Suzuki S-Cross
New from £26,169 / £321 p/m
Is the Suzuki S-Cross SUV a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Erin Baker
"The original S-Cross was, by Suzuki’s admission, a ‘Marmite car’, packed with value but controversial in its styling. The new version is far easier on the eye, still great value, and comes with two- or all-wheel drive, automatic or manual and one petrol engine with a hybrid to come. Most importantly, according to its customers, Suzuki is a highly trusted brand, which makes the S-Cross a tempting purchase."
Read the review by category
Running costs for a Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
The S-Cross comes in two trim levels - Motion and Ultra - but the entry-level version gives you everything you’ll need, and, when you consider the amount of space inside, the price is very good. The only engine on offer - a 1.4-litre turbo petrol - returns about 50mpg, and 133g/km with the manual transmission, which means low VED and insurance costs. The car might feel a bit tinny and cheap compared with some of its competitors (like the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage or Peugeot 3008) but the flip side of the coin is an impressively low cost of ownership.
Reliability of a Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
Suzuki is the third most trusted brand in the UK out of 162 brands, according to the Institute of Customer Service, after John Lewis and First Direct. Notably, the next car brand was another 11 places down the list. There’s a 14-day, no-quibble return policy on all its new cars ,which will add to consumer confidence, as will the fact that, traditionally, Suzuki performs well in reliability surveys.
Safety for a Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
You get an unbelievable amount of safety kit as standard on the S-Cross, which puts almost every other car to shame when you look at the price. You simply cannot beat this car if safety is your top priority. Our favourite feature - blind-spot warning - is there, as well as a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert which pings if there’s a car coming as you’re reversing out onto the road, Dual Sensor Brake Support (automated emergency braking), lane departure warning and prevention (it’s not as horrible and violent as some others that drag you back into your lane, so we’ll live with it), and traffic sign recognition. Only Mazda offers all that as standard in the sector. The only thing you might want to pay extra for is the AllGrip all-wheel drive system, which comes with the Ultra higher trim level.
How comfortable is the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
This is a car in the Skoda mould of doing what it says on the tin, so no extraneous fripperies, no soft-touch plastics or funky nick-nacks - just good old-fashioned black plastics and hard-wearing fabrics, with leather available if you splash the cash. There are two cup holders up front and lots of big plastic buttons for switches and seat heaters. If you hate small switchgear and fiddly graphics controlling functions, you’ll like the no-nonsense approach of the Suzuki and there’s something rather pleasing about the back-to-basics design. The boot is large and has a secondary level if you want to raise the floor up. We can’t imagine why anyone would want to, given the extra space is great for dogs and suitcases. We didn’t much like the seating position which wouldn’t sink far enough into the car, with the resulting feeling that you’re sitting on it, not in it. But all passengers have plenty of space and light, especially with the higher-trim double sun roof.
Features of the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
Again, the amount of standard kit is generous for the price. You get a touch-screen, smartphone mirroring, 17-inch alloys, roof rails, dual-zone air-con, heated front seats and adaptive cruise control on every car, which is fabulous. However, there is slightly more to differentiate the two versions in this category than in safety, where almost everything you want comes as standard. If the digital display is important to you, then plump for the higher Ultra version, with its 9.0-inch screen - Motion only gives you a 7.0-inch screen which is not big enough in this day and age. Ultra also gives you a 360 camera, sat-nav, leather seats and a double opening panoramic roof. The tech on board is pretty clunky - we had to punch the screen a few times every time we started the car to get rid of various safety messages and the navigation is quite old-fashioned. But you still can’t quibble with the amount of features for the price.
Power for a Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
Only one engine is offered at launch - a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and a very mild hybrid element you likely won’t notice - it just keeps things as economical as possible. The result is a perky engine that likes to rev and whose 129 horsepower feels like much more as a result of the eager character, the S-Cross accelerating from 0-62mph in 10 seconds straight. You can have it with a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox, and two- or four-wheel drive, depending on how much you want to spend. A full hybrid will follow, which will essentially perform the same role as this hybrid but more so. There is no plug-in hybrid, so you won’t get any noticeable electric-only driving.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£419.64
Monthly payment
£2,517.83
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Manual
- 1.4 litres
£445.74
Monthly payment
£2,674.41
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Manual
- 1.4 litres
£468.81
Monthly payment
£2,812.89
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Manual
- 1.4 litres
£457.80
Monthly payment
£2,746.80
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.4 litres
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Suzuki S-Cross SUV. This may vary between trim levels.
