peak of the genre. It joins the 302bhp T-Roc R as an offshoot of the standard SUV, and it will make its public debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. In the UK, it marks the return of a convertible to VW’s line-up; final orders for the Beetle Cabriolet were taken in February, and no drop-top has been in the range since. It’s a car without a direct ancestor to look back upon, while the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is the only recent compact SUV to lose its roof. However, while that…

Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for Sales, Marketing & After Sales Q. Who are you targeting with this car? A. The car itself has very few natural competitors in the market. So it lends itself to customers who want to express themselves, people who don’t have to make pure, rational choices. They want something very unique. Q. Do you think competitors could join you, or is this a segment you’ll be alone in? A. You have to make three big decisions: do you want to invest in the cabriolet segment, which is a very small segment? Do you have a base car that actually allows you to create a cabriolet? We’ve seen one example where it didn’t really work. And thirdly, can it be affordable enough so that you can sell…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram ● All-new supermini set to get a rugged SUV-style makeover ● Hybrid drive inspired by CR-V will be sole drivetrain option “The Jazz won’t grow significantly in size, but it will sit on a new platform to boost its practicality” HONDA’S small car line-up is set to receive a much-needed shot in the arm at the end of the year, when the new fourth-generation Jazz takes to the stage at October’s Tokyo Motor Show. And as Honda looks to electrify its model range, the new Jazz will be hybrid only. While previous versions of the Jazz have sported an upright MPV-like appearance, the next-generation car will have mini SUVs like the SEAT Arona and Citroen C3 Aircross in its sights. This will help to broaden its appeal, courtesy…