Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ5
- Our new Suzuki S-Cross is a bit of all white
- It's snow joke in the S-Cross
- Just enough room for a view
- Getting lost with the S-Cross
- The 4x4 sport tractor
- Suzuki stops before stopping
- What's all the beeping noise about
- Everything okay in the back?
- The Suzuki S-Cross Tardis
- Hold on hill hold
- Fingers S Crossed
- Suzuki S-Cross - the final verdict
Our new Suzuki S-Cross is a bit of all white
Matt's new arrival is a very white Suzuki SX-4 S-Cross. And straight from the off he's impressed by the new crossover.
Date: 29 January 2015 | Current mileage: 7742 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 58.8mpg
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross - to give it it's full and overly long name - is not the first name on many buyer's lists when they're thinking of a new family car. I was previously running a SEAT Leon ST, a car I really grew to admire, so replacing that with the S-Cross means it has a tough act to follow.
The S-Cross (like Suzuki I'll be dropping the SX4 part of the name) is a crossover in Nissan Qashqai territory and there's more than a hint of its Japanese rival in the styling. That said, the Suzuki has enough to make it stand out.
Our car is a top of the range SZ5 model powered by the 1.6-litre DDiS diesel engine. It also comes with Allgrip - the Suzuki name for its four-wheel drive system. This costs an extra £1800 over the standard two-wheel drive which pushes the price of our car up to £23,549. That's quite hefty given the headline 'start at' price for the S-Cross is just £13,999, although our car is the most expensive model in the entire range.
Given Suzuki has a strong background in 4x4s and a good reputation for genuine off road ability, the S-Cross should be good in this area. At first glance it has quite striking features and this is supported by an angular front with large HID projector lamps and LED daytime running lights.
It's all in the name. Or too many names in this case.
Our car comes with Cool White metallic paint - a £430 extra - but aside from that there are no other options or accessories. There are two standard colours - white and red - but the metallic white looks a lot better in my opinion. Finishing it off are 17-inch alloys.
Given the miles I do, the 1.6 DDiS seemed the best choice, especially with its official fuel economy of claimed mpg of 64.2mpg. Emissions are just 114g/km which means cheap tax at just £30 a year and nothing in the first year.
The interior is fully kitted out with leather seats, a full entertainment system, cruise control and a sliding panoramic roof. It also has Bluetooth and DAB radio along with navigation. The load space seems good but I'll get to test this thoroughly in the coming weeks. After the Leon ST I'm looking forward to the higher driving position and extra practicality of a crossover.
I'm impressed so far and the S-Cross looks good on paper. My first impressions are equally as positive thanks to its comfortable ride and strong diesel engine. I'm looking forward to putting some miles on and getting to grips with the Suzuki over the next six months.
It's snow joke in the S-Cross
As the snow starts to fall, Matt has been able to test out the Allgrip four-wheel drive system in the S-Cross. And it's proved incredibly impressive.
Date: 12 February 2015 | Current mileage: 9974 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 49.6mpg
Since the last update, I’ve driven just over 1000 miles in the last two weeks in the Suzuki and given that there's been a little bit of snow I’ve managed to try out the Allgrip system and its different 4WD options.
Just behind the gearshift is the Allgrip selector which, with the simple twist of the knob gives you four simple options - Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. Seeing as the road was completely covered in snow I went for the Snow option. To my immediate surprise absolutely nothing felt any different to when I was in Auto mode without snow.
Now that may sound disappointing, but actually it's really very good. You see, the 4WD is working in combination with subtle accelerator and steering responses to give me maximum grip on the snowy road. As it's working so well, it feels like i’m driving on a normal surface.
As a quick test, I put the S-Cross in Auto mode and sure enough the car was pretty much non responsive to anything I was doing. Instead it was sliding everywhere and basically it was quite dangerous.
The various Allgrip settings are displayed in the instrument cluster
In fact, the Allgrip is like having a 'no snow' button. Press it and the car behaves like there's no snow at all. Obviously you still need to drive with caution, but the difference in traction is immediate as soon as you dial in the snow setting.
In terms of the other settings, Auto effectively places you in 2WD by default which maximises the fuel economy for everyday driving. Sport puts you in 4WD by default but applies up to 20 per cent extra torque to the rear wheels and a noticeable 500rpm engine speed increase. Finally there's Lock which again defaults to 4WD but places slightly more torque to the rear wheels. It's designed for getting you out of thick mud or wet sand.
