4×4 peace of mind in Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
by Joanne Ahern • February 5, 2014 • Car Reviews, Test Drives
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is a good looking compact SUV
There’s something reassuring about driving a 4×4 vehicle in an Irish winter, even if it’s uncertain whether you’ll actually need to engage it or not.
This week’s review model, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross offers the economy of two wheel drive, with the added peace of mind of four wheel drive (but more of that anon).
While they’re generally not the most attractive looking vehicles, I am a fan of the crossover – I like the combination of a high driving position of an SUV with the convenience of a hatchback.
The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is a beautiful looking compact SUV which has a confident but unassuming air about it.
Inside, the spacious cabin in the top of the range GLX model I was driving had leather upholstery and the cockpit was uncluttered and functional.
I really liked the large panoramic sunroof in the test car. It flooded the cabin with light and also opens, which would be nice on a warm sunny day (unfortunately, we were dealing with downpours – rain, not sunshine).
Legroom in the cabin is good both in the front and the back and the rear seats would comfortably accommodate two adults.
The front seats in the test car were heated, so you were nice and toasty quickly on cold winter mornings.
The cabin in the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is comfortable and the cockpit well laid out
There are lots of storage cubbies throughout the cabin and the boot in this car is quite large.
The test car also had front and rear parking sensors, which I found handy for city parking.
Cruise control and speed limiter were also easy to use, but you need to turn it on every time you start the engine.
The Bluetooth phone connection, however, was not so easy and it defeated me, even after reading the manual.
A four wheel drive vehicle, the SX4 has a large dial offering Auto/Sport/Snow and Lock options.
The Auto 2WD is the S-Cross’s default mode and is the most economical of the drive settings. It will automatically switch to 4WD in adverse conditions.
Sport is best on twisty country roads and snow mode is self explanatory. Lock is for use if you find yourself stuck in mud, snow or sand.
While we did have to deal with deluges of rain, that was the worst of the weather so (fortunately) we didn’t have to engage snow mode.
Our route for this car was city and winding country roads as well as motorway driving.
We took the S-Cross long distance from Dublin to Sligo and back and it was very comfortable.
The boot in the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is large and can be made even bigger by lowering the rear seats
The test car was a six-speed 1.6litre 120ps diesel and on the road, it was excellent – road-hugging and surefooted.
It has a nice bit of power when accelerating to overtake and it felt lovely running through the smooth gears.
Soundproofing, while travelling at speed on the motorway, was good.
Overall, I think that the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is an all rounder – it looks good, is spacious, family-friendly and feels lovely to drive.
It also has lots of space to accommodate the accoutrements that accompany an active lifestyle but it’s not so big to make it difficult in the city.
The SX4 S-Cross is available now, in a choice of a 1.6litre petrol or diesel engines and three trim levels – GL, GL+ and GLX.
Prices start from €19,995 for the entry level 2WD petrol model. The top of the range 1.6litre GLX 4WD diesel AllGrip stop start test car starts from €30,345.
Tech Spec
Engine: 1.6 litre 120ps DDiS Allgrip diesel
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 13 seconds
Maximum Speed: 175kph
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Combined fuel economy: 4.4l/100km
Annual road tax: €200
Visit the Suzuki Ireland website and its Facebook page for further details.
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