Role in the margin, is that justified?
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross appeared in 2013, as the successor to the SX4. Although the model is now officially called S-Cross, its full name also appears on the tailgate in 2023. Because indeed, after ten years and a few major facelifts, the model is still on the market. The sales figures are nothing to write home about, but how justified is that? Owners share their experiences.
First a bit of history of this B-segment crossover, which was considerably longer than most competitors when it was introduced. The S-Cross, introduced in 2013, only lasted about three years in our country, because a facelift followed in 2016 in which the car was given a striking grille. The most important news was under the hood: the old, naturally aspirated 1.6 went out to make way for 1.0 and 1.4 BoosterJet turbo engines.
Six years later, in 2022, the S-Cross underwent another major overhaul. The chrome grille was replaced by a much sharper face, complete with new headlights. Even the doors were restyled and at the rear the car received – disrespectfully – a pair of goggles in which we discern Peugeot characteristics. The dashboard has also been renewed beyond recognition and designed according to the latest trends. It must be said: if you see the current version next to the model from 2013, all these interventions have an unmistakable effect.
Space offer S-Cross
Although the Suzuki S-Cross was longer than many competitors when it was introduced, it has now been overtaken by time: the Peugeot 2008 grew to the same size. It doesn’t make the Suzuki any less roomy, brand owners. “The space in the interior is spacious, you have a lot of freedom of movement in the front and plenty of legroom in the back and good space for three people in the back seat. Headroom is less than the old SX4, but that’s because of the panoramic roof,” writes the owner of a first-year 2013 S-Cross 1.6.
The comment about the panoramic roof is more common, even with facelifted ones. “The High Executive has a glass panoramic sunroof as standard,” writes the owner of a 1.4 BoosterJet from 2018. “Very nice and I often use the tilt position myself. But please note that this roof costs headroom. Our growing son hits the ceiling within two years.”
At its introduction, Suzuki S-Cross was one of the most spacious cars in its class with 430 liters of luggage space. Although the competition is approaching, this remains the case, although according to this owner it could be a bit bigger: “Trunk is not too spacious, but usually sufficient for everyday use”.
How do you sit in the Suzuki S-Cross?
Okay, so the room is fine. What about the seats? “Comfort is good, the seats are good (I’m 1.92 meters tall)”, says the owner of a 1.4 BoosterJet from 2018. “It’s also nice that the passenger seat is adjustable in height, many brands don’t know that.” It is not the only owner who is happy with this height adjustment: “The seats are a bit hard, but I think that’s fine. High entry and height-adjustable co-driver’s seat! A real plus for my wife, who is 1.58 meters.” More compliments on the seats of this 1.0 BoosterJet driver: “Seats are comfortable. Partly due to the steering wheel adjustable in all directions, a good, long-lasting, spacious seat.” Critical note: “I miss the lumbar support I had in the Qashqai,” said the owner of a 2014 S-Cross.
How does the Suzuki S-Cross drive?
Over the years, Suzuki has improved the suspension of the S-Cross. Not a superfluous luxury, because the reactions to models before the facelift are very variable. If we are to believe the owner of a 2014 copy: “On the highway you cannot drive straight without correcting, you have to adjust every few seconds otherwise you will end up on the verge. I went to an alignment specialist, who was also unable to solve the problem.” Other riders do not report this problem, but they invariably report crosswind sensitivity. “In a strong wind you really have to use both hands on the handlebars!”, warns this driver. The younger the car, the better the responses. “It is pleasant to drive, both on short distances and on the highway. Steering, handling and gearbox are in order,” said the driver of a 2020 S-Cross 1.4 BoosterJet Smart Hybrid. About the very last facelift, a driver writes: “The car drives excellent, is not noisy or sensitive to crosswinds. Not even in the last windy week.”
What do you think of the engines?
The Suzuki S-Cross was initially supplied with an atmospheric 1.6 petrol engine (120 hp) and an equally strong 1.6 diesel. The petrol version optionally received a CVT automatic transmission. “I have always ignored automatic transmissions due to the high consumption, but with this car it is a CVT that runs cheaper on the highway than the manual gearbox,” explains the owner of an S-Cross 1.6 from 2014. How do you like the automatic transmission? “Fine, but when you almost stop you often get aftershocks because the engine suddenly goes from 1,250 rpm to 900 rpm. Not terrible, but sometimes it doesn’t feel good.” Another describes the engine character: “The 1.6 petrol runs like a sewing machine. Lacks some pit compared to a downsized engine, but really wants to move forward if necessary. It’s a matter of touring with this atmospheric block.”
Owners are actually unanimously enthusiastic about the new generation of downsize engines. “It was a bit of a thing to switch to a three-cylinder,” admits a driver who made the step from Vitara 1.6 to S-Cross 1.0 BoosterJet. “Always looked with horror at how people could still buy a three-cylinder, until I took it for a test drive. The torque is higher than with the Suzuki Vitara with a 1.6 and it also accelerates more smoothly.” Another BoosterJet driver agrees: “The 1.0 squeezes out enough power to keep up with traffic.” Then another 1.4 BoosterJet driver: “The turbo block with the automatic transmission connected to it makes the S-Cross a nice traffic light sprinter, especially because nobody expects this car to be quite fast with the automatic transmission.” And indeed, with its 129 hp, this S-Cross goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds.
Problems and irritations
Suzuki has a reputation for making reliable cars and the S-Cross lives up to that reputation. No owner reports being stranded, although it doesn’t mean the car is flawless. For example, several owners report noises from the interior: “The interior (in the back of the dashboard) is starting to creak here and there on bumpy roads. A bit fast for a six-year-old car, with 80,000 km on the clock. But you don’t hear it on tight asphalt.” Another also reports a number of rattles after a comparable mileage: “When it is cold, you sometimes want to hear a squeak or creak from the interior. Not cash happy. The A-pillar right front wanted to crack sometimes, but I put a piece of rubber in between. Dissolved.”
This owner also suffered from noise caused by the panoramic roof. This has been resolved by the dealer. Even after the first facelift, rattles continue to occur, as witnessed by the review of this car from 2018: “Sometimes, especially in cold weather, you hear a creak or rattle. This is due to the shrinkage of plastics.” A heater hose is also attached to this car, which caused a resonance under the dashboard. In addition, the front side windows of some cars have been readjusted. These sank down over time, causing wind noise.
This is what the Suzuki S-Cross looks like inside these days.
The Suzuki S-Cross is an unknown car, but owners are quite pleased with their choice. The car is spacious enough, comfortable enough and all engines perform properly. In addition, the car appears to be reliable, although the build quality offers room for improvement. This may appear to have been resolved after the last facelift, but owners cannot confirm this at the moment.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl