3 Things We Like About The New S-Cross And 3 Things We Don’t

The new S-Cross is out and expected to come to India in 2022. Here’s what to like, and what not to

Suzuki recently revealed the new-gen S-Cross and it is expected to make its way to the Indian market in 2022. While we have not seen the car in person, its first set of images and the information released by Suzuki has allowed us to form some initial impressions about it. Some of them are good, some of them are not so good.

Likes

1) New Design Language

The S-Cross wasn’t the most pretty looking car in its previous avatar. It was a crossover with the dreams of being an SUV, and that showed. This new-gen car, however, does away with all that confusion. It's clearly designed to be an SUV with a high bonnet line, a bold front end, and a more beefed-up rear end. The squared-off wheel arches, chunky rear bumper and black cladding all around only reinforce the point.

2) A Strong Hybrid System Is Coming

The new S-Cross uses a 48V mild-hybrid system that adds 13.5PS and 50Nm to the overall output and assists the car’s 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine (total output is 130PS/235Nm). Suzuki however plans on bringing in a strong hybrid setup next year, which will first debut on the Vitara, and then make its way onto the S-Cross. This new setup will allow the S-Cross to be driven in hybrid mode (where the electric motor aids the internal combustion engine), or in pure EV mode as well. The specifics are not yet out, but it will be first made available in Europe next year.

3) ADAS

Suzuki is offering select ADAS features on the new S-Cross and that’s a big deal nowadays. The system will have features like automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, lane departure prevention and adaptive cruise control with stop & go. There will be support for automated parking functions as well, with the help of a 360-degree camera, along with rear cross traffic alert.

Dislikes

1) Interior Lifted From Outgoing Model

While Suzuki has gone to great lengths to freshen up the exterior, the same can’t be said for the interior. The dashboard is almost identical to the older S-Cross, and this design hasn’t been changed since 2013 (the pre-facelift S-Cross). The door panels are carried over, and so is the steering wheel, the centre console with the climate control and power window switches and even the gear lever resembles the outgoing car. The only change that stands out is the new 9-inch touchscreen. A change in the overall layout would have gone miles in giving this S-Cross the ‘wow’ factor.

2) Small Panoramic Sunroof Like Before

A panoramic sunroof on a car should always be counted as a plus, but that’s not the case with the S-Cross. The particular sunroof offered here was offered on the previous model as well, and is quite small. It pales in comparison to what you get on the Hyundai Creta. A bigger sunroof would have let more light into the cabin as well, which is highly required due to the all-black interior.

3) No Wow Factor On The S-Cross

When the first S-Cross came to India, it had a seriously quick 1.6-litre diesel engine to set it apart. Over time, the engine got discontinued, the S-Cross became a petrol-only offering and never really got back to having that ‘X’ factor. There were hopes that would be rectified with the new-gen model, but sadly, it hasn’t. The S-Cross remains an all-around car from the looks of it, but continues to do without that one thing that makes it better than its competitors.