Suzuki S-Cross – For Norwegian conditions?

Posted by Terje Bjørnstad
Suzuki s-cross
In front of the landmarks at Slemmestad.

No one should choose a car without having last winter fresh in their minds.

Everyone has an icy hill

I think everyone has a hill they have to climb with their car in all kinds of weather. As a rule, it goes well, but occasionally in the winter it happens with my heart in my throat. "Typically Norwegian", I would say. I wonder if the Suzuki importer's slogan is true. They claim that Suzuki was created for Norwegian conditions.
 
Well, the trip didn't go over fjords and mountains - or on the ice fjord. After a week with a home office, it was wonderful to pick up one of the new Suzukis Hyre.no have placed around Oslo. This week's Sunday excursion continued in a brand new Suzuki S-Cross with four-wheel drive.

- Very tight undercarriage, I thought. There is McPherson suspension at the front and torsion springs at the rear. Much tighter than I expected.

Good grip

The S-Cross can withstand pulling hard through sharp bends - without losing grip - with minimal roll. Remember that the effect of the four-wheel drive is given by applying gas. In difficult driving conditions, you must drive in such a way that you can give gas through the bend. Fun. You hear that the chassis is working, but the car still sits like a stick on the road. The price for the hard chassis is that small irregularities, such as asphalt joints and the like, are propagated into the passenger compartment. The car industry has used many silly slogans over the years, but Suzuki has a point. This car is well suited for navigating difficult Norwegian rural roads where accessibility is more important than comfort.

 

The S-Cross provides grip for whatever capricious weather and road conditions may bring.

Suzuki s-cross
The instrument panel.

Facelift

When today's S-Cross saw the light of day in 2017, I thought it was a completely new model because it had a completely different look than its predecessor. Much tougher. More masculine. Looking closer, the aggressive grille with vertical chrome teeth is just one facelift. I like the front. Tough in the nose, without the risk of being mistaken for Audi or BMW.
 
However, the most important part of the facelift happened under the hood. Today's 1,4-litre BoosterJet with 6-speed automatic is better suited to an SUV than the sluggish self-aspirated 1,6-litre. The new engine has 20 more horses - and with 140 HP and good turbo torque, it feels nimble, while it is possible to drive on long-legged gears. But starting from a standstill often ended with an involuntary jerk - no matter how careful I was with the gas. I don't know if it was because the engine was brand new, or if it was the automatic gearbox? This casts an unrefined, cheap stamp over an otherwise good drivetrain.

More Budget than Premium

The er a clear cheap feel over the S-Cross - even though the top-spec GLX version has all the relevant equipment, including leather seats and a panoramic sunroof. Inside, it cannot be hidden that the design originates from 2013, the year when the model was originally introduced.

The fact that Suzuki is not in the premium class does not mean that the cars are bad. It is natural to compare "our" S-Cross with the Audi Q2 that we drove on winter roads a few weeks earlier. It is undoubtedly premium and looks very nice. But with 2-wheel drive, it behaved mediocre on the smooth - and would have had no chance of asserting itself with a four-wheel drive like the S-Cross. If you had ordered four-wheel drive in the Audi, it would have cost over 150 more than "our" Suzuki.

On the road

I head west and south towards Slemmestad. Behind the wheel, I form different impressions. I noticed early on that the steering feel is absent, especially around the middle position. It is annoying to have to "herd" the car all the time instead of letting it follow its natural path. The engine runs well and the automatic gearbox shifts well. I choose between "Auto" and "Sport" driving mode. "Auto" works best for me. "Sport" immediately downshifts one notch, and can be good to have when preparing for a quick overtaking. You can also shift with the paddles on the steering wheel. In terms of noise, you hear practically nothing from the engine. The soundscape is characterized by a somewhat harsh and monotonous room reading noise - quite on par with other cars in this class.

Tough in the nose, without the risk of being mistaken for Audi or BMW.

Suzuki s-cross
Nice blue color - Sphere Blue

Place

The distribution of space between the passenger compartment and luggage compartment makes the compact SUV suitable as a family car. The trunk holds a decent 430 liters under the hat shelf. With a loading grid against the compartment (recommended extra), you can load up to the roof. Furthermore, the rear seat backs have two positions for tilting, so that you can create a more box-shaped luggage compartment and still use the entire rear seat. There is plenty of space in the front seats. They are unusually hard in the stop, but do not feel uncomfortable. I could use a little more support at shoulder height for long rides, but I guess the seats are better for people shorter than me.

Security

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross was tested in 2013 by Euro NCAP. It was the model before the facelift that was tested then. It had neither distance warnings nor automatic emergency stop - which the new model has. The S-Cross came through the tests with 5/5 stars. The total score for protection of adults was 92% and for children 80%. The tests were carried out without critical results - only "Good" and "Adequate". Measurement of whiplash injuries ended with the best grade. Several of the test procedures, including for children, have now been changed. Audi Q2 got 93% for adults and 86% for children, then the was tested in 2016.
 
The Suzuki's 4-wheel drive helps prevent accidents - so-called active safety.

Conclusion

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross' best arguments are that it provides proper road holding with 4-wheel drive and space that is sufficient for a family - at a price that few can compete with. It appears solid and practical. In terms of class, it is more Budget hen Premium. The minus points are vague steering feel and that the drivetrain jerks when starting.