- 12V Accessory Socket - Centre Lower Box
- 12V Accessory Socket - Luggage Area
- 4.2in Colour LCD Information Display
- 7in Infotainment Display
- Bluetooth Integrated into Audio Unit
- DAB Digital Radio
- Smartphone Link Audio - Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Speakers x4
- Tweeters x2
- USB Connector
- eCall
- 17in Alloy Wheels - Painted Finish
- Body Coloured Exterior Door Handles
- Body Coloured Exterior Door Mirrors
- Chrome Window Sills
- Electric Front Windows
- Electric Rear Windows
- Electrically Adjustable-Heated-Power Folding Door Mirrors with Built-In Turn Signal Lamp
- Emergency Flat Tyre Repair Kit
- Front Grille - Chrome
- Front Wiper - 2 Speeds - Low - High with Adjustable Intermittent Plus Washer
- Locking Wheel Nuts
- Rear Fog Lamps
- Rear Privacy Glass
- Roof Rails - Aluminium
- Wheel Arch Extensions
- 2 x Front Door and 2 x Rear Door Bottle Holders
- 2-Position Reclining Rear Seat
- 3-Spoke Leather Covered Steering Wheel
- 4x Cup Holders - x2 Front - x2 Rear
- Automatic Wiper
- Centre Cabin Light
- Centre Console Box
- Centre Lower Box
- Centre Lower Console Box Light
- Chrome Interior Door Handles
- Driver Seat Height Adjuster
- Dual-Zone Automatic Air Conditioning
- Fabric Door Trim Insert Front
- Foot Rest - Driver Side
- Front Centre Armrest
- Front Footwell Lights
- Front Map Light
- Front Sun Visors with Vanity Mirrors and Ticket Holders
- Front Vanity Mirror Illumination
- Gear Shift Paddles
- Glovebox Light
- Heated Drivers and Front Passenger Seats
- Heater
- Luggage Area Cover
- Luggage Area Light
- Luggage Area Shopping Bag Hook - Net Hook x2
- Manual Day-Night Rear-View Mirror
- Passenger Side Seatback Pocket
- Passengers Side Assist Grips
- Pollen Filter
- Rear Assist Grips x2
- Rear Centre Armrest
- Rear Seat with 60-40 Split Folding
- Removable Double Luggage Room Floor
- Shift Knob Piano Black with Silver Accent
- Side Louvre Bezels - Silver
- Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls
- Tilt and Telescopic Adjustable Steering Wheel
- ABS with EBD and Brake Assist Function
- Child Seat Tether Anchorages x 3
- Childproof Rear Door Locks
- Curtain Airbags
- Deadlocks
- Driver Knee Airbag
- Driver and Front Passenger Airbags
- Dual Sensor Brake Support - AEB
- ESP - Electronic Stability Program
- Emergency Stop Signal
- Freewheeling Key Cylinders
- Front - Side and Rear Under Body Trim - Silver
- Front 3-Point ELR Seatbelts with Pretensioner-Force Limiter
- Front Passenger Airbag Deactivation System
- Front and Rear Seatbelt Reminder
- Hill Hold Control
- ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorages x 2
- Immobiliser
- Keyless Entry and Start
- Rear 3-Point ELR Seatbelts x 3
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Rear Wiper - 1 Speed with Intermittent Plus Washer
- Remote Central Door Locking
- Security Alarm
- Side Airbags - Incorporated into Front Seats
- Side Impact Protection Beams
- Visible VIN
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Blind Spot Monitor
- Front and Rear Parking Sensors
- Lane Departure Warning and Prevention
- Lights-On and Key-In Reminder
- Rear Parking Camera
- TPMS - Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
- Tachometer
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- Weaving Alert
- Automatic Headlamp Levelling
- Automatic Headlamps
- Daytime Running Lights - LED
- Front Fog Lamps
- LED Headlamps - Low and High Beam
- LED Rear Combination Lamps
- Power Steering
Your questions answered
Monthly rentals ('payments') are not an offer of credit. Payments are based on offers available today which may be withdrawn or varied at any time in the future without notice.
Contract Hire ('Leasing') is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned with no more than fair wear and tear to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.
Autotrader Limited (Firm Reference Number: 735711) is a credit broker and not a lender. Autotrader Limited introduces you to Autotrader Leasing Limited, which acts as a credit broker in its own right. Autotrader Leasing Limited, No.3 Circle Square, 3 Hawkshaw Street, Manchester, M1 7BL (Firm Reference Number: 630748) may go on to introduce you to one of a limited number of leasing companies. Autotrader Leasing Limited will typically receive a commission or other benefits from the leasing company as a result of this introduction.
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Vehicles are subject to availability and may vary from images shown.