The oily bits are fairly straightforward. Buyers get to choose between either a 1.6-litre petrol engine or a much preferable Fiat-sourced 118bhp 1.6 diesel, both being offered in front or four-wheel drive guises.
The petrol engine is fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with an optional CVT transmission also offered. Go diesel and you get a six-speed manual box.
The S-Cross’s chassis is, in effect, a lengthened version of its predecessor’s, with another 100mm grafted into the wheelbase and another 70mm added to the overhangs, so off-road ability – for what it’s worth – shouldn’t suffer unduly from this increase in size.
Suzuki has set up the SX4 S-Cross to ride fairly softly and that’s a good thing on roads like ours. They have also managed to include a respectable amount of roll stiffness, which means you won’t encounter lurching when cornering.
The four-wheel-drive transmission features an electronically controlled clutch pack, operated by a four-position switch on the centre console. Choose Auto and it’ll stick to driving the front wheels unless slip is detected, whereupon the rear wheels are pressed into action. Sport diverts up to 20% of torque to the rear wheels to give livelier handling.
Snow offers permanent four-wheel-drive, with the system choosing how much torque to split front and rear, while Lock splits the torque equally between front and rear.
By increasing the size, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross comes within a few millimetres of the Nissan Qashqai and clever packaging inside has made it feel just as spacious.
How else do you explain how the S-Cross almost doubles the luggage capacity of the old SX4 and increases rear seat legroom, while adding just 165mm to the overall length?
There’s also more headroom front and rear and better shoulder width in the back, although seating three adults would still be a pinch.
The interior feels well screwed together, although some of the materials are a bit scratchy. It’s an inoffensive but not unpleasant piece of design.
The 430-litre boot compares well with its key rivals and the false boot floor ensures a totally flat load bay when the rear seats are folded. The twin sunroofs rob a few centimetres of headroom though.
The exterior styling is pure cardboard cutout crossover insofar as it sticks to the established template with very few surprises. The sharply rising waistline, big headlights and chunky C-pillars are nicely executed but there’s little about the exterior of the SX4 S-Cross that will grab your attention.
Prices sit in the £15,000 to £24,000 bracket, with diesel models starting at around £17,000. There’s a choice of five trim levels – SZ3, SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5. The Allgrip 4WD system is only available on the top version for a premium of around £1,800.
You’ll need an SZ5-spec model to opt for the CV auto gearbox too. Even the base SZ3 gets 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, cruise control, front and rear electric windows, heated door mirrors and a USB socket.
There’s also a model designed to target the fleet market, the SZ-T trim featuring 17-inch wheels, silver roof rails, skid plates, satellite navigation, dual-zone air con, DAB radio, plus a keyless entry and start system.
The range-topping SZ5 gets high-intensity-discharge headlamps, leather upholstery and a huge twin-panel sunroof. Most customers will choose the DDiS diesel engine and rightly so. It’s better to drive and gets strong economy.
Suzuki quotes a figure of 67.2mpg for the front-wheel drive version, which is on a par with the less powerful Skoda Yeti GreenLine. Go four-wheel-drive and you’re looking at 64.2mpg. Emissions are well in check with the front-wheel drive diesel recording 110g/km and the four-wheel-drive version 114g/km.
Choose a petrol-engined model and these numbers range from 125 to 135g/km, while combined-cycle fuel consumption varies between 47.8 and 51.3mpg, depending on your choice between two or four-wheel-drive and manual or CVT auto transmission.
The old SX4’s residual values were a particular strong point, perhaps owing to its rather niche appeal. This latest car will be doing very well to match its retained value of 46% after three years.
Perhaps the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is a tacit admission that the previous-generation SX4 was a bit lightweight for the task in hand, but in supersizing the SX4, Suzuki now has a far more competitive vehicle on its books.
The problem is that the vehicles it’s now competing with are formidable and have bigger dealer networks to back them up.
The S-Cross is priced keenly, is well equipped, features very low emissions, offers plenty of space inside and is attractively, if a little anonymously, styled.
In all likelihood, it won’t outsell cars like the Nissan Qashqai and the Hyundai ix35.
That said, it’ll certainly do a lot better than its predecessor and makes an interesting alternative to the established faces. Suzuki doesn’t have the marketing budget to really propel this car on to the podium of top sellers but, judged purely in terms of merit, it’s there or thereabouts and cheaper to boot. You can’t ask much more than that of it.
Model: Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
Price: From £15,000 to £24,000
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol engine or 118bhp 1.6 diesel
Performance: 0-62mph in 11 seconds; top speed, 111mph.
Economy: 67.2mpg (diesel, front wheel drive version); 64.2mpg (diesel, four-wheel-drive); petrol, 47.8-51.3mpg
COrating: 110g/km (diesel/front-wheel drive); 114g/km (diesel, four-wheel-drive); petrol, 125-135g/km.