Putting winter tyres on the Suzuki would mean absolutely no problems in driving with confidence in snowy conditions. Obviously ice is a whole different ball game but the Snow option in a small family crossover like this is fantastic. In fact I can’t think of anything at this price that beats the Suzuki.
Then came a slight worry. On my return home, warning lights flashed up a problem with the front parking sensors, telling me to service the car. This has happened twice now while driving in falling snow. A quick look at the front of the car showed me that the number plate and sensors were both covered in snow. A quick wipe off and warning lights and alarms all seem to disappear.
Just enough room for a view
Matt is enjoying the Suzuki S-Cross but is finding the interior a bit of mixed bag when it comes to quality and functionality.
Date: 26 February 2015 | Current mileage: 10578 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 51.0mpg
I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the S-Cross recently, clocking up a fair few miles which has given me the chance to assess the interior in detail. It's a bit of a mixed bag really. On first glance the inside of the Suzuki appears pretty premium, but let's not forget that this is the top line SZ5 models. The leather seats fitted to our car aren't standard on the entry-level model.
I'm very pleased to have the leather seats. They're very comfortable, especially on long journeys plus the heated seats have twosettings, although I don't think I’ve ever found a heated seat in any car that is quite as hot as in the S-Cross.
The high setting is ridiculously hot, in fact you have to turn it off after a while to avoid wilting. Whereas the low setting is more akin to virtually every other cars hot setting. Now that's not a complaint, especially as there have been many days of cold weather.
The dash isn't as good. There's lots of plastic with a very scratchable trim while the central entertainment system does look aftermarket rather than one that's been designed specifically. That said, it's not a bad system but more on that in the next update. There's a reasonable amount of room in the front with a central armrest that has storage inside and stowage in the central tunnel for drinks and the like.
A not-that-huge boot full of shopping
Initially the driver information seemed very limited, however after much fiddling around I found that to alter the trip computer you need to press what I assumed for a long time was just the trip reset button. That seemed odd, but once found, all the relevant information such as range and fuel economy can be found. It's a little awkward to navigate though.
Room in the back is good for the kids, with leg and head height pretty generous plus there's a handy pull down centre arm rest with cup holders which is a godsend for those Fruitshoot bottles that tend to find themselves hidden for weeks under the seats.
There's also a huge panoramic sunroof - again not standard - but something the kids love, especially so over the last week where there's been good star spotting and cloud spotting. True it's a bit of a gimmick as you really don't get any benefit being the driver, but it does bring the outside in. adding to that airiness.
While the cabin is roomy, this space does come at a cost, namely the boot which really isn't up to scratch with the rest of the car. It's not bad but at 430 litres it lags behind what I'd expect. It equates to a big full weeks worth of shopping, which is fine but you'd expect more on a crossover this size.
Getting lost with the S-Cross
The navigation in our S-Cross is proving somewhat of a free spirit. A bit too free for Matt's liking...
Date: 12 March 2015 | Current mileage: 11377 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 52.1mpg
As I mentioned in my last update, the central entertainment system seems quite odd in appearance. A little aftermarket even. It doesn't seem to fit with the shape and styling of the dash. That said, it does do its job pretty well. It has a very simple layout with just one knob which controls the volume while the whole system is touch screen with zero latency or none that you’d significantly notice.
It comes with a USB input and Bluetooth connectivity for phone and music. There's also DAB radio and full navigation. A pretty comprehensive package. Selecting a destination is a breeze using postcode or address inputs while selecting a phone is pretty much automatic once you have initially set up Bluetooth. The car recognises your phone from there on. I have had one instance where it didn't recognise it and kept hunting for ages until half an hour later it finally decided it was in range and could connect.
The navigation is just as easy to use, although I have had quite a few occasions when the system has just decided to switch itself off. All you see is the Suzuki logo and then it turns itself back on, conveniently forgetting what destination you have set. Other than that, when it does work, it works pretty well.
That doesn't sound great but the switching off problem has only happened a few times. And that's when the phone has been used and the radio is on. However it was in a class of its own when recently driving past Reading on the M4. It decided to tell me that I had left the motorway and was currently driving through the field next to the M4...
You've gone again...
The M4 disappeared only to reappear two minutes later after the system turned itself off and then on again and resetting its destination. Fortunately the M4 is a big road and I could tell I was still on it by using the view through the windscreen. A slight navigation hiccup.
