Road Tested By Hugh Maguire.
Price: €34,950.
Pros:
Very economical with great range.
Well equipped as standard.
Very spacious and flexible rear seats.
Cons:
Road noise on more coarse tarmac.
No wireless phone charging.
More expensive than rivals.
The Honda Jazz Crosstar Advance is basically a Jazz on steroids. It is a bit more rugged looking than its sibling and is designed to appeal to those who value the virtues of the Jazz but would prefer a car with a bit more of a distinctive profile allied to a bit more presence on the road. Otherwise they are virtually identical.
While the Jazz model has a loyal following in some other countries it has never managed the popularity of cars like the Peugeot 208, Renault Clio or Toyota Yaris here in Ireland. It is hard to pin down a reason for that as overall its a good small car. It does tend to cost a bit more than rivals but Honda would maintain it is a premium product that is worthy of its slightly higher price tag. So I have spent some 500km behind the wheel of the Crosstar version to dig a bit deeper into this model and see if its worthy of its €34,950 price tag?
So how does it look ?
The Crosstar shares exactly the same 5-door hatchback body shell as its sibling the Jazz. However externally it is differentiated by black wheel arch surrounds, roof rails and a higher ride height. Surprisingly these small changes do give the Crosstar a much more robust and distinctive style than its somewhat anonymous stablemate.
What is it like inside?
The cabin is bigger than you expect and nicely finished with quality to the fore though if you look hard enough there are some scratchy plastics notably on the door cards and in the tray in the centre console.
Surprisingly the open tray where you might like to put your mobile phone which is just under the US-B and US-C ports is also made of a hard plastic with no rubber mat. Placing your phone there just results in it annoyingly sliding about.
The compact 9 inch central touchscreen is the perfect size and works well A huge positive is the fact that Honda have given plenty of buttons and knobs for most functions negating the need to prod the touchscreen very much. This is far more user friendly and much safer.
The leather covered steering wheel boasts the usual menu buttons for the adaptive cruise control and audio functions again all of which look and feel good. The driving position is excellent and the front seats prove nicely upholstered in cloth material but for me at least the front seats need more lumbar support. The material used in the seating differs from that in the Jazz in that it is claimed to be water resistant. A nod to the fact that Honda are marketing the Crosstar as the car for the more adventurous types who may throw wet gear in the car at some point.
With heated front seats, 3 drive modes, heated steering wheel and climate control it is well kitted out. Pity no wireless phone charging though. That should be standard in this trim level.
The rear is again surprisingly roomy and will seat two adults in reasonable comfort with decent leg and headroom. The new Crosstar has Honda’s “Magic Seats”. This means the rear seats can also flip up (not just fold flat) giving extra flexibility for tall or bulky items. This is a unique feature that puts it ahead of rivals in the practicality stakes.
Overall then the cabin impresses by being of a high quality, generally well designed and proves comfortable, roomy and practical.
What is under the bonnet?
The new Crosstar is a self charging hybrid powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine a small battery and two electric motors one which acts as a generator and the other as the drive motor. There are steering wheel mounted paddles to allow the driver use as much or as little regenerative braking as desired. The whole set up is simply excellent. The Crosstar proves very economical sipping just 5.2 litres per 100km over my 500km or so. This car runs in pure EV mode way more than I expected sometimes even managing EV power only at speeds up to 100km/h for short periods. This is reflected in those superb economy figures I obtained. It will comfortably do 750km between refuels.
Performance is good with the only downside being a slightly harsh sound to the engine when you demand maximum acceleration.
Is it good to drive?
Its not an involving drive but it handles safely and securely, the ride is good and despite a little more road noise than I would have liked it is a very well rounded package.
In town its a doddle to park and negotiate tight spaces, on the motorway it cruises happily at 120km/h and on country roads its nimble enough.
Hugh’s Verdict.
My lasting impressions of the Crosstar are of a well designed, well engineered compact car.
You arguably are getting a more premium product in the Honda with hybrid tech as standard and the versatility of the “Magic Seats”. That allied to the more distinctive SUV-like looks of the Crosstar helps off set the slightly higher price tag. So in that it deserves to be on your shortlist if looking for a premium compact hatch.