Honda Jazz Estate?

The Jazz estate gets the same tweaked styling as the imminent facelifted hatch, plus a raised roofline and extended body. Bosses have resurrected the Shuttle badge for the car. 

These enhancements 
mean there will be even more space for rear passengers, as well as a significantly larger boot than the 399 litres of 
the current Jazz hatchback. 

Engines are reportedly 
set to be carried over from 
the current line-up, so expect to see 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre powerplants with 89bhp and 99bhp respectively. The 
1.3-litre IMA hybrid system 
– which features in the new petrol-electric Jazz, as well as Honda’s Insight – is also likely to be offered. This should give 102bhp. There’s no word about an on-sale date, but the estate would fit nicely into the range.

Ferrari estate brakes with tradition

Project code F151

Ferrari turns practical? That’s the 
shock news from Maranello, where a shooting brake concept based on the 612 Scaglietti is being prepared for 
the Geneva Motor Show in March.

612 Scaglietti

The first result from a new, in-house styling team, the estate has been overseen by Fiat Group design boss and ex-Pininfarina head Lorenzo Ramaciotti. Although its name has not yet been confirmed, the two-door, V12 concept has been produced for two reasons: to see how far Ferrari can stretch its brand away from its traditional supercars, and to give the 612 Scaglietti a fitting send-off as the four-seat super coupé, launched in 2004, nears the end of its run.

Project code F151

“We know there can never be a Ferrari SUV,” one source insisted. “But we would like to find out what we can put the marque’s DNA into and still have it accepted as a Ferrari.” The replacement for the 612 Scaglietti is also imminent. Codenamed F151, the new two-door coupé will join Ferrari’s GranTurismo line-up to sit alongside the California, but it will be priced at around £230,000 – considerably more than the £143,870 currently charged for the drop-top.

612 Scaglietti

Ferrari sources have described the forthcoming car as “more versatile”, hence why the designers are testing the water with this radical and roomier concept version of its predecessor. With the firm also ruling out a four-door saloon earlier this year, a fastback design for the next-generation GT makes the most sense.

Despite its revolutionary looks, the 612 Scaglietti concept car isn’t the first Ferrari wagon. The company has built plenty of one-offs for wealthy Middle Eastern and Asian buyers, including a 456 GT-based Pininfarina-bodied shooting brake in the early Nineties for the Sultan of Brunei.

Volvo V60 Estate

Meet Volvo’s entry to the space race. This is the new V60, the estate version of the new S60, which Volvo proudly states is its most dynamic model ever.

Volvo argues that the larger V70 is the true load lugger in its range. So, at 430-litres, the V60’s boot is smaller than the 460- and 490-litre load spaces offered by the rival BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant.

Instead, the V60 has been designed with style in mind. There’s a rising shoulderline and falling window line to give the car an almost coupe-like appearance in profile.

The relatively short rear overhang and sloping rear windscreen add to the sporty looks, although these factors combine to reduce the boot space.

Practicality hasn’t been completely bypassed. The rear seat has a useful 40/20/40-split, and the front passenger seat can be folded completely flat.

The V60's engine range features the units from the firm’s recently revised engine line-up. This will include five petrols, ranging from 1.6 litres to the 3.0-litre straight six. There are three diesels to choose from – the D5-badged 2.4-litre five-cylinder unit, and D3 2.0-litre. These will be joined by a DRIVe 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine around 12 months after the car goes on sale.

The same safety kit is carried over from the saloon car range, including Pedestrian Detection and City Safety.