One other slight niggle for me is the range guide in the central cluster. It works seamlessly while there's diesel in the tank. Until the fuel light comes on and tells you that you need to refuel. This happens around the 35 to 40 miles remaining mark.
That's all fine until approximately a minute later the range simply displays nothing. Indicating that it has absolutely no idea how much distance you have left. Why it does this I don't know. Presumably to get you to immediately refuel.
I don’t want to sound harsh though. These are little niggles really but they are basic in nature which is quite frustrating as its these things that add up to make a good car a really great car. The Suzuki so far is really promising so these small niggles are really frustrating .
The 4x4 sport tractor
Matt is finding the S-Cross a superb all-rounder that even has a sport nature. But that doesn't stop it being noisy...
Date: 26 March 2015 | Current mileage: 12,323 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 50.9mpg
When the S-Cross arrived with us, it already had 8000 miles on the clock making this test pretty good if you're thinking of picking one up in the next year or so second hand. Admittedly it has been well looked after and the car came to me spotless, as if it just came off the production line.
It initially felt a little baggy in the steering but that's more down to the over assisted power steering. Given this is a family car, chucking the Suzuki into corners isn't ever going to feel like a Porsche 911. Instead the S-Cross is better at being a jack of all trades.
But theres no real trade off in terms of the way it drives. In fact i’m quite astonished at how good it is. I'd even go so far as to say I absolutely love it. The 1.6-litre diesel delivers enough grunt for it never to feel sluggish through the gears.
In fact in sport mode, it actually does deliver a true extra push. Suzuki claims an extra 10 per cent at the rear axle and the throttle responds immediately, making the car a little bit more nippy than driving around town.
Matt's enjoying the all round ability of the S-Cross
In the S-Cross Allgrip we have a car that has a higher driving position and can utilise true 4x4 grip in icy and snowy conditions if needed. Coupled with a sport selection which actually works, plenty of room inside and great visibility, it's a superb all rounder.
But by far the most impressive aspect is the comfort. I’ve travelled nearly 1000 miles since the last update and the car is unbelievably comfortable. Sitting with cruise control active on a motorway, it's an absolute pleasure and where the S-Cross comes into its own.
It really is three cars in one. It will get you from A to B in the snow without fail, it's sporty when you want it to be and it's a perfect mile cruncher with comfort. Even better the fuel economy seems to be holding up very well.
I have to say, I'm really quite surprised at how much I like the Suzuki. Anything similar I now get into struggles to match it. Given the option, without question I’d go for the Suzuki at this stage. But - and there's always something - the engine is on the noisy and agricultural side. On early mornings, I’m off as quick as I can before most of the neighbours wake up to look for the tractor idling on the driveway...
Suzuki stops before stopping
Automatic start/stop systems are now commonplace on new cars but some work better than other. Thankfully our S-Cross has one of the better ones.
Date: 9 April 2015 | Current mileage: 12635 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 51.3mpg
I made a bold claim in my last update about the car being more preferable to my previous SEAT Leon ST and I do stand by that. In fairness, they are are different types of car but they are both family vehicles aimed directly at the same market. So what else may have swung my decision towards the Suzuki?
Well, one huge thing, just like the SEAT and pretty much every car that comes off a production line nowadays, the Suzuki S-Cross Allgrip has a start/stop feature to conserve emissions and save fuel. However, the system on the S-Cross has a slight difference in that it's not annoying. Unlike most of them. In fact, after 3000 miles of driving I didn't realise it had it!
It was my biggest bugbear in the Leon. So much so that I had to turn it off as it was so annoying. The option to turn it off is there in the Suzuki, but there's just no need - it doesn't hinder in anyway. In fact it just seems to cut in during sensible times, not at every given opportunity in order to save every imperceptible gram of CO2 regardless of where you are.
Maybe I’ve got this all wrong, maybe it's just not that good a system and doesn't cut in enough to make a difference, but from a driving point of view I’d say it makes a huge difference. Fuel economy is holding up to its competitors in this sector, so for me and my wallet, it works.
The button for the automatic start/stop is hidden away
Strangely, sometimes it works too well. You can dip the clutch, pop the car into neutral, coast on the brake to a stop and the engine is already off. It seems a bit eager but it doesn't affect its starting in any manner and before you know it, you're off again.
Not once have I had a troublesome engine off event at a roundabout just at the moment you put your foot down to pull away. It's a very good system, so much so there's a button to deactivate it that you’ll never need to press.
