I'm disappointed by the change to a digital instrument panel - personally I prefer a round speedo for instant information. For the same reason, I wear an analogue watch. However, digital is probably cheaper, and they need to reduce costs wherever possible to keep the price competitive.
I agreed with you till some years ago, now my perfect instrument panel would have an analog RPM meter but a digital tachometer. Some recent cars, as peuegots, have both digital and analog tacho.
An analogue speedo is easier to see when speed or RPM change quickly, so you can follow how they change. But if speed changes slowly, a digital tacho is more precise and quick to read: you can immediately know if your speed is 72 or 73 or 74 mph, while an analog speedo needs to pay attention about the exact position of the needle.
The Crosstar is given a radiator grill, while the other versions have the smoother bonnet front, which previous posts suggested was to please the female buyers in Japan, as it looks less "macho"! Is this a subtle form of sex-discrimination?
Women like round shapes and tall seats, many psychologist wrote about it. The k11 Nissan Micra (1992) and the Yaris Mk1 were admittedly designed for women; ask a generic woman if she prefer the Mk1 Jazz or the present GK3...