Bring your sense of adventure with Honda's Jazz.

The 2021 Tokyo auto show might be a digital affair, but that has not prevented Japanese car companies from preparing some interesting concepts.

One of the more attainable and relatable cars set to be part of the 2021 Tokyo auto show experience, is from Honda. The company has taken its popular and reliable Jazz hatchback and converted it to a proper crossover.

This Jazz Crosstar concept is based on a hybridised Jazz platform, with Dal electric motors supplementing the performance of its 1.5-litre petrol engine. It is also the reason you’ll notice the peculiar dual-grille bumper design.

Core performance numbers are what you’d expect from a Jazz. The total system output is 80 kW and 253 Nm, with a CVT transmission converting those numbers to modest acceleration. Honda claims 0-100 kph in 9.4 seconds, with a 175 kph top speed.

This Jazz Crosstar concept is not about acceleration numbers. It is all about the accessories. You’ll notice the elaborate roof rack system, intended to hold whatever you can’t fit inside, on top. That said, the Jazz has a terrifically adaptable cabin architecture and 1 203-litres of luggage space with its rear seats folded, so if you end up actually using those roof racks and their storage boxes, you’ll be planning a very long journey.

By far the best aspect of this Jazz Crosstar concept, are its wheels and tyres. Anybody who travels huge distances on gravel roads will tell you: steel wheels are more durable than alloys. The Crosstar rolls black painted steelies rolling appropriate Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres, with a mildly aggressive tread pattern and generous sidewall.

Those tyres will make a discernible difference on gravel roads and with the large sidewall, they should offer good impact absorption over larger bumps and potholes. The Crosstar concept also has 152 mm of ground clearance, which is 16 mm more than a conventional Honda Jazz.

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