By Ian Strachan.
The Honda Jazz used to be quite a conservative car. It was smart and well-equipped, but hardly a car to turn heads.
But that has changed. The jazz – particularly in Crosstar clothing, is distinctive and purposeful. It may be small, but it’s certainly stylish, with an aggressive stance.
And it comes as a hybrid so driving this car allows you to feel good about yourself, and you can sneer at your fellow gas-guzzling road users with impunity. An electric motor supports the 1.5 litre petrol engine, making big inroads into both fuel consumption and emissions.
The Jazz’s 107 horsepower engine is married to an electric motor which, combined, give you nearly 59 miles to the gallon in mixed driving and CO2 emissions of just 108 g/km.
The 1.5 engine gives you a top speed where allowed of 108 mph and a 0-60 time of just over nine seconds. But to be honest this is such a light car it felt quicker.
Jazz Crosstar is a very smart looking car, with 16 inch alloys, a nicely rounded exterior profile, roof rails, a sharply sloping front and a pleasing rear end, with a tailgate which opens to reveal a surprisingly large 304 litre luggage area. The carrying capacity can be increased to 1205 litres by folding the split rear seats. Visibility is exceptional, with a huge panoramic windscreen and narrow window pillars.
The heated seats are covered in attractive premium fabric upholstery, and the leather steering wheel – small and pleasant to use – is also heated.
The whisper quiet engine is married to a stepless CVT automatic transmission which is smooth and pleasant. Handling is taught, predictable and precise.
You get a good range of extras as standard on the Crosstar Advance which I tested. These include an eight-speaker premium audio system with Bluetooth controlled via a nine-inch touchscreen, along with satnav, blind spot monitor, lane-keeping aid, rear view camera, climate control, heated electric door mirrors and parking sensors.
The Jazz Crosstar 1.5 Advance CVT Hybrid which I tested comes on the road at £30,335. Premium Sunlight White paint and trim comes at an extra £1,000.
With its significant downward impact on your carbon footprint and good residual values, I can’t think of a reason not to buy this car.
