Honda Jazz Crosstar (2023 - )

You will always find people who readily criticise cars that are not particularly dynamic to drive, or packed with all the latest gizmos along with futuristic layouts. They will be the ones heading the queue to poke fun at the Honda Jazz Crosstar.

But, while those critics go in search of high-performance models with edge-of-the-seat handling and over-complicated technology, this Honda quietly goes about its business and does everything expected from Jazz fans up and down the country.

Yes, they want modern styling and it boasts just that and it’s also generously equipped with all the mod cons necessary these days. However, this is a user-friendly car that you can immediately feel at home in without having to navigate dozens of drop-down menus to complete the simplest of tasks.

The Jazz Crosstar is a slightly beefed-up version of the traditional Jazz with added cladding, and some extra features as standard, along with a raised ride height giving it more appeal to compact SUV buyers.

The Jazz costs from £28,060 and is available in trims called Elegance, Advance and Advance Sport, while there is just the single Jazz Crosstar Advance specification, and that’s the model we opted to test, priced at £30,355.

The Jazz Crosstar may be compact in size, but Honda designers have given the car plenty of appeal with impressive space and storage all nicely wrapped in a very neat package.

The Crosstar is a slightly pumped-up version of the standard Jazz, but even in this more muscular guise, it’s anything but aggressive. You do get some extra cladding and increased ground clearance, along with a distinctive grille, sweeping light clusters with signature daytime running lights, privacy glass, black mirror caps and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is light and breezy with a very simplistic layout. It’s the sort of car anybody can get to grips with no matter how non-tech-savvy they are. The seats, despite being manually adjusted, offer plenty of movement so it’s easy to find that perfect driving position and, as well as being heated, they boast anti-fatigue properties so longer journeys will be more enjoyable. The steering wheel can also be heated for added comfort.

The main nerve centre is a clear nine-inch infotainment screen with large icons offering access to the Garmin navigation system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, the four-speaker sound system with DAB radio, Bluetooth plus a hands-free personal assistant.

Separate dials are used to control all the climate functions, which we always like, and there is a compact but clear driver display screen behind the steering wheel.

And Honda has truly excelled when it comes to driver visibility. The huge panoramic windscreen, along with thinner pillars and a deep rear screen make the all-round view exceptionally good. Additionally, all models are equipped with parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Like every Jazz model in the line-up, the Crosstar shares the same hybrid set-up that sees a 1.5-litre petrol engine working in tandem with two electric motors, along with a compact battery. With an output of 107PS and 253Nm of torque, this self-charging hybrid model can complete the 0-62mph sprint in a reasonable 9.7 seconds and maxes out at 108mph.

The default Hybrid Drive mode will automatically control the input of the electric motors and how they best complement the engine for the greatest performance and efficiency.

The car will automatically switch into Electric Drive when pulling away from a standing start or Engine Drive which uses the petrol powertrain to maintain higher speeds, while charging the battery at the same time.

It’s a car that can sit effortlessly at 70mph on motorways, and it can cope well when faced with twisting country lanes too thanks to decent levels of grip and minimal body sway. Throw it into a tight bend too eagerly though and it does show a few weaknesses as it gets a tad fidgety.

Special mention to the car’s high levels of refinement too. Occupants are well protected against outside noise from the road and engine, while the suspension set-up also manages to smooth out all but the most severe bumps and dips along the way. The e-CVT transmission is smooth enough provided you are not too heavy on the accelerator pedal.

I wouldn’t say the Jazz Crosstar is the most thrilling to drive, but to be fair to Honda, the people buying this car will most definitely be prioritising comfort over sheer pace and performance.

While the Honda Jazz Crosstar is bigger than the standard car, it is due to the cosmetic changes such as the roof rails, wheel arch cladding along with the raised ride height. That means interior space is virtually identical.

Dimension-wise, the Jazz Crosstar stretches 4,105mm in length, is 1,725mm across with mirrors folded, 1,556mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,520mm.

Those figures translate into a spacious cabin area with bundles of room up front for two six footers to stretch out. A couple more adults can fit in the back, although the area is best suited to youngsters. The boot is well-sized with a storage capacity of 304 litres with all seats upright. That’s ample for the weekly family supermarket run. Drop the 60:40 split folding rear seats and that limit increases to a generous 1,205 litres. Our car featured a handy removable rubber mat that helps protect the boot lining if you plan on carrying muddy boots or wet gear.

Elsewhere, throughout the cabin, there are numerous practical storage spaces, including a split-level glovebox, door bins, front cup holders, trays, seat back pockets, a compact cubby box and additional cup or bottle holders at each end of the dashboard.

With its raised ground clearance, the Jazz Crosstar offers easier access for anyone with mobility issues or for people regularly using child seats.

The Honda Jazz line-up costs from £28,060 for the Elegance trim, increasing to £29,280 for the Advance specification and tops out at £30,555 for the Advance Sport model. Our Jazz Crosstar Advance was priced at £30,355 but specialist paint added a further £625 to the final bill. That was the only option on our car that is well equipped as standard.

Additionally, day-to-day running costs impress thanks to the efficiency of the self-charging hybrid powertrain that delivers 59.9mpg on a combined run according to WLTP testing with carbon emissions of 108g/km.

That CO2 figure will result in a first-year Vehicle Excise Duty charge of £390 dropping to the standard annual fee of £195 after 12 months. Sadly, hybrid vehicles are no longer eligible for discounts when it comes to road tax costs. But there is some good news - as the Jazz Crosstar costs below the £40k threshold there is no additional premium car tax to factor in.

Reliability is an area where Honda always scores highly, but for added peace of mind, the Jazz Crosstar comes with a standard three-year warranty, while the hybrid powertrain cover is extended to five years or 90,000 miles. 

Our test car sits in insurance group 22.

The Honda Jazz Crosstar is the complete package for anyone looking for a stylish, well-equipped car that is economical to run and offers exceptional levels of comfort and practicality.

It’s also worth noting the Jazz Crosstar has the same maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating as it’s Jazz siblings and boasts the full suite of Honda SENSING safety features and driver assistance aids. These include collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limiter, blind spot alert, cross traffic monitor, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control with low speed following and lots more besides.

All in all, while there will be critics of the Jazz Crosstar because it lacks a real wow factor, for its legion of loyal fans (and they are many), it does just what it says on the tin!