Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T crossover 2017 Review

Good value for money and it pushes it surprisingly well. However, if there is one criticism you could have made on the previous Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, it’s not one you really deserve to remember. That’s not the case with this newly revamped version.

Gone is the bland, uninspiring styling, replaced by a tougher, more aggressive exterior and a bigger, bolder chrome grille. To these people, it looks good, although opinions seem to be divided elsewhere.

To be sure, it does look eye-catching now, but that’s not what all the newly refreshed SX4 S-Crosses want. As well as a new look, there are options for a new engine, a new interior and new equipment – is the S-Cross now cheaper than ever?

Performance
New for this facelift is Suzuki’s range of Boosterjet turbo petrol engine options, including the small 1.0-litre three-cylinder option used in the Baleno hatchback, and soon the Swift, or the larger 1.4-litre debuting in the Vitara.

Given the current trend towards smaller three-cylinder motors, Suzuki expects the 1.0-litre to be a popular choice, so this is the one we tested, with a five-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive.

Revving at 109bhp, the small Boosterjet can provide decent acceleration for such a small engine, especially considering the size of the car it falls into. There is enough power to issue a 0-62mph sprint in a healthy 11 seconds before reaching a top speed of 112mph.

While the addition of a sixth gear for motorway cruising is useful for efficiency and refinement, given the buzz of the three-cylinder engine, it’s unlikely that the everyday driver will need anything more than an S-Cross-type car. With speed.

Buyers can also specify the 1.6-litre diesel engine along with the option of ALLGRIP four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission, which may appeal to anyone using the S-Cross as a primary rather than an everyday car, but the Boosterjet is a good choice for the family driver at relatively low speeds.

Ride and Handling
The S-Cross has always been the dark horse of the crossover/SUV segment and has always been one of the best performing cars in its class. Happily, Suzuki didn’t care too much about the set-up of this car compared to the pre-facelift model.

With direct steering and good body control, the S-Cross is a much better car than the ubiquitous Qashqai and the grip is good even without the benefit of four-wheel drive.

However, it may not be as agile or explicitly sporty as the CX-5, and predictably has a fair amount of body lean in demanding corners.

However, Suzuki has adjusted the damping slightly and that damping is now stiffer than before. The result is that it feels much better at speed and slides over lumps, bumps and potholes at the wheel while cruising, but the trade-off is that it tends to be a little irritating at lower speeds and on rougher surfaces.

Overall, it’s a great car to drive every day and it’s surprisingly agile and participates in a segment usually known for softness and comfort rather than agility.

Did you know? Interior equipment
Inside, this is the usual Suzuki fare, and as such means something like somewhat fragile hard plastics and a slightly sombre interior ambience. But while you can’t get top-notch materials with a telephoto lens, it’s comfortable, spacious and you can’t argue with the amount of kit.

Understandably, some buyers may be tempted to spend some extra money on something upmarket, but the S-Cross does have a lot to say, especially given that it’s a budget option.

Three trims are available: the SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 all come with Bluetooth, daytime running lights and cruise control with speed limiter, as well as seven airbags to keep you safe.

The mid-spec SZ-T interior we tested, which Suzuki hopes will be particularly popular among fleet and company drivers, has sat-nav and DAB radio mounted in a stylish new touchscreen, as well as a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and dual-zone climate control.

Meanwhile, the SZ5 has heated seats, leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof: nice stuff, but probably not essential for many buyers, so Suzuki won’t force you to the top of the range to get something to like quite as much. What about other manufacturers.

Practicality is good too, with two cup holders in the front seats, a reasonably sized glove box at the front and plenty of space at the rear compared to other rivals. There’s plenty of leg and headroom for six-footers, although the SZ5’s panoramic sunroof takes up a few inches of space.

The boot is now ten pounds larger than the 440-litre boot, while folding down the rear seats raises the cargo capacity to 870 litres. This lags behind the best in class, but the S-Cross has a false floor in the bottom lid of the boot for valuables and luggage nets, so what it lacks in space it can make up for in versatility.

Cost
Prices for the entry-level SX4 S-Cross start from £15,999, meaning it’s thousands of pounds cheaper than most of its rivals, which is a significant saving on anyone’s account. The mid-spec SZ-T model costs £19,499, while the SZ5 model costs £23,499.

On paper, the 1.0-litre Boosterjet returns 56.4mpg at 113g/km of CO2, but as with these small turbo engines, it doesn’t necessarily say what you get in the real world. In that time we achieved an average of 43.4mpg.

In terms of efficiency, the diesel is superior, with a combined economic figure of 68.9mpg and CO2 emissions of just 106g/km.

Our verdict
Well equipped, practical and with better drive than most cars, the S-Cross remains a hidden gem in the crossover / SUV market. Many buyers may prefer four-wheel drive, but as a family refuge it’s hard to go wrong with this model, although we’d probably opt for diesel for efficiency.

In any case, the SUV trend shows no sign of slowing down and whether you like the bold new look or not, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross remains the ideal choice for those looking for an affordable and capable everyday car. .