Suzuki SX4 S-Cross (2013 – 2021) Review

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross began life as a simple rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke or Renault Captur. A mid-life facelift did nothing for the looks or its sales prospects, but it’s a sound used buy if all you want is a reliable small SUV. However, a Dacia Duster is more appealing, as is the much better Skoda Yeti. Read on for our full Suzuki SX4 S-Cross review.

Squint at the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross and you’ll see a few similarities to the Nissan Qashqai.

That’s not a huge surprise – the Nissan is a best-seller and it was the benchmark against which the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross was measured.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross delivers the same sort of SUV package as the Nissan Qashqai or Nissan Juke but came with lower list prices.

The neat styling gives it a silhouette that looks like a halfway house between a regular hatchback and a chunky SUV. However, a facelift in 2016 brought with it a rather ungainly front end that put off more buyers than it attracted.

The cabin is practical and comes with all the creature comforts you’re likely to need, but plastics are a little on the hard side. That said, soft-touch materials make an appearance on the dash – a welcome step up for Suzuki.

Unfortunately rear headroom isn’t great, but for children it should be fine. All models are well equipped – even the entry-level SZ3 gets alloy wheels, air-conditioning, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring and daytime running lights.

Engines comprised a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.6-litre diesel to begin with – both of which produce 120PS. The petrol was replaced by 1.0- and 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo petrols in 2016 – they are the best engines, but you are saddled with the less attractive facelifted model as a used buy.

The Suzuki’s weight means the steering feels more direct and the ride isn’t quite as bouncy with these lighter petrol units.

If you want an automatic transmission, then you’ll have to take the petrol, which is offered with a CVT as an option. It’s a very typical CVT that works best when driven gently and gets loud when pushed.

Looking for the latest version? You'll want our Suzuki S-Cross 2022 Review. 

Thanks to a raised, upright seating position and well-placed controls, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is easy to get comfortable in and has good visibility, without feeling like a full-sized SUV.

It’s not nearly as chunky and unwieldy as some bigger models, which is good news for those who live in towns and struggle to find large parking spaces.

The steering is well weighted if a little numb, and the car rides reasonably well, too – the suspension does make a bit of noise when tasked with negotiating potholes, and it is somewhat bouncy, but at low speeds it’s comfortable enough and corners neatly.

Having said that, it’s worth noting that the heavier diesel engine makes the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross feel more planted – the petrol-powered car is more prone to bouncing around over rough roads.

An all-wheel-drive option was offered regardless of engine choice in pre-facelift models (it was not available with every engine from mid-2016 on), but it’s geared towards improving traction on slippery surfaces, rather than heavy-duty off-roading.

Gravel tracks and muddy fields should be fine, but ground clearance would likely pose problems if you tried to traverse a particularly rutted or uneven track. Suzuki has a solid reputation for producing small 4x4s, so the system should prove capable and reliable.

It’s easy to use, too, with a dial for selecting the required mode. There’s auto for everyday use, sport, which sharpens the throttle response and helps with spirited driving, mud/snow mode and a lock setting for getting out of particularly slippery situations.

Typically the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross will act like a front-wheel drive car and will only send power to the rear wheels when slip is detected.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross originally came with a 1.6-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre petrol. Both produce the same peak power figure of 120PS, but the diesel has a significantly higher torque output – 320Nm as opposed to 156Nm – and it is available lower down the rev range.

That means the diesel is more tractable at low revs and, thanks to a sixth gear, it’s much quieter at motorway speeds.

That said, the petrol engine isn’t bad – it has a smooth gearchange and it’s a reasonable performer. It’s just not as good as the diesel.

The automatic option is a CVT, and comes with with either all-wheel drive or two-wheel drive.

It’s a typical CVT – if you drive gently it’s relaxed and offers effortless drive, but if you push it hard, the engine feels disconnected and there’s a lot of noise.

From the 2016 facelift, the 1.6 petrol was ousted in favour of the much better 110PS 1.0-litre and 140PS 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo petrols. Both are smooth, willing and refined in a way the old 1.6 never was.

