Honda Jazz Crosstar blends practicality with a dash of purpose

The Honda Jazz Crosstar stands out with its rugged-styled exterior, a slight departure from the standard Jazz hatchback which has been the perfect runabout for the financially comfortable pensioner for years.

Honda understands its customers, and it knows that many are brand loyal yet there comes a point in retirement when that well-spec'd CR-V or HR-V SUV they've been enjoying feels just a bit too big.

So the Jazz Crosstar is the ideal vehicle for these downsizers. It builds on the top-spec Jazz EX model, meaning it’s well equipped as standard. Plus its bespoke front and rear bumpers, black side sills and roof rails, and slightly higher stance than the standard Jazz, all combines to give an adventurous SUV-esque feel to this supermini. 

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Naturally, there’s no efficient-sapping four-wheel-drive system, because this isn’t an off-roader. But like the rest of them, it will happily pootle down lightly rutted tracks and potholed car parks to reach the best dog-walking spots.

The Honda Jazz Crosstar is brilliant in car parks and around town in general, helped by the high seating position and huge front windscreen - the visibility for the driver is unbeatable. Plus there's a tight turning circle, light steering and a standard reversing camera. Honda has equipped the Jazz Crosstar with a suite of advanced safety features under the Honda Sensing umbrella, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automated emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.

The everyday practicalities of the Crosstar are clear selling points. Its infotainment system, with navigation, smartphone connectivity and a high-quality audio system, is easy to use. The system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ensuring seamless smartphone integration. It still has the Jazz's "Magic Seat" system, which offers numerous seating and cargo configurations, for even more practicality.

Under the bonnet, the Honda Jazz Crosstar is powered by a 1.5-litre i-MMD (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) hybrid powertrain, which can switch seamlessly between EV, hybrid, and engine drive modes, optimising fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Officially, it’ll return 58.9mpg - which is only marginally thirstier than the standard Jazz. Some prospective buyers might not adore the CVT automatic transmission, but it is fine once you get used to it.

All in all, the Jazz Crosstar is well designed for its target market, and even its fairly hefty price tag of £29,085 (or £330-ish monthly on a PCP) shouldn't be a deterrent.