Suzuki S-Cross Review & Prices

If you’ve got a young family in tow and need an affordable set of wheels for the school run, then the Suzuki S-Cross is worth a look in. It’s a small SUV that goes up against alternatives such as Toyota C-HR and Skoda Karoq, and it gives them both a run for their money when it comes to, well, value for money.

So it’s kind of like a tin of supermarket own-brand baked beans, then. It’s effectively exactly the same as a can of Heinz, only a hell of a lot cheaper. You might wonder why you’d consider Heinz at all. That is until you get to the finer points of flavour…starting with the way it looks.

It’s not ugly, and it’s not handsome - it’s just bland. Some snazzy daytime running lights and a prominent grille help to draw the eye in, but other than that it’s just a wee bit ‘meh’.

The same goes for the interior. Up front, it’s comfy enough, and all the controls are very easy to find. Visibility front and rear are great, and there’s decent enough adjustability in the seat and steering column. But there’s no sense of design here - it’s all a bit unremarkable to look at. And while most panels feel sturdy enough, there’s a chunk of cheap, scratchy feeling materials in use here too.

Things get much worse in the back. Adults will find they have a reasonable amount of legroom and a space to put their feet beneath the front seats, but there is absolutely no headroom back there. Children will be fine, but even if you’re of average height you’ll find your scalp scrapes the ceiling. Boot space is competitive, though: there’s 430 litres of storage space back there, which is the same amount you’ll find in the slightly larger Nissan Qashqai.

The Suzuki S-Cross claws back more points when it comes to standard equipment, too. Even the entry-level Motion model gets adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, a reversing camera, heated front seats and smartphone integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Fork out for the range-topping Ultra, and you’ll add luxuries such as leather upholstery, a sunroof, and (and admittedly not very good) 360-degree surround view camera. You’ll probably want to go for the Motion model, however, if only to claw back a bit of the headspace that the sunroof on the Ultra version inevitably eats up.

As for engines, you get just one option. It’s a 1.4-litre petrol with 129hp, and it’s about as quick as you’d need it to be in a car this size. It’s a bit thrashy when you really put your foot down, however, and the automatic gearbox is terribly jerky. You’ll probably find the six-speed manual is much easier to get along with. You can have four-wheel drive if you’d like, but it’s only available on the range-topping Ultra model and it’ll return a pretty average fuel economy figure - we saw 35mpg.

Other than the shockingly clunky automatic gearbox, the S-Cross is decent enough to drive. Around town, it can be a bit lumpy-bumpy over rougher stretches of road, but the steering is nice and light and it’s very easy to see out of.

On the motorway it rides more comfortably, and while there’s a bit of road and wind noise it’s far from unbearable. That standard-fit adaptive cruise control really is welcome here, too. 

You won’t find yourself waking up at the crack of dawn for a B-road blast, however. The soupy steering and slightly wobbly body movements really don’t make the S-Cross feel in any way like a sporty car. A Toyota C-HR will serve you better in this regard.

Overall, the Suzuki S-Cross isn’t exactly a standout car. It makes a strong case for itself in terms of value for money and boot space is good, but rear headroom is poor and the auto gearbox is to be avoided.

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