Which brings me nicely to my standard not so good point. And that is where that button is situated. It's located with all the other important buttons, just where you can't see them down by your right knee. It makes it pretty much impossible to find without completely taking your eyes off the road.
You may rarely need to deactivate it, but the other buttons you will need to use. The switches are grouped together too which makes it all a bit confusing to find the right one. It seems somewhat badly thought out to me.
What's all the beeping noise about
The over sensitive parking sensors in the S-Cross are providing Matt with quite an unwanted sound track.
Date: 23 April 2015 | Current mileage: 13,992 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 52.4mpg
While the engine in the S-Cross may be on the rather agricultural side of things, inside the Suzuki things are very different. The sound proofing is actually very good and that chugaboom noise isn't so apparent. Only pedestrians get to enjoy the sounds of the farm as it's nice and quiet from the cabin.
The Suzuki decides to make up for the lack of engine noise by having the most annoying parking sensors I’ve ever come across. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for these and I find they’re only really necessary when reversing into or out of a very tight space.
Personally I thnk there's simply no need for sensors at the side and the front, especially when you can quite visibly see from the side and the front. Even worse, the sound is ridiculously loud and the sensors themselves are very over-sensitive.
So when pulling in and out of a wide driveway (that starts and ends your journey) the sensors immediately go off - never a good start to an early morning when your neighbours are already disgruntled at diesel noise at 6am. Maybe the sensors redress the balance here and ensure everyone gets woken up, including me.
The S-Cross has a reversing camera. So does it need sensors too?
On other occasions, for instance arriving at a junction or roundabout, the front sensors go off because, according to the sensors, I'm too close to the car in front. Only to then find that the car behind is also too close to the back of me.
Then there's the car that I pass (or passes me) so close that the side sensors decide to tell me that what I’m seeing with my own eyes. And lastly there's the traffic jam. That's when the sensors decide to have a field day with my ears .
Fortunately there is something you can do about this by switching the sensors off. And it's a godsend. That's not to say that they don’t have their use, the problem is every time you re-start the car, the sensors turn back on.
I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but I do know it's annoying. Couple that with the fact that the car has a great reversing camera which automatically comes on while reversing, seemingly makes the sensors almost redundant.
One more minus point is that the button for the sensors is in that group of buttons you just can’t see when driving, down by my right knee. It's generally a lottery as to whether the sensors, traction control or automatic start/stop button gets pressed. Still at least when the front headlights get a quick squirt of washer. you know you've pressed the wrong one.
Everything okay in the back?
Our S-Cross comes with a full length opening panoramic sunroof. Sounds great but it does mean it gets somewhat breezy in the back.
Date: 7 May 2015 | Current mileage: 14,110 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 52.4mpg
In the press blurb that comes with the Suzuki S-Cross there's quite a bit of talk about how the car has been designed and sculpted for its sporty looks in a wind tunnel. Obviously there is somewhat of a trade off between form and function because if all cars were totally designed with air flow performance in mind, the everyday family hatchback - or in this case crossover - would look very much like Bloodhound SSC.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like the look of the car. Maybe the headlights are a touch on the large size but overall I think it does look pretty good, in part because it has a sporty body kit and alloy wheels but also it is quite nicely shaped and proportioned.
Others in this segment such as the Qashqai have had a facelift and while the S-Cross doesn't stand out from the crowd as much, it is nicely designed nonetheless.
There is a trade off though and unfortunately this brings me full circle back to sound. There does seem to be quite a lot of wind noise when driving on the motorway. At lower speeds the engine more than drowns this out. It's not mich of a problem but there is another issue and that's the panoramic glass sunroof.
With the roof open, the parcel shelf has a tendency to flip up...
Luckily, spring has finally arrived and that's given me a chance to try out the huge glass roof which folds nicely back at the flick of a switch, halfway down the length of the car. It works very well but there is a problem - a wind problem.
It's been quite perfectly designed to not add any noise at all with the roof open, not even any buffeting, so in the front you have all the benefits of open top driving. You’d expect that to carry on in the back considering the roof has been heralded as a first for its size. However, the experience in the back judging from our kids screams of "shut the roof" says to me that the experience isn’t as consistent as you’d think.
And judging by their hairstyles resembling 1980’s rock group Bon Jovi after a short five minute stint with the roof open, I can only surmise that its quite windy in the back. Not a problem you say if you're travelling on your own?
Well that's what I thought until I had to stop and remove the parcel shelf which decided to flip up and completely block my rear view by covering the rear window. Being on the M25 didn't help matters either.
