THEY are not the biggest car manufacturer by sales in the UK but in many ways Suzuki are officially the best.
The Japanese manufacturer has between one and two per cent of new car sales here but is repeatedly voted ‘most trusted’ brand as their dealers continue to get a big thumbs up from customers.
So the launch of a new car will be good news to many and those lovely people at Suzuki invited yours truly and fellow UK motoring hacks to an unveiling at a posh Cheshire hotel.
The 2022 S-Cross has a lot of other pluses – it is more economical than major competitors, well equipped and competitively priced, starting from £24,999 for two wheel drive versions up to £29,799 for a range topping 4×4. It goes on sale in January 2022.
Suzuki say their ‘all-new’ model has bold, dynamic SUV styling with a spacious and versatile interior plus all have 48V mild hybrid technology. There are now just two trim levels – Motion and Ultra.
All versions also have the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with Suzuki’s Boosterjet technology which gives CO2 emissions of just 120g/km and fuel consumption from 53.2 combined mpg for 2WD models with six-speed manual transmission.
ALLGRIP ‘Select’ four wheel drive is available as standard on Ultra grade while automated emergency braking, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and Adaptive Cruise Control are standard on all versions.
Standard specification also includes Apple CarPlay & Android Auto smartphone link, keyless entry and start, dual-zone auto air conditioning, heated front seats plus front and rear parking sensors.
Move up to Ultra specification and it adds a 360 view camera, leather upholstery, on-board navigation and a large sliding panoramic sunroof. Six-speed automatic transmission is available on both grades for £1,350.
So an extended test drive around the lanes and by-passes of Cheshire and North Wales gave us a good chance to try out this latest Suzuki and first impressions were good – it is comfortable and capable on road in both manual and auto guises and would clearly be an easy car to live with.
Suzuki say the new S-Cross has a more ‘bold and muscular’ design with larger and more angular wheel arches and smooth flowing lines. The front end design incorporates a raised bonnet line, black front grille and new three LED position headlamps that emphasise the SUV design. This theme continues at the rear with larger combination lamps that integrate horizontally to emphasise a sense of width, in addition to roof rails and integrated rear spoiler. The new design is complemented with a more spacious and versatile interior and an even higher standard and safety specification than the previous model.
Similar to the 12V Hybrid system that Suzuki pioneered in 2016 which is fitted to all Ignis and Swift 1.2-litre models, the 48V Hybrid Powertrain for new S-Cross is lightweight as it adds less than 15kg to the overall weight of the vehicle.
The system has a lithium-ion battery with integrated starter generator which acts as both a generator and starter motor, is belt driven and assists the petrol engine during acceleration. The battery stores energy recovered from deceleration and braking and incorporates an idle/stop function.
S-Cross is produced at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary, which also produces Vitara models for European markets as well as exports of both vehicles around the world.
Watch out for a full road test on the new S-Cross in the New Year.
By Motoring Editor Steve Howarth