This week, our roving road tester tries out Honda’s facelifted hybrid Jazz supermini in Crosstar pseudo SUV guise.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Honda Jazz Crosstar

List price (BiK): £27,780 (25%) CO2: 108g/km Economy: 58.9mpg Test efficiency: 60.1mpg

Monday

It’s encouraging to see Honda sticking with its Jazz supermini while others are pruning them from ranges left, right and centre. In today’s case, it’s the off-roader-ish Jazz Crosstar that is taking up space on the driveway, which is ideal given the weather has taken a turn for the autumnal. Recent improvements to the Jazz range mean a bit more oomph with no claimed impact on economy, so we’ll see.

Tuesday

It’s taken quite a few minutes of walking around the Honda and squinting to spot what the exterior updates have been the Jazz Crosstar. It would be easier with an earlier version alongside for a game of spot the difference, but I can tell you Honda has restyled the grille, bumpers and the headlights surrounds. Subtle is one word for it. Minimal is another, but either way it looks fine to me.

Wednesday

Rooting a bit deeper in the blurb tells me the big change for this Crosstar lies in the engine bay. The 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor combo has been improved to give 120hp, up from 108hp before. Noticeable on the road this morning? Well, if I hadn’t known, I probably would not have spotted it, but there is a fraction more mid-rev heft for overtaking. Even so, the Jazz is happier when cruising.

Thursday

A trip into Edinburgh this morning shows up two of the Jazz’s talents. The first is how well it copes with a blustery motorway trip, remaining stable and quiet all the way to town. Once in the city, the Crosstar’s ride comfort is much better than I remember of previous Jazz models. Maybe the 37mm raised suspension helps, but the Honda certainly proves very able over Edinburgh’s cobbles.

Friday

All credit to Honda for the way the Jazz Crosstar’s hybrid system switches between EV and hybrid running. There’s absolutely no jerkiness or even a tell-tale cranking of the petrol motor. It all just works without any input from the driver or awareness of the powertrain moving into whichever mode it deems most efficient. Even when driven hard, it remains smooth, though the Crosstar is fractionally slower from 0-62mph than its standard Jazz sister model.

Saturday

That famed Honda Jazz practicality comes into its own today. First off is ferrying my son and hairy friends to football. Three of them fit into the Crosstar with ease and room to spare for gangly knees and elbows. Afterwards, a garden purge requires a trip to the refuse tip and, with the Jazz suitably decked out in old sheets, it carts the remains of a dead hedge to its final resting place.

Sunday

Reflecting on a week with the Honda Jazz Crosstar, it’s the sort of car that just slips into your routine without asking anything in return other than a bit of petrol now and again. Claimed economy is 58.9mpg and I saw 60.1mpg on the dash display, which is very welcome. In itself, that’s not overly exciting but it sums up the Crosstar – it makes a promise and then over-delivers on it, just as the best small cars always do.