If you don’t cover too many motorway miles, the 1.0-litre is ideal, while the 1.4 has a useful extra slug of mid-range power for longer trips on faster roads.

Suzuki also added mild hybrid assistance with the 1.4-litre engine, which developed 129PS, and features a light, easy-to-use six-speed manual gearbox.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross started out its life with a full five-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP.

Every model came with seven airbags, ABS brakes, ESP traction control, a speed limiter and rear Isofix child seat mounts.

Depending on the exact specification and engine fitted to the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, it can tow an unbraked trailer of between 400 and 600kg.

With a braked trailer attached to the car, it can tow between 1200 and 1500kg.

There’s a sizeable load area in the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross with a two-level floor, so if you’ve anything heavy to carry, there’s no lip to heave it over.

However, the boot itself is quite high up and it might be awkward if you have elderly dogs or you’re not particularly strong.

Another problem is the rear headroom – taller passengers simply won’t fit comfortably in models with the panoramic sunroof, but there’s a little more space if that isn’t fitted.

Up front, the Suzuki is a lot better and offers plenty of headroom, legroom and shoulder room, although the vision over the driver’s left shoulder is not as good as in the likes of the Skoda Yeti.

In the cabin, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is a step up from other models from the brand, thanks to a pleasing soft-touch covering on the dashboard and upmarket instrument dials.

But there are still plenty of hard plastics which, while durable, don’t look too plush.

That said, it’s a match for the Nissan Qashqai, and everything is solidly put together and robust.

When the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross was facelifted in mid-2016, it finally added an integrated infotainment system taken from the Suzuki Vitara that was a huge step up from what had been used in earlier models.

Offered in all but the base trim level, it features a seven-inch touchscreen, and the system is easy enough to use.

However, the response to inputs is frustratingly slow and the on-screen icons lack the style and appeal of a Skoda Yeti’s infotainment set-up.

An early pre-facelift Suzuki SX4 S-Cross can be found with 80,000 miles covered and in good condition for £6000.

For a facelifted car that’s eight years old, reckon on spending from £9500 for a model with the 1.0-litre petrol engine and 50,000 miles under its wheels.

A three-year-old car with mild hybrid power will come in at around £16,500 with 25,000 miles on the clock.

The most frugal engine in the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is the 1.6-litre turbodiesel, which delivers 64.2mpg and 114g/km in most guises.

Cars from 2015 onwards became Euro6 emissions-compliant, so they can be driven into low emissions zones with no need to pay a penalty.

The post-facelift 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo petrol offers 53.2mpg, or 50.4mpg with Allgrip four-wheel drive. The 1.4 Boosterjet gets close to that with its combined economy of 45.5mpg, which translates to around 40mpg in daily real-world use.

There is also the 1.4-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid assistance that offers 52.7mpg and 122g/km in carbon dioxide emissions.

Most Suzuki SX4 S-Cross models available on the used market will require the flat rate of road tax at £180 for 12 months’ duty.

Insurance for the Suzuki is reasonable, with models sitting in groups 13 to 24, depending on engine and trim. A 1.0-litre SZ-T is in group 21, for example, while a hybrid in the same trim is in group 22.

Servicing this Suzuki will not be a drain on your income, but its service schedule demands a garage visit every 10,000 miles, which is sooner than most rivals require.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross SZ3 has 16-inch alloy wheels, manual air-conditioning, cruise control, CD audio with USB connector, body-colour mirrors and handles, power adjustable door mirrors, heated door mirrors, plus a tilt and telescopic steering wheel.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross SZ4 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, silver front, rear and side skid plates, front foglamps, dual auto air-conditioning, rear privacy glass, Bluetooth, a leather steering wheel plus keyless entry and start. Facelifted models gained the seven-inch colour infotainment touchscreen.

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross SZ-T adds DAB radio, a rear parking camera, rear parking sensors and polished 17-inch alloy wheels.

Choose the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross SZ5 and it has leather seats, auto headlights and wipers, HID headlights, LED daytime running lights, power-folding door mirrors, a panoramic glass roof, front parking sensors, auto dim rear view mirror and heated front seats.