IF you thought the Honda Jazz was just for mums on the school run or silver surfers think again.

The popular and practical hatchback has just undergone a minor facelift, but to coincide with this Honda has introduced a Sport model with a racy new image which will appeal to both the young and young at heart.

And along with the bold new look comes a beefier new engine to ensure it lives up to its appearance.

While production of the existing102bhp, 1.3-litre continues with a face lifted front end the new sporting version boasts a 1.5-litre 130bhp petrol engine capable of whisking it up to 62 miles per hour in just 8.7 seconds on its way to its top speed of 118 mph.

At the same time it promises average fuel consumption of 47.9 miles per gallon for the six-speed manual version and 52.3 mpg for the CVT automatic.

The new Jazz 1.5 i-VTEC Sport features a striking front end with a deep front spoiler as well as dramatic side skirts.

At the rear there's a distinctive tailgate spoiler and deep rear valance while the whole image is enhanced by gloss black alloy wheels.

The interior has a unique pinstripe pattern on the upholstery and a leather wrapped steering wheel and gearknob, both enhanced by orange stitching.

While the face lifted Jazz range starts from £14,115 the new Sport model commands a premium and is priced at £17,115.

Jazz owners have been calling for a more powerful version of the little car for some time now and Honda has listened to its customers.

While the 1.3-litre model does the job its designed for it doesn't have the punchy responsiveness of the new model.

The free revving 1.5-litre engine brings the Jazz to life, although for some drivers noise levels will be higher than they would like.

Road holding is impressive with the little car staying firmly planted on tight bends making it more of a driver‘s car than the 1.3-litre version.

Honda has obviously decided that it needs the Jazz range to appeal to younger drivers than has so far been the case and the looks and handling of the Sport look set to do the trick.

Standard equipment levels on the whole range are high, however, and include cruise control, heated seats and automatic headlights while every Jazz comes with City Brake Active to help avoid low speed accidents.

And of course the Jazz still features Honda's rear "Magic Seats" which allows you to fold down or lift up various sections so you have a multiplicity of permutations. Accommodating large or awkward items is child's play and if you fold everything completely flat you have the capacity of a small van.

Since the original Jazz was introduced in 2001 more than seven million models have been sold worldwide and it‘s the best selling model in the UK.

The decision to broaden the appeal of the little car by adding a sharper new model to the line up - both in terms of looks and performance - should ensure yet another surge in sales.