2016 Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T first drive

What is it?

First launched in 2013, the S-Cross was Suzuki’s answer to the ever dominant Nissan Qashqai. On paper, it had all the right ingredients to be a success: impressive ergonomics, plenty of standard kit and a decent chassis. However, the company’s clever crossover never sold in high numbers, despite the fact that the market for such vehicles grew rapidly over the next three years.

So why was it not successful? Well, according to Suzuki, a great deal came down to aesthetics. Put simply, it didn’t look like an SUV - a conclusion that clearly influenced the decision to give the S-Cross a "major" mid-life facelift.

Instead of simply giving the S-Cross a little nip here and a tuck there, the design team went back to the drawing board and have treated the car to a whole new front end. A clamshell bonnet, steep nose, aggressive air intake and new design headlamps help endow the Suzuki with a somewhat predictable compact pseudo-SUV look. Ground clearance is also slightly higher (raised by 15mm) to give an air of off-road capability.

However, an aesthetic update is not necessarily enough to keep a three-year-old design competitive in an increasingly saturated crossover sector. As a result, Suzuki has joined the downsizing bandwagon, ditching its naturally aspirated petrol 1.6 for two smaller capacity Boosterjet engines – namely the turbocharged 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre motors seen previously in the Baleno and Vitara S.

We’ve already experienced Suzuki’s 1.0-litre unit in the lightweight Baleno and, in that application, we were impressed with its refinement, frugality and flexibility. However, the prospect of putting the same three-cylinder motor in a car that weighs 210kg more is something else entirely.

Thankfully, this wasn’t lost on the development team, who benchmarked the turbocharged unit against the old naturally aspirated 1.6 engine. The results on paper are mixed: power is down at the top end by 7bhp but torque is up by 9%.

What's it like?

First impressions are rather disappointing. Press the starter button on the dashboard and the three-cylinder engine wakes in a gruff manner, introducing a slight vibration into the cabin. It’s not offensive by any means, but it’s simply not as refined as Skoda's or Ford's equivalent 1.0-litre units.

However, first impressions don’t always tell the whole story, and so it is with the S-Cross. Once underway, the engine smoothes out and settles down into an almost imperceptible three-cylinder thrum. Around town its hushed tones make it a far more relaxing drive than the gruff sounding 1.6-litre diesel we tested previously.

Push the engine harder and it will emit a distinctive growl, but this is backed up with impressive performance. And unlike some of the other downsized triples, Suzuki’s motor doesn’t have a noticeable step in its power delivery. It’s happy to pull from below 2000rpm and continues to do so until it hits its soft limiter at around 5500rpm. Granted, a 0-62mph time of 11.0sec doesn’t sound particularly quick, but impressive roll-on performance helps the S-Cross feel rather sprightly in the real world.

Chassis wise, aside from the added ride height and revised damper settings, the latest car remains virtually identical to the model it replaces. However, this is no bad thing as we’ve always been rather fond of the Suzuki’s dynamics. The steering is direct, albeit lacking in feel and the body control is on a par with the Qashqai. Push harder and predictably there is some body roll, but it’s well controlled, and the S-Cross never feels out of its depth on demanding B-roads.