We review the Suzuki S-Cross from price to economy and all its features

WOULDN’T it be great if humans were like cars?

The S-Cross has just undergone a “mid-life overhaul”, according to its maker Suzuki. It now looks better, works harder and uses energy more efficiently than ever.

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I don’t know about you, I could do with a mid-life overhaul too.

The S-Cross was launched in 2013 to a lukewarm reception. In short, it didn’t sell.

SUVs and crossovers are so common on our roads I sometimes wonder if they are given away with packs of cornflakes.

Despite this, Suzuki admits the S-Cross didn’t hit the spot and claims the public expected it to look different. It did look too much like a normal car.

But the main problem, in my opinion, was that anyone walking into a Suzuki showroom looking for an SUV had a choice between the S-Cross and its cooler, more handsome brother the Vitara.

Undeterred, Suzuki ploughed on and invested a lot into reinventing the S-Cross, claiming while Vitara buyers are ruled by their emotional attachment to a car, the S-Cross will appeal to the more practical among us.

I am inclined to agree.

Talk to Suzuki and the word “Qashqai” comes up a lot. Nissan’s monster seller is the industry benchmark.

Its main selling point is value for money.

The S-Cross now has the ingredients to give Nissan food for thought. Its main selling point is value for money.

The lowest-spec S-Cross starts at £14,999 but is loaded with 16in alloys, air con, cruise control, Bluetooth and DAB radio.

To get the same amount of goodies in the Qashqai you need two or three grand more.

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Then you have the improved looks. The old S-Cross looked no better than a slightly inflated hatchback. Now it can boast a bold new grille framed by glossy chrome, a “clamshell” hood and LED headlights.

Crucially, it has an added 15mm ground clearance, taking it up to 180mm.

That sounds small but makes a vast difference to the S-Cross behind the wheel. It now feels like a proper 4x4.

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Speaking of which, we know Suzuki does all-road driving technology brilliantly. This is the firm that gave us the Vitara and the indestructible Jimny.

Its Allgrip system is available on all S-Cross models, giving it true SUV credentials. Two engines are available. The first, an impressive 1-litre turbo lifted straight from Suzuki’s cracking Baleno.

Clever as it is though, I would recommend it only to those who need something SUV-shaped to do local journeys — the school run etc.

But what do you want for £15k

If you are planning longer trips or to give the Alldrive a good thrash, try the 1.4 turbo.
All 1.4 versions come with 4x4 and deliver a respectable 140bhp. The 110bhp 1-litre has a tendency to wheeze and fade on high-speed overtakes and takes 11 seconds to reach 62mph.

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Inside, the S-Cross has upped its game with 430 litres of boot space and a decent touchscreen infotainment system.

There’s no fooling passengers into thinking it’s an expensive car — but what do you want for £15k?

As it stands, Suzuki is the 22nd best-selling car brand in Britain but it is having a bumper year, selling 25,000 cars already. And unlike a lot of its rivals, 76 per cent of its sales go to people like you and I — private owners.

Thanks to constantly improving its product and offering great value, Suzuki is the brand of the people.