The Suzuki S-Cross Tardis
The S-Cross may be a compact crossover but it has acres of space in the back making it great for the kids.
Date: 21 May 2015 | Current mileage: 15,260 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 52.9mpg
In my last update, I talked about the gale force wind created by the full length sunroof. I have to say, the kids actually do ask for the roof to be open all the time, so it can't be all that bad. One minute it's hilarious to be blown about, the next it's a bad hair day.
This leads me nicely onto a huge surprise. Not being able to take the kids word for it, I had to try out the sunroof myself and jump into the backseats. This is where the surprise is. Normally, most car reviews will rate a model on economy, performance, handling, practicality and space.
It seems that the more of everything the better, with manufacturers claiming nanometer increments in leg space over competition, The objective seems to be designing Tardis-like proportions to obtain the next family hatchback car of the year award.
Only a Porsche 911 seems to buck this trend by having absolutely no legroom or bootspace and still somehow coming up trumps with five stars. I'm not comparing the S-Cross to a 911 in any way, but it is actually a Tardis and should deserves a five star rating for its design and use of space. The room in the back is significantly noticeable.
Too many Matts? Matt can happily sit behind himself in the S-Cross
Now when I ask the children if everything is alright in the back, generally I get a grunt or mostly just ignored due to headphones and loud music. I put it to the test yesterday and asked if they had enough space in the back, to which both of them responded that there was loads. Praise indeed!
This head room may not be amazing, but the legroom certainly is. So what's it like sitting behind yourself? I’m six feet tall and sitting behind my own driving position there is easily enough room for me to sit in comfort. So what's the trade off? Well the boot isn't huge, although it's big enough for my needs.
As a photographer I have to carry a large amount of equipment around including tripods, lights and even a step ladder. I’ve never had a problem fitting all that equipment in. In fact, with the seats folded down, I have plenty of room to play with.
So what's more important in a family crossover - space for luggage or space for people? Suzuki’s answer to this would clearly be the latter and I have to admit they've got it spot on with the S-Cross.
Hold on hill hold
The S-Cross comes with a useful hill hold assist which Matt is finding very handy when he's having to go up a hill climb...
Date: 4 June 2015 | Current mileage: 17,768 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 53.3mpg
I've driven lots of miles since my last update. And again I have to say this car is really putting a smile on my face. There have been quite a few times, mostly on the motorway, when I've just blurted out "how good is this car?"
It's not a question, more of a statement . It really does drive so well. Yes it has its weaknesses, but the driving experience and no frills 'get in and get on with it' attitude make this a proper day to day runaround and one I think I will sorely miss at the end of our time with it.
What's taken me by surprise this week is something quite unexpected which, after five months, I never knew existed. The handbrake. It's not the fact that there is one - well actually it is - and it's the fact that it's not an electronic one Virtually every new car seems to have a fiddly electronic handbrake. Call me old fashioned, but I like a manual handbrake when you actually know if it's on or off.
It's intuitive and it's how I've driven since passing my test 25 years ago. In fact I remember it being part of the hill start on my test. There's no thought process with a manual handbrake, whereas I find myself constantly re-educating myself on every car that's either push or pull , light on or light off, etc.
The S-Cross has a proper handbrake but also gets a hill hold function
What took me by surprise is that the S-Cross has a hill hold function despite having a manual handbrake. There's no button, it just knows you're going to roll back and holds the car. There's no need for clutch control - you just release the handbrake and you remain where you are until you want to pull away.
So what better place to test it than Shelsley Walsh historic hill climb. Now admittedly I wasn't there to race up the hill in the Suzuki, but to be fair it wouldn't be sluggish in sport mode. Of course it's nowhere near as quick as the Audi RS3 Sportback I was taking photos of.
In places, the hill climb is very stee, far steeper than you realise in fact. Every time I stopped to take a look at a corner before the event, I automatically returned to the car and had that wonderful moment when the hill hold would cut in on every steep hill start. There's no thinking about it or selecting buttons, just handbrake off and the hill hold automatically cuts in.
It's a handy piece of engineering with no frills and no need for a ridiculous array of head scratching buttons to keep you mildly confused. I'm betting quite a few people years ago may well have failed their driving test on rolling back after releasing a handbrake. Not in this car you wouldn't. It's just a little thing taken care for you by Suzuki and as I keep saying, it's the little things that all add up to make a good car a great car.
Fingers S Crossed
Our S-Cross has proved problem-free during its time with us and has covered plenty of miles before needing an oil change.
