Suzuki S-Cross 1.4 – Review
By Liam Bird, October 2026
Having spent the last seven years driving an aged Suzuki Jimny as my “between press cars” daily commuter, I have no reservations in saying that I’ve become quite the fan of Suzuki’s four-wheeled fare. Be it a Swift, an Ignis or Jimny (both of the latter sadly no longer available), or the perennial Vitara, Suzuki’s blend of practicality, economy, and perhaps best of all, reliability – Suzuki have in fact just topped the 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey, with a score of 97.8% – make owning a Suzuki very much a pleasure rather than a chore.
Add to that the brand’s Allgrip four-wheel system’s legendary go-anywhere abilities, which have proved themselves winter-after-flood-season, year upon year out here in The Far Unlit Unknown, and it’s perhaps easy to see why I held on to that little Jimny until it genuinely crumbled away beneath me. I’m now tempted to buy a well-looked-after 4WD Suzuki SX4 – well, as soon as I can find one within budget, that is.
“Long-established expertise”
If you know your Suzuki lineages, you’ll know that the SX4 was the car that became the SX4 S-Cross in 2013, after which it became the S-Cross in 2022. Having not driven an S-Cross since then, and perhaps missing my weekly Suzuki, I decided it was high time I reacquainted myself with Suzuki’s larger SUV. Besides which, Suzuki say of the S-Cross: “It is now replaced by an all-new model which takes advantage of Suzuki’s long-established expertise in packaging vehicles above their class with flexibility, an even higher level of safety equipment and the latest technology to meet the diverse needs of both driver and passengers.”
It’s quite a handsome, if perhaps somewhat sensible-looking thing, this latest S-Cross. It’s altogether bolder and more muscular than what went before. At the front there’s a raised bonnet line, piano black front grille and new-design three-LED position headlamps that help portray a high centre of gravity, a theme that continues at the rear with larger combination lamps that integrate with the horizontal light-bar to emphasise a sense of width. The S-Cross also benefits from roof rails and an integrated rear spoiler.
“Sensible rather than sexy”
Inside, in true Suzuki tradition, that sensible rather than sexy theme continues. There are proper – not touchscreen or haptic – controls for the air-con, and there’s a good, old-fashioned, lever-type handbrake. All the ergonomics are sound. The seats comfy – although there’s no lumbar adjustment – and you sit high, with commanding views of all that surrounds you. The boot is a decent size too, with a flat load lip to aid lugging life’s larger items.
Equipment is generous. All S-Cross models get seven airbags, 17-inch painted alloy wheels, three signature LED projector headlamps, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control with speed limiter, keyless entry and start, navigation, Intelligent Speed Control, Driver Monitoring System, dual-zone auto air conditioning, heated front seats, and front and rear parking sensors. Moving up to Ultra spec adds 17-inch polished alloy wheels, leather seat upholstery, panoramic sliding sunroof, and further driver safety and convenience in the form of a very comprehensive, and actually rather useful, 360-view camera.
If only the materials Suzuki have used to house all that in were of higher quality; the plastics tend to err on the hard and scratchy side, everything is all a bit black and sombre, and Suzuki’s doors tend to shut with more of a hollow-sounding clang than they do a solid-sounding clunk. Nevertheless, and as I’ve said many times before, Suzuki’s reputation for reliability is the envy of many a motor maker. Plus, they always give you a nice big button with which to switch the dreaded lane assist off.
“The science bit”
The lightness of the materials though does bring other advantages. The S-Cross is powered by Suzuki’s 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine, which was itself developed with the ethos of reducing weight and size but not at the cost of either performance or economy. The 1,373cc unit delivers similar levels of power and torque to that of a much larger capacity normally aspirated engine (think in the region of a 2.0-litre). And, being the clever engineers they are, Suzuki also added their 48V Hybrid Powertrain, which again is very lightweight in design and adds less than 15kg to the overall weight of the vehicle.
Here’s the science bit: The 48V system consists of a lithium-ion battery, Integrated Starter Generator (known as ISG) and a 48V-12V (DC/DC) converter to power components requiring lower voltage, including lights, audio, and air conditioning. The ISG acts as both a generator and starter motor, is belt-driven, and assists the petrol engine during vehicle take-off for a higher level of torque, with 235Nm available from 2,000rpm and up to 3,000rpm. The 48V system also has torque-fill control and torque boost features that add torque from the electric motor to engine torque during acceleration. Based on engine speed and throttle position, the engine ECU judges when the driver will accelerate and then uses electric motor assist to add additional torque. The 48V system can also bolster acceleration upon the driver’s request.
“Comfort rather than cornering”
Not that the S-Cross is the kind of car you hustle along; the steering is far too rubbery-feeling for such things, and the suspension has definitely been set up for comfort rather than cornering. The automatic box can be caught sleeping too; it’s best to reach for the paddle-shifters when attempting to overtake.
But the S-Cross Mild Hybrid will easily return its claimed near 48 mpg, it will cruise – albeit only for a short distance – at 70mph on electric power alone, it will seat five, and if you fold the rear seats down, I can assure you that you’ll be able to carry one of Lakeland’s larger heated drying racks back home after a Saturday afternoon’s shopping spree. Oh, the heady delights of middle age.
Which I suppose, albeit in a very roundabout way, brings us back to the appeal of the S-Cross. Think practical rather than exciting; reliable rather than racy, and sensible rather than sensational. Many a mid-size SUV will offer you the promise of something a little more attractive, a little more exciting, or a little more desirable. How many though, I wonder, in the long term, will prove themselves quite so easy and undemanding to live with?
Suzuki S-Cross 1.4 Boosterjet Mild Hybrid Ultra Allgrip Auto
Engine: 1,373 cc, (K14D): 4-Cyl, 16 valve, petrol hybrid
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 127 bhp @ 4,400rpm
Torque: 173 lb-ft @ 2,000 – 3,000rpm
0-62mph: 10.1 sec
Max Speed: 111 mph
CO2: 141 g/km
MPG: 47.8 Combined (WLTP)
Price: £33,949 (as driven £34,499)
