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 chassis is, in effect, a lengthened version of its predecessor, 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 the SX4 S-Cross up to ride fairly softly and that’s a good thing on roads like ours but they’ve 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.
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 CVT auto gearbox too. Even the base SZ3 gets 16in 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 SZT trim featuring 17in 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.
This is a step up in ambition from its predecessor and brings it into competition with the Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008 and Hyundai ix35. Maybe not direct competition (because you can buy relatively well-equipped versions of the SX4 S-Cross for what these rivals charge for entry-level cars) but close enough for the Suzuki to really have to earn its corn on merit alone.
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 onto 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.