Suzuki SX4 S-Cross Review, Auto Express
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross review
Possessor reviews
Suzuki knew its SX4 S-Cross wasn’t the most memorable car in an utterly competitive crossover sector, and the two thousand sixteen facelift aimed to address that. The more muscular SUV styling and chrome grille will divide opinion, but the rest of the car is an improvement on what was already a good value package.
The S-Cross’ relative lightness benefits it on the road, meaning it feels agile and responsive, while improvements to the suspension soften the rail. The engines provide peppy spectacle and decent efficiency – the fresh 1.0-litre turbo petrol being a particularly strong suggesting. Refinement still isn’t a strength, however, and despite improvements, the interior could be more solid and plush. At least there’s no shortage of space and equipment on suggest.
Given that it’s considerably cheaper to buy than a Nissan Qashqai, it’s effortless to overlook the Suzuki S-Cross’ foibles and appreciate how much car you get for your money.
Suzuki’s SX4 S-Cross has been around since 2013, and since then the crossover and SUV market has grown exponentially. Almost every mainstream manufacturer is now fielding a competitor in the segment, and even Suzuki itself now has the slightly smaller Vitara on its books.
It all meant that the S-Cross was getting left behind but a substantial facelift for the two thousand sixteen model year aimed to bring the car back into the limelight. Suzuki worked to improve the old car’s anonymous hatchback-like looks and give it more of an SUV stance with a bold fresh front end. It also sits 15mm higher off the ground than before. The plan is to help it challenge with pricier crossovers such as the Nissan Qashqai, Honda HR-V, Renault Kadjar and Vauxhall Mokka X.
There are improved cabin materials and a fresh infotainment system, plus fresh features like a reclining seat backrest in the rear. The old 1.6-litre petrol engine was ditched in favour of two turbocharged units found elsewhere in the Suzuki range; a 1.0-litre three cylinder and a 1.4-litre four cylinder. The 1.6-litre diesel remained untouched and the S-Cross can still be had with either front-wheel drive or Suzuki’s ALLGRIP selectable four-wheel drive system.
There are three trim levels on the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. Entry-level SZ-4 spec is only available with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and comes in at under £15,000. Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloys, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, electrified heated mirrors and air-con.
Stir up to SZ-T spec and you can choose from all three engines, while standard kit includes 17-inch alloys, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors with a reversing caper, dual-zone climate control, auto lights and wipers, keyless entry and an upgraded stereo system.
Top-of-the-line SZ5 is only available on the 1.4-litre petrol or the diesel, and comes with equipment such as leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof and heated front seats.
Engines, spectacle and drive
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is competent rather than arousing on the road, but the same goes for most cars in this class. It’s actually fairly a acute drive by crossover standards – like its smaller Vitara sibling, it’s been set up to treat like a regular hatchback rather than an SUV.
The main reason for the outstanding dynamic abilities of the S-Cross is that it’s considerably lighter than most competitors – it weighs as little as 1,160kg, which is slightly more than most superminis. As a result, it feels agile and light on its feet, helped by steering which is accurate and has good weighting to it. It’s grippy and effortless to place on the road with slick controls, albeit you can notice bod roll at speed. A Mazda CX-3 is more composed, but the Suzuki is still a pretty good drive. The lightness also means that the engines uncommonly fight to shift it.
Before the two thousand sixteen updates, that good treating came at the expense of the rail quality, which was unsettled and rigid. For the facelift, Suzuki not only raised the rail height by 15mm but also revised the suspension settings to improve stability and convenience. It’s less bumpy as a result, albeit acute potholes and low speed ruts still unsettle it more than the best in this class. Road and wind noise are noticeable at high speed too.
Suzuki’s ALLGRIP selectable four-wheel drive system is available with both petrol and diesel variants. That’s a fatter range of choice than most rivals, which tend to get four-wheel drive only with the flagship diesel models. The system works very well on muddy tracks, and the extra ground clearance helps, but the system asks for a puny spectacle and weight penalty.
Engines
The most significant addition to the latest Suzuki S-Cross is found under the bonnet. Previously, the only petrol engine choice was a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre unit, producing 118bhp and just 156Nm of torque. It felt gutless at low revs, needing to be worked hard to get the best out of it and refinement suffered as a result.
Now, tho’, the entry-level petrol is Suzuki’s peppy fresh 1.0-litre ‘Boosterjet’ three-cylinder unit. It’s got marginally less power but more torque available far lower down the rev range, meaning it feels sprightly right from the off. 0-62mph takes eleven seconds, but it feels quicker than that, and as you drive you’re accompanied by a tuneful three-cylinder engine note. It’s considerably more efficient than the old engine, too. The only downside is that you’re stuck with a five-speed manual gearbox.
The other petrol choice is a turbocharged 1.4-litre unit, mated exclusively to the ALLGRIP four-wheel drive system. Producing 138bhp and 220Nm of torque, it feels pretty brisk in a car as light as the S-Cross. Not only is it very strong, but it’s also sleek, revving out keenly and calmly. A sixth gear for the manual model aids cruising economy and makes it more refined at speed, while a six-speed automatic gearbox is also available. We’d say either of the fresh petrols are the ones to pick depending on how much spectacle you need.
That’s not to say the diesel is bad in any way. It’s the same 1.6-litre unit as the old car, producing 118bhp and 320Nm of torque. It’s loosening to drive and fairly quick, with a six-speed manual gearbox to make motorway driving more civilised. It’s not the quietest unit around, however. Suzuki dropped the option of the dual-clutch automatic gearbox from the S-Cross due to slow sales.