Date: 18 June 2015 | Current mileage: 18,885 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 51.8mpg
It's pretty clear that the S-Cross is growing on me. I have to say that it's not absolutely clear why as there are things, little niggling things, that could be improved. But no car is perfect. If there was such a thing, Porsche would've just hung up its engineering boots years ago and would be smoking a pipe by now.
So what's wrong with this car? I mentioned the switches by my right knee that can't be clearly seen. It's a small thing that just needs tweaking, but I can easily live with it because on a day to day basis they're not needed. That's the key to this car - Suzuki has spent time on getting what's important right.
It's a bit like watching a BBC drama seamless in its editing. You never notice it because you're used to great editing. But if you watch a YouTube video you'll immediately notice all the amateurish cuts. You only notice something when it goes wrong.
We're a little spoilt and that's actually how I'd sum up this car. Everything was going so well and I was getting ready for six months of incident free driving, fingers S Crossed. But then the Suzuki had other ideas.
The S-Cross was overdue an oil change
A warning light came on, flashing like an indicator, constantly reminding me that all wasn't as it seemed. In fact it's so insistent that you have to keep pressing the trip computer button to remove it. The problem? The Suzuki needs an oil change.
There's nothing untoward here, the warning is just so huge that you can't ignore it. Diesel cars run at such high tolerances that anything that might upset it inevitably will. In this case, the oil's mileage life was up to its maximum and as any mechanic will tell you, with these diesels prevention is better and far cheaper than cure, so those warning lights are well justified.
So next morning, I contacted Suzuki in Letchworth and was booked in at 8am that morning. A couple of hours later and all was sorted with an oil change and filter while the car was also washed and cleaned. They also discovered a slow puncture on the offside front wheel.
The servicing was flawless and at every step the servicing department kept me up to speed on what was happening. Add that to the characteristics of the car and actually you can pretty much guess that I've been impressed with the S-Cross over the last six months.
Suzuki S-Cross - the final verdict
Our six months with Suzuki's new crossover is up, so what's the final verdict from Matt on the S-Cross?
Date: 2 July 2015 | Current mileage: 21,112 | Claimed economy: 64.2mpg | Actual economy: 51.1mpg
My time is up in the Suzuki S-Cross after six months of motoring and just over 14,000 miles. I’ve also managed to drive the Suzuki in pretty much all conditions from snow to the hottest day ever recorded in July in the UK. And it's been on every type of road from the motorway to Welsh B-roads. It's even been off-road, on a race circuits and up a hill climb.
The S-Cross really is a proper all-rounder with its Allgrip capability. Let's face it, you probably will never take it off-road, but the Allgrip snow setting really does make a difference in snow. Couple that with winter tyres and you've got a winning combination in terms of grip. Sport mode makes a massive difference in performance and the huge panoramic fold back sunroof adds that desired open-top feel for hot days.
One thing i’ve not really touched on is the economy. I’ve been meticulously recording this since receiving the car and my real world figure recorded for the six months is 51.1mpg. Not bad but some way off the claimed 64.2mpg. Judging by the average in Real MPG, my figures are close to what others are seeing.
Given that I’ve only had the car for half a year and given the distance I’ve covered, I was going to write a list of pros and cons, but it really wouldn't do this test any justice simply because the list of cons is so small and the pros are pretty extensive.
We're saying a sad goodbye to the impressive S-Cross
The SX4 S-Cross really is a gem of a car simply because it does everything you want. It's economical, quick when you want it to be, spacious - especially in the back - and extremely comfortable. It also grips in snow, brilliant on the motorway and is very well priced.
Would I buy one? Well if I was in the market to buy a car today, I would absolutely. At the start of this test I said that anything I drive after the SEAT Leon ST would have to be pretty good. Well the Suzuki is a very different experience, so it's maybe unfair to compare, but at similar price points and the fact that they are both family cars, I would have the Suzuki any day.
My only real complaint was the navigation. As good as it actually is, it kept switching off at the moment you really needed it. It’s one of those things you learn to live with but is annoying. Overall though, there are few negatives, the whole sum of the parts gives you an overwhelming sense of knowing you're in something pretty good.
So two days ago I reluctantly drove the S-Cross back to Suzuki HQ to return the car and collect something else. That something turned out to be a new Vitara - another crossover that is getting positive praise. I can't say much, but I will say from my experience Suzuki seems to be making some pretty good cars right now.
