HONDA Jazz buyers tend to be a conservative bunch and fortunately for Honda they tend to be loyal too.

When it comes to trading in their cars they rarely look further than the local Honda dealer and another Jazz.

But now that loyalty means they face a dilemma because along with the latest Jazz comes a bigger brother - the Jazz Crosstar.

It's based on the hatchback they're all too familiar with but is a small SUV version, which gives it a totally new look and some interesting features.

For starters the Crosstar is longer, wider, taller and has a longer wheelbase but more noticeably it has far more ground clearance as it's designed as a lifestyle vehicle, although not one intended for off-road work.

This baby SUV is only available in one spec and that's one above the top-of-the-range EX trim on the standard Jazz, meaning a premium of £1,250.

But for that you get - apart from the SUV styling - a two-tone paint finish, roof bars, two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels, an eight-speaker premium audio system and water repellent upholstery, presumably for the more active lifestyle buyer.

The newcomer is only available as a hybrid, powered by a combination of a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors in a self-charging system so never any need to plug in.

And it's surprising just how often this car runs on purely electric in town and city as you purr around in silence.

It's only when you put your right foot down really hard or are driving on the motorway that you notice that power is also coming from the engine.

That means outstanding fuel consumption. Over a week's motoring my average never dropped below 72 miles per gallon and that‘s going to be one of its biggest selling points.

Surprisingly Honda's official figure is very conservative at just under 60mpg but even that is more than most people would ever hope for.

The interior is light and airy - thanks in part to the huge windscreen - and there's a plethora of places to accommodate any oddments you have.

The controls are nicely laid out with a large, easy to read digital speedometer immediately in front of the driver and a centre set touch screen giving access to the car's infotainment system as well as the satellite navigation and reversing camera.

The Crosstar is the first car in its class to be fitted with a new front-centre airbag which expands into the space between the driver and front passenger in the event of a side impact. It's just one of 10 airbags in the new car.

For its size the Jazz Crosstar offers impressive space for both front and rear seat travellers. Honda's "magic seats" in the rear fold into to the floor to give a completely flat load surface or you can simply lift up the seat squabs like a cinema seat to give enough space to carry a mountain bike.

On the road the Crosstar is surprisingly responsive thanks to the large amount of torque across the rev range and the nicely weighted steering means it always feels well planted even at high speed on the motorway unlike some of its competitors.