Among the Japanese marques in Singapore, no brand is as well-known for its superminis as Suzuki. The mere mention of the carmaker’s name immediately conjures up images of the popular Swift hatchback and its hotter sibling, the Swift Sport.
Less well-received, on the other hand, are Suzuki’s larger offerings – the Kizashi mid-size saloon and the Grand Vitara SUV. The Kizashi, for all its performance and handling merits, remains a rare sight on our roads. Meanwhile, the Grand Vitara has been quietly removed from the stable of official agent Champion Motors.
To be fair, the Kizashi’s main stumbling block to buyers is its lack of smaller engine options – the sole powerplant available is a 2.4-litre inline-4. The Grand Vitara, on the other hand, is getting on in years and losing its lustre. The current third-generation model was introduced in 2005 and, aside from an update in 2008, has essentially remained unchanged.
Suzuki is hoping to bolster its lineup and fill the void left by the Grand Vitara with the S-Cross, its contender in the hotly contested compact-crossover segment. Although this model is known overseas as the SX4 S-Cross, it is being marketed here as the S-Cross (despite the “SX4” badge on the tailgate). According to the local dealer, this is to distinguish the S-Cross as a new model that is not the successor to the SX4 hatchback.
Indeed, the S-Cross’ exterior design does not resemble that of any Suzuki model. Its most striking feature is its front end, which has a pair of headlights so massive that they dwarf the relatively small grille. Although the majority of buyers are unlikely to take their S-Cross off-road, Suzuki designers nevertheless decided to give the car a rugged image by wrapping the lower part of the bodywork in unpainted plastic mouldings.
The S-Cross’s character as a “softie” rather than a “toughie” becomes more evident in the comfortable cabin. The seats are plush and the dashboard surfaces are softer than expected. There is even some semblance of the Swift inside because of the identical steering wheel and similar-looking gauges.
The S-Cross we tested is the entry-level front-drive variant (a range-topping all-wheel-drive variant is also available), but you wouldn’t be able to tell because of the surprisingly decent equipment. Standard amenities include cruise control, seven airbags, dual climate zones for the air-conditioning plus a useful hill-hold function. The latter stops the vehicle from rolling backwards on a slope when the driver releases the brake pedal.
The S-Cross comes up short, though, when it comes to rear accommodation. Although the car’s 2600mm wheelbase makes for more than adequate legroom, the short seatbacks make it less comfortable for occupants who are more than 1.7 metres tall. And instead of proper doorbins, you only get bottle-shaped cubbyholes. Fortunately, there are still pockets behind the front seats for loose items.
While the seats aren’t as comfy as expected, the ride quality certainly is. The S-Cross’ rear suspension, despite being a mere torsion beam setup, lets it glide over potholes with ease.
But the comfort-biased ride means handling takes a backseat. If you’re in the habit of chucking cars into corners with gusto, your passengers are likely to become very cross because the S-Cross does lean substantially. This is strange, considering that the vehicle is made in Europe (Hungary, to be exact), as cars tuned for European roads usually have stiffer dampening.
If the cushy ride doesn’t convince you to take it easy behind the wheel, then the powertrain certainly will. With the normally aspirated 1.6-litre unit delivering a modest 115bhp and 151Nm, it takes 12.4 seconds for the S-Cross to accomplish the century dash. You’re likely to be left behind by a family saloon being driven by a daddy (or mummy) in a hurry.The good news, however, is that the S-Cross is efficient. With a gentle right foot, I managed to coax this crossover to a decent average of 11.4km per litre over a half-day’s drive in mixed conditions. I had only expected to achieve half of Suzuki’s claimed 17.2km per litre average.
Undoubtedly helping the car achieve this mileage is its continuously variable transmission (CVT). Like the engine it’s paired to, it only enjoys gentle inputs – nailing the throttle or utilising the manual override function results in a droning sound and “rubber band” feel.
But for equally laid-back drivers in search of an entry-level crossover that’s well-equipped and as fuel-efficient as a compact hatchback, they won’t go wrong with Suzuki’s gentle green giant.
SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE Inline-4, 16-valves
CAPACITY 1586cc
BORE X STROKE 78mm x 83mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 11:1
MAX POWER 115bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 151Nm at 4400rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 102.2bhp per tonne
GEARBOX CVT with 6-speed override
DRIVEN WHEELS Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 12.4 seconds
TOP SPEED 170km/h
CONSUMPTION 17.2km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 137g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs
REAR Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
TYPE Continental ContiEcoContact 5
SIZE 205/50 R17
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 7
TRACTION CONTROL ABS with ESP
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4300mm
WIDTH 1765mm
HEIGHT 1570mm
WHEELBASE 2600mm
KERB WEIGHT 1125kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.4m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $122,900 (after $10k CEVS rebate)
WARRANTY 5 years/unlimited km
WE SAY
+ Good standard kit, smooth ride, pretty efficient powertrain
– Uncomfortable backseat, lackadaisical performance, noisy CVT
