Suzuki’s compact crossover hatchback competes against the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson at a much lower price. The outgoing SX4 S-Cross launched in 2013 and there’s a few reasons why people are very satisfied with Suzuki ownership.
Special mention : Easy to use, plain and simple. Suzuki fans will be happy. Development money for the new generation has been spent on hybrid technology. Folding rear seats leave plenty of space. French levels of seat comfort.
Needs work : Manual could be a bit smoother, hard plastics will stand the hardest of knocks and the seats while comfortable could have a little more support.
| BHP 129 | Petrol / Hybrid / Manual |
| 0-100 km/h in 10.2 seconds | Road Tax €190 |
Price: €29,365.00 As spec’d Price: €31,770.00 | Boot space 430 litres |
They make cars simple but effective and all the necessities are there including a comfortable and unpretentious drive. The S-Cross covers the basics and combines drivability with good economy and a low purchase price. Those who are looking for functional and dependable transport with all the safety features you expect from a modern car, the S-Cross covers all bases.
On the outside, the new S-Cross looks dramatically different from before. Inside there’s a more modern infotainment system and a little bit of rubberised material on the dashboard, overall though the interior is as recognisable from 2013 as it is now. Suzuki didn’t have much in the way of competition before but Dacia has upped their game to challenge the more established Suzuki.
The seats are decent enough not to miss the lack of lumbar support and you sit high giving good visibility and a driving position that will be comfortable for most people. There’s plenty of adjustment in the steering column and seat to help with that too.
The new S-Cross has a completely new infotainment system that is simply laid out. The built-in functions are logical and the navigation is better than on some much more expensive cars with wireless Apple Carplay/Android Auto as standard. Without the option of a wireless charger, you’ll need to plug in your mobile to keep it charged on longer journeys. To do this you get one USB-A port and one 12V port. The adaptive cruise control works well and the safety systems are easily turned off using physical buttons on or to the right of the steering wheel. Although there is speed limit recognition, it is not linked to the cruise control.
In the back there’s no extra air vents and no USB ports, which is quite a major omission in a family car in 2022. The boot is adequate, smaller than a Qashqai’s, and other than a movable boot floor and a 12V power port, has no special features like hooks or dividers.
With a kerb weight of 1.3 tonnes and 127bhp it gets from 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds. Mild-hybrid assistance lends some useful muscle in low ranges. Up to fourth gear, the S-Cross is quicker in-gear than the Nissan Qashqai, which has considerably more power, at 156bhp, but only a 12V mild-hybrid system.
The automatic hasn’t had any major overhaul and gets through the gears inoffensively and tends to keep the RPMs a touch too high for utmost cruising comfort, but that’s still preferable to a lot of modern autos’ tendency to shift early and make the engine bog down. There are shift paddles, but there’s little need for them. What is quite annoying is that the old-school lever, aside from being unpleasant to hold, is easy to accidentally knock into manual mode.
One of the S-Cross’s distinguishing features is the ‘Allgrip’ four-wheel drive. Suzuki is proud of the fact that it’s offering four-wheel drive with both manual and automatic gearboxes. The soft suspension brings with it some body roll for a modern car but that means it’s unperturbed by bumpy roads. Ultimately, it’s reasonably well damped and doesn’t get floaty, so it’s no real cause for complaint.
If you live in an area where snow and inclement weather is a real possibility in the winter and plan on using the S-Cross for light off-roading then the all-wheel-drive system offered can handle most simple tasks. There is a button on the centre console to switch between Sport and Automatic 4×4 modes, or to lock it in 4WD, but the difference between auto and Sport is minimal.
All versions come with 17in wheels and when picking up the pace the S-Cross glides along very serenely. There’s some wind and tyre noise at cruise on motorways but the S-Cross is fairly long-geared and cruises best at 2300rpm at 100 Kp/h in sixth gear.