Louth Motors: The Suzuki S-Cross is the Sensible Choice

€2,330 is the difference in price between Suzuki’s best-selling model in Ireland, the Vitara, and the S-Cross. For that you get 55litres of boot space and 125mm in length extra.

That price gap remains with like for like specifications and this time I’m testing the full hybrid Motion version that costs €32,495. The reason I’m telling you this is that the S-Cross is probably overlooked when you walk into the Suzuki showroom as the Vitara catches your eye a lot quicker than the other models.

The S-Cross is a lot more understated and conservative. It has a huge front and only when you stand beside it do you realise just how big it is. You’d expect a two or three litre petrol engine in there and not the mix of petrol and electric that seems to be in every car these days.

The rear looks a bit clunky to me with protruding light clusters giving it a bit of a shelf look. The clear lenses give it a modern look, but it could be a bit more cohesive. From the side the S-Cross has a rising waistline which, again, makes it look a lot larger. It’s not quite Tucson/Sportage dimensions more, and I checked this, Peugeot 2008 which is a deceptively large car.

The S-Cross for all the comparisons to frame it in your mind feels a much bigger car than its comparators. It is airy and passengers won’t feel much of a squeeze unless you are an adult in the rear middle seat – a complaint in most car.
That hybrid arrangement mates a 24.6kW, 140v electric motor to a 1.5l petrol engine. The main purpose of a hybrid engine is low emissions, better performance with better fuel economy. Suzuki claim a fuel return of 5.2l/100kms which differs from the return of 6.3l/100km I achieved.

That electric motor supports the petrol engine for smoother and faster take-offs and I can vouch for the smoother. Standard and Eco modes are available to select and if I was focussed on the pump prices, I’d be in Eco all the time. For an urban setting this would be the sensible choice.

The gearbox is a Suzuki engineered AGS which is automatic gear shift that applies auto shift technology to a manual gearbox at its simplest explanation. These generally don’t provide for a smooth gearchange but Suzuki seem to have eliminated this and it is quite a good auto-box.

On the road the car is composed and has been set-up for comfort, not sport, which makes eternal sense. Driving the car on the motorway or urban roads it feels adequately powered and that boosterjet engine, that I loved in the nearly forgotten Baleno, has plenty of heart.

When performance is not your main requirement you tend to focus on the equipment and interior noise and the S-Cross scored well here. Its not noisy at all and passengers will not have to raise their voices to be heard unless you are at maximum motorway speed where the noise levels increase.

The steering is light but has a decent amount of feel and drivers will appreciate this. If you want the push the S-Cross on a bit you still will not reach a point where you would call it sporty. Again, that is missing the point of the car which is family motoring.

You get a lot of car for your money and the S-Cross represents tremendous value for money. Some Suzuki’s of old had lacklustre interiors and the materials used were chosen for their lasting properties rather than tactile pleasure. I personally have no issue with that but my wife spots it immediately and that’s marks off for her.

The S-Cross still retains that long-lasting feel but Suzuki are moving to doing this with some better feeling materials and that’s not a bad thing.

The Motion trim includes keyless entry, front & rear parking sensors, rear camera, gear shift paddles, smart phone mirroring, and adaptive cruise control.

If you spend the extra €3,300 for the Ultra trim version, Suzuki adds in 4-wheel drive, leather seats and a double sliding sunroof which makes for one competitive, fully specced all-rounder. What you don’t get is a lot of performance. It takes 12.7s to get to 100km/h which is sedate by any measurement but perversely doesn’t actually feel that slow.

So, my advice to any prospective buyer is don’t be swayed by the Vitara’s looks and take the time to drive the S-Cross and see if it fits your family motoring needs.

If it does, you will be driving a super reliable car with Suzuki’s legendary reliability, won’t have spent a fortune as it is keenly priced and if you avail of the zero percent finance offering, that price gap diminishes further.

I like Suzukis and I like the S-Cross.