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross Review, Auto Express
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross review
Possessor reviews
Suzuki knew its SX4 S-Cross wasn’t the most memorable car in an enormously competitive crossover sector, and the two thousand sixteen facelift aimed to address that. The more muscular SUV styling and chrome grille will divide opinion, but the rest of the car is an improvement on what was already a good value package.
The S-Cross’ relative lightness benefits it on the road, meaning it feels agile and responsive, while improvements to the suspension soften the rail. The engines provide peppy spectacle and decent efficiency – the fresh 1.0-litre turbo petrol being a particularly strong suggesting. Refinement still isn’t a strength, however, and despite improvements, the interior could be more solid and plush. At least there’s no shortage of space and equipment on suggest.
Given that it’s considerably cheaper to buy than a Nissan Qashqai, it’s effortless to overlook the Suzuki S-Cross’ foibles and appreciate how much car you get for your money.
Suzuki’s SX4 S-Cross has been around since 2013, and since then the crossover and SUV market has grown exponentially. Almost every mainstream manufacturer is now fielding a competitor in the segment, and even Suzuki itself now has the slightly smaller Vitara on its books.
It all meant that the S-Cross was getting left behind but a substantial facelift for the two thousand sixteen model year aimed to bring the car back into the limelight. Suzuki worked to improve the old car’s anonymous hatchback-like looks and give it more of an SUV stance with a bold fresh front end. It also sits 15mm higher off the ground than before. The plan is to help it contest with pricier crossovers such as the Nissan Qashqai, Honda HR-V, Renault Kadjar and Vauxhall Mokka X.
There are improved cabin materials and a fresh infotainment system, plus fresh features like a reclining seat backrest in the rear. The old 1.6-litre petrol engine was ditched in favour of two turbocharged units found elsewhere in the Suzuki range; a 1.0-litre three cylinder and a 1.4-litre four cylinder. The 1.6-litre diesel remained untouched and the S-Cross can still be had with either front-wheel drive or Suzuki’s ALLGRIP selectable four-wheel drive system.
There are three trim levels on the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. Entry-level SZ-4 spec is only available with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and comes in at under £15,000. Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloys, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, electrified heated mirrors and air-con.
Budge up to SZ-T spec and you can choose from all three engines, while standard kit includes 17-inch alloys, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors with a reversing caper, dual-zone climate control, auto lights and wipers, keyless entry and an upgraded stereo system.
Top-of-the-line SZ5 is only available on the 1.4-litre petrol or the diesel, and comes with equipment such as leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof and heated front seats.
Engines, spectacle and drive
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is competent rather than arousing on the road, but the same goes for most cars in this class. It’s actually fairly a acute drive by crossover standards – like its smaller Vitara sibling, it’s been set up to treat like a regular hatchback rather than an SUV.
The main reason for the astounding dynamic abilities of the S-Cross is that it’s considerably lighter than most competitors – it weighs as little as 1,160kg, which is slightly more than most superminis. As a result, it feels agile and light on its feet, helped by steering which is accurate and has good weighting to it. It’s grippy and effortless to place on the road with slick controls, albeit you can notice assets roll at speed. A Mazda CX-3 is more composed, but the Suzuki is still a pretty good drive. The lightness also means that the engines uncommonly fight to shift it.
Before the two thousand sixteen updates, that good treating came at the expense of the rail quality, which was unsettled and rigid. For the facelift, Suzuki not only raised the rail height by 15mm but also revised the suspension settings to improve stability and convenience. It’s less bumpy as a result, albeit acute potholes and low speed ruts still unsettle it more than the best in this class. Road and wind noise are noticeable at high speed too.
Suzuki’s ALLGRIP selectable four-wheel drive system is available with both petrol and diesel variants. That’s a thicker range of choice than most rivals, which tend to get four-wheel drive only with the flagship diesel models. The system works very well on muddy tracks, and the extra ground clearance helps, but the system asks for a petite spectacle and weight penalty.
Engines
The most significant addition to the latest Suzuki S-Cross is found under the bonnet. Previously, the only petrol engine choice was a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre unit, producing 118bhp and just 156Nm of torque. It felt gutless at low revs, needing to be worked hard to get the best out of it and refinement suffered as a result.
Now, tho’, the entry-level petrol is Suzuki’s peppy fresh 1.0-litre ‘Boosterjet’ three-cylinder unit. It’s got marginally less power but more torque available far lower down the rev range, meaning it feels sprightly right from the off. 0-62mph takes eleven seconds, but it feels quicker than that, and as you drive you’re accompanied by a tuneful three-cylinder engine note. It’s considerably more efficient than the old engine, too. The only downside is that you’re stuck with a five-speed manual gearbox.
The other petrol choice is a turbocharged 1.4-litre unit, mated exclusively to the ALLGRIP four-wheel drive system. Producing 138bhp and 220Nm of torque, it feels pretty brisk in a car as light as the S-Cross. Not only is it very strong, but it’s also slick, revving out keenly and calmly. A sixth gear for the manual model aids cruising economy and makes it more refined at speed, while a six-speed automatic gearbox is also available. We’d say either of the fresh petrols are the ones to pick depending on how much spectacle you need.
That’s not to say the diesel is bad in any way. It’s the same 1.6-litre unit as the old car, producing 118bhp and 320Nm of torque. It’s relieving to drive and fairly quick, with a six-speed manual gearbox to make motorway driving more civilised. It’s not the quietest unit around, however. Suzuki dropped the option of the dual-clutch automatic gearbox from the S-Cross due to slow sales.
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