[magnat]

After much consideration and testing... my mother has decided the Mitsubishi Outlander is too big for her now that she no longer has to cart Dad around (He died last year)

So after looking at the stretched hatchback with High ride height market (Captiva 5, Skoda yeti, Mitsubishi ASX, Kia Sportage, Kia Soul and the Nissan Cashcow) She settled on the New Suzuki S-Cross.
All the Vehicles she looked at were the 2WD Variants and not the AWD so since most fell in the $25-$28,000 range, She doesnt need AWD as she never even used the dial on the Outlander... ever...

The Nissan Cashcow was too expensive sitting at $28,000 and it didn't really have anything more than the S-Cross did except for a Bigger motor...
The Captiva 5 2.4 petrol felt gutless and the Interior was not all that good.
The ASX chews the same amount of fuel as the Outlander.. No point changing to a New vehicle if it is going to cost the same amount in fuel.
The Kia Sportage was nice but it sat a little too high for my mothers liking and despite Kia's best efforts it still handles like a small 4x4 even in 2WD option. Also the lowest Price they would go was Cashcow Money at $28G.
The Kia Soul, a little too small in the rear to be comfortable and they only make the 1 model now called the Si and its $28,000... Too much cash for not alot of metal. Boot was surprisingly bigger than I thought.

The Skoda Yeti we looked at was indeed very nice, But its 1.2 litre Turbo 4 cylinder engine felt a little lack lustre until the boost came on and at $25G plus onroads... a Little dear.

The S-cross was the least expensive and has the least amount of power on paper It has a tiny 1.6 litre engine compared to the normal SX4's 2.litre engine... but the S-Cross is larger.
(Not sure what Suzukis reasoning is for dropping capacity in a larger vehicle but apparently it was to do with fuel saving)

We managed to score a NEW S-Cross GL Automatic for $19,990 (Yes we are trading our Outlander in on it and there was ALOT of back and fourth between two dealers vying for the money)

(Free Auto Upgrade was on offer aswell making it more affordable as the Auto is Normally a $2500 option on the GL Model.)


On the test drive I was impressed.. This tiny 1.6 litre engine coupled to the CVT gearbox actually felt pretty good..
The Base model does get the same CVT as the Higher up model but there are no flappy paddle gear changers so you cannot change the gears yourself.... If you want that You have to get the GLX model which is another $6G.

The Base model Auto has a sport button which allows the CVT to rev out higher, but its not really a HUGE difference.
We found the tallest hill within the local area and the CVT coped with it with ease.
Its no race car... but its not as slow to take off as the Captiva 5 was.

The Front seats feel good, The dash layout looks easy to navigate and the speedo and tacho are highlighted in Blue and white so its easy on the eyes at night.
The Base model is neither spectacular or terribly well equipped but for the $19,990 Mum is spending... Its decent value.
It has cruise, Blue-tooth,Trip computer with Distance till Empty and Outside temperature Display and the radio sounds good for what it is.. a 4 Speaker MP3 CD with USB.
The rear seat is comfortable and easy on the back... Its not a park bench. Every door gets a bottle holder big enough for 600ml Coke bottle or 1litre Sports drink bottles.
The boot has a 12v outlet and is split level so you can store things under the false floor.
There is a decent amount of rear leg room and head room in the back seat even for a 6.1ft chunky brother like me...

Downsides :
Although the rear seat is Comfortable, 3 People are gonna be a tight squeeze.. More suited to 2 people on a long trip as opposed to 3.
Even though every door gets a bottle holder, there is no rear arm rest or cup holders so could get a little tiring on long journeys.(Base model)
Base Model Auto has no manual mode..
The 1.6 litre motor on the CVT is best described as Adequate rather than outstanding.
You also only get a space saver spare wheel...
The rear hatch has a small rear window so rear visibility makes a reversing camera mandatory and sadly this is a $1100 option.(Upper spec models get Camera and sat nav as standard)
Towing capacity is 400kg unbraked or 1200 Braked so even though the S-cross is a larger vehicle than the SX4, It is also lighter and the 1.6 litre engine doesn't display a huge amount of Torque.
The Gap between the Base model GL and the next level up is HUGE...
Entry models start at $23G and then the Next model up is $29G (Add another $2500 if you want Auto on the base model ) The range topper with AWD and Leather Interior is $37G..
The Top Spec Model is really well fitted out but comes with a matching price tag.

Conclusion
If your in the market for a Wagon that has the ride height of an SUV then the S-cross fits the bill.
If you can do some wheeling and dealing and get a good Price then its good value. Take advantage of the Free Auto upgrade while it lasts as spending $2500 on a Auto transmission in this vehicle is not worth it.
I cannot see the Value in this Vehicle if it was not for the free auto upgrade. $26G would be too much to pay for what you get. $23G is a far better price.
The Manual model is more sporty than the CVT and is a better choice of transmission for the base model...

As with all cars.. its a matter of personal tastes...
Take one for a test drive.. I was surprised with the performance of such a small motor in such a big car... but Suzuki should have given it a Turbo at least to make up for the lack of capacity.

We take delivery at the end of the month so stay tuned for a long term review..

[murcod]

From memory Suzuki cut a lot of weight out of the S Cross (compared to equivalent models from other manufacturers) - hence their reasoning for the smaller engine. I can't help but feel Suzuki is fast taking over from Toyota with their bland new models.

