Refreshed Suzuki S-Cross a capable city-runner
The Suzuki S-Cross has been given a comprehensive update, ditching the somewhat polarising curvy styling that the company itself admitted was a bit of a misfire in favour of a more mature, square-off design. But there’s more to a refresh than just the looks...
OUTSIDE
... so let’s start with the looks. The front gets a higher front and rear design with an upright grille, new horizontally oriented lights (LEDs at both ends), a chrome style bar across the front, and thick black cladding around the wheel arches. There are low corner-mounted fog-lights as well.
The rear features a silver ‘bash plate’, taillights made up of horizontally-aligned segmented light units, and a small rear spoiler.
Comparing it to the old model, Suzuki has really improved the S-Cross, particularly at the front. The old bubbly headlights look a little off, while the silver vertical slats looked a little Jeepish... The new one is nicely improved.
As for dimensions, the S-Cross is slightly larger than the Vitara with which it shares a platform. The new kid measures 4300mm long, 1785mm wide and 1585mm tall compared to the 4175mm/ 1775mm/1610mm Vitara. It also gets a longer 2600mm wheelbase versus 2500mm.
INSIDE
Inside is a new nine-inch infotainment screen on JLX models (the lower-spec JX gets a
seven-inch unit) with wired Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, voice recognition and sat nav. JLX models also get a 360-degree camera in a first for Suzuki, while both models get automatic headlights/wipers and keyless entry.
That 360-degree camera is a nice addition even if it’s a bit lowres, possibly making the S-Cross the cheapest vehicle to offer the technology, and helps a lot with getting into tighter parking spaces.
Behind the wheel are two analogue gauges with a small digital readout nestled between, which is kind of refreshing, but doesn’t go very far in pushing Suzuki’s interior forward.
It’s spacious though with 440 litres of boot space and a dualheight boot floor able to offer either flat loading or up to 1230L of storage with the rear seats folded.
This is the AWD model too, so it
gets a drive mode selector for Suzuki’s AllGrip system, offering Auto, Sport and Snow modes.
UNDER THE BONNET
Every S-Cross now gets the 1.4-litre BoosterJet turbo-four, which is a great little engine. It doesn’t bring a Clean Car Programme fee, offers reasonable power with plenty of low-down torque, and pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission.
It’s not the most frugal of engines, particularly when compared to the latest Volkswagen Group offerings (sitting close to 8L/100km in my testing), and it requires 95 octane fuel, but you don’t need to wring its neck to get up to speed, unlike the older naturally aspirated engines.
Europeans have the option of a mild-hybrid powerplant, but that isn’t available here yet. Suzuki hasn’t ruled it out, but the issue of price is likely preventing a launch in the near future. Maybe next year.
ON THE ROAD
Generally, things are good. The torsion-beam rear end does a good job in keeping the ride quality at a respectable level, while MacPherson struts up front round out the package nicely. It’s quiet, too.
The steering is a bit light, making the front end feel a bit numb and vague, but is good for navigating the city. Not that you’re really going to be pushing the boundaries of speed and performance, as while the engine is great for urban driving, 104kW of peak power and the old-school six-speed transmission means the new S-Cross is happiest ticking over motorway miles.
Suzuki’s AllGrip system defaults in Auto mode, which aims for fuel economy above all else, while Sports sharpens engine response, sends more power rearward and holds gears for longer. Auto does a great job for the most part, divvying power nicely between the axles for plenty of grip even in the soaking wet. The system is worth paying the premium for, I’d say.
More updates come in the safety area, with the S-Cross now getting radar and camera gubbins for adaptive cruise that can bring you to a stop (although it does disengage after a moment, which is annoying), better collision avoidance systems with blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure.
You can turn most of it off fairly easily, which can be nice for things like the lane departure system.
VERDICT
For a hair over $40k, the S-Cross JLX AWD is a good prospect, especially if you already have a penchant for Suzuki’s way of doing things. It’s vastly improved over last-gen, and makes a great case for itself against the established Vitara. Paying extra for the all-wheel drive system is worth it too, although the FWD S-Cross should remain an option.
However, it’s not without external competition. There’s the $38,990 Skoda Kamiq Scoutline (cheaper plus eligible for an additional rebate, but has less power and is only FWD), the new $41,990 Toyota Corolla Cross GX Hybrid (eligible for rebate, hybrid, FWD) or the very sharp $39,990 Hyundai Kona 1.6T AWD (no rebate, AWD, more power).
● Base price: $40,990 (RightCar estimated Clean Car Programme fee/rebate: zero band)
●
1.4-litre turbocharged inline-four, 103kW/220Nm, six-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 6.9 L/100km, CO2 161g/km (source: RightCar)
● Vital statistics: 4300mm long, 1785mm wide, 1585mm high, 2600mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 440 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.
● Safety: Not tested
● We like: Looks far better, turbo engine across the range, good fuel consumption
● We don’t like: No hybrid model, sluggish transmission, interior could be better.