Suzuki S-Cross first drive by Steve Rogers
Living
in the shadow of a sibling isn’t easy so spare a thought for the Suzuki
S-Cross.
It
burst on to the scene when the Japanese company had a model shake up in 2014 and
was meant to take over from Vitara as top dog.
Trouble
was it didn’t bark loud enough and was the sort of car you walked past to get
to the Vitara. It was not an ugly car, not even a bad car, it just lacked pulling
power.
Seven
long years later Suzuki has put it right with a new model that will put a smile
on faces. Let’s not get carried away, S-Cross does not have the catwalk appeal
of a Peugeot 3008 or a Hyundai Tucson but bolder, sharper lines and bang up to
date LED headlight design means it is worthy of a kerbside glance.
It
has been a tough old year for Suzuki, not that they are alone, with a dip in
market share, some of it down to something as small as a semi conductor chip.
There weren’t enough to go round and cars will not go anywhere without them.
That
has been resolved and there will be plenty of S-Cross models in the showrooms
when they go on sale next week.
Can
S-Cross do better this time round? Sharper styling will make a difference but
the biggest selling point is value for money. Suzuki has made S-Cross difficult
to ignore by packing the Motion model with more kit than its key rivals. Auto
dipping LED headlamps, keyless entry, heated front seats, front and rear
parking sensors, smartphone connectivity and a heap of safety technology are
the stand out trimmings.
Move
up to Ultra and you gain all wheel drive, panoramic sunroof, nine inch
touchscreen with navigation, 360 degree view camera and leather seats.
S-Cross
is no bigger than before but Suzuki say better packing has freed up more cabin
space and while it is no class leader legroom is ample with a full complement
of adults.
Engine
choice is limited to the 1.4 litre Boosterjet which is Suzuki’s description for
a turbo charger, but don’t be put off because it loves big revs and has plenty
of punch helped by a 48V mild hybrid unit that masks turbo lag, improves
economy and lowers emissions.
Economy
is another big plus for the lightweight S-Cross with monthly fuel bill savings
for the front wheel drive manual ranging from £12 to £33 against nine
competitors according to Suzuki stats. It also wins on lowest engine emissions.
There
has to be a disappointment and with S-Cross it is the cabin trim. There is too
much hard plastic which brings down the tone but realistically costs have to be
cut somewhere and may be this is the least offensive area. Better that than
giving up heated seats?
Suzuki
is on a mission with S-Cross and has been boosted at being named top car brand
for trust by the Institute of Customer Services. The company was third out of
260 organisations with Dacia the next closest car manufacturer at 28.
It
helps the cause but it will be no easy ride given the level of competition. This
is a fresh start for S-Cross and with ruthless pricing is tremendous value for
money. The new Nissan Qashqai, featured earlier this month, is a nicer car to
drive and to be in, but it cost a whopping £38 grand and you would not get anywhere
near the same level of kit in a Qashqai costing the same as the 25k S-Cross
Motion.
My
choice on S-Cross would be the Motion because it has just about all that is
needed although I could be tempted by the excellent 360 degree camera in the
Ultra. Tough decisions all round.
Fast
facts
S-Cross
Ultra All Grip
6-speed
auto
£31,149
(£29,999 manual)
0-62mph
10.2secs; 121mph
46.3mpg
combined
139g/km.
1st VED £210
Insurance
group 22
Boot 430 litres
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