[magnat]

The S-cross is not a bad looking Vehicle... It is styled to compete with its competition mainly the ASX and the Qashqai..

Nissan has over done their SUV range.. they are all priced too close together and the equipment levels don't vary enough..

You are correct murcod they did cut ALOT of weight out of the S-Cross at the same time they did make it larger.

The figures are pretty impressive at 5.8 litres per 100k's from a meduim sized vehicle.. Its not a small vehicle but its not a huge one either..
Ample room on the inside and for it size the boot is pretty genorous..

[murcod]

BTW, if they're like the Kizashi CVT the "flappy paddles" are apparently "plug and play". (Some people have fitted them to lower model Kizashi's and it was simply a matter of plugging them in and they work.)

[magnat]

The Gearbox out lay is P,R,N,D L I am not sure what it is in the Kisashi but the M mode is missing from the selection

[murcod]

Yes, I actually noticed on the Suzuki site they spec the upper models as being 7 speeds ,but the lower trim levels it just says CVT with no mention of speeds. Even one of the paddle equipped models is only listed as being a "CVT"
Does it drive like a 7 speed stepped auto trans?

http://www.suzuki.com.au/vehicles/model ... ifications

[magnat]

To tell the truth the shifts were so smooth and responsive it was hard to tell.

[murcod]

The fact you mention it "shifting" indicates it's stepped. With a proper CVT (not set up with imaginary gear ratios) it would operate with a similar sensation to a clutch that is slipping badly with a manual trans - the engine revs might remain constant but you're accelerating. If you floored it the revs would remain very high and not vary until you lift off - but you'd be accelerating.

Needless to say, people aren't used to an engine / trans behaving in that manner (which is why manufactuers seem to use the transmission's software to artificially create fixed gear ratios.) It sort of defeats the purpose of the CVT though.

[alien]

Wait till the new CX-3 (Mazda) comes out at the end of March.

[magnat]

We pick up the S-Cross at the end of this month...
Never been a Mazda fan.. RX7 Series 6.. Sure... just not anything else with a Mazda badge

[magnat]

Well the S-cross GL Arrived.
There is only one way to describe it.. An extended Suzuki Swift and no I am not talking about the Suzuki swift sport.

Riding on 16 inch rims gives it a 6 inch ride height.. which is not SUV standard.
The GL is very basic and I mean basic.. The interior is nice but you do notice the amount of blank spaces where things SHOULD be.
I now understand the $5 G price gap between the models.. as you do miss out on a fair bit of kit.
The GL has great headroom in the rear due to the fact you dont get the panoramic sunroof which lowers the roof height by 5cm.. meaning my head would have hit the roof sitting in the drivers seat.


The shelf price is supposed to be $25,740 with the Auto CVT.... and I cannot see the value in it. Charging $2500 for a CVT Auto that does not have the ability to be manually shifted is just not right The Entry Auto is just that.. Entry level.

I have found out what the L selection on the Gear selector does... Next to nothing. The L mode is supposed to increase engine braking on downhill decents and increase Engine RPM on Hills... I found it hardly did a thing.

The Sport button does do what it advertises.. It increases the rev range in D for a more sportier drive... Its a little quicker off the line with the Sport button engaged.

If you can get a Auto GL for $22,990 then this vehicle does make sense.. but not at the price they expect you to pay.

If Suzuki Included the paddle shifting 7 speed CVT and AWD without the mode swapping options as a standard fitment then this vehicle would be worth the $25,740 price tag.

Despite the Brochures stating it has 4 speakers and Tweeters.... The GL has 4 door speakers only. Whilst its not a bad sounding unit... Its not the best. It does a good job of filling the cabin but it sounds a little flat
no matter how you tune it.. The Dash lights up red at night with the Instrument cluster lighting up blue and white. The Premium speaker pack option might have fixed the flat sounding stereo..but at $1500... was a little touch much.

[Chop]

Those and many others are the exact reasons this model has not sold well. The price is far too much for what you get, and other manufacturers have cars with all the bells and whistles for less.

[murcod]

You'd also be wanting a more powerful engine if you were laying out more $$$ over the base model. Then throw in the extra expense of 6mth service intervals (instead of 12mth like a lot of the competition.)

A Honda HRV works out to just over the half the cost in servicings- with it's longer 12mth interval. Purchase price is about $5k more for the base model, but it's a lot better specced and has a more powerful engine (105kW and 172Nm vs 86kW and 156Nm.) It has a reversing camera and 7" touch screen stereo standard too.

[magnat]

The 1.6 needs a turbo.. Around town its ok but in the hills it NEEDS more juice.
As I said for $19,990 its priced perfectly for what you get... Not $25G...
We are happy with paying the $19,990 but definitely would not recommend buying unless you can get the same sort of deal..
The Boot is pretty damned big.. Back seat is comfy but really does need that centre seat divider which you do get in the upper spec'd models.
Having 4 bottle holders is handy but only 2 cup holders in the front row is a bit of a set back..

The SX4 is a better vehicle than the S-Cross for the money.. OK it might be smaller but you get more power !

[30ONA]

Im considering a new scross glx. Has anyone got a recent one. Any issues? I'm wondering what the build quality will be like a it is made in Hungary.

Are there any known issues?

[30ONA]

Tried to get a price, apparently it's discontinued and only models already here will be sold. Might steer clear of it.