Suzuki S-Cross Turbo Prestige 2020 Review

In terms of pricing, packaging and equipment, the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross looks okay at the top end, where it fields the Turbo Prestige model at $29,990 plus on-road costs.

This slightly undercuts some of its much bigger-selling rivals including the Mitsubishi ASX, Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos and Toyota C-HR.

But, beneath that, the Suzuki has virtually nowhere to go.

The cheapest S-Cross is the Turbo, which is priced at $28,490 plus ORCs and comes with just about everything that’s on the Turbo Prestige and saves you just $1500.

For Suzuki, this limited price spread is an undoubted disadvantage. You can, for instance, buy a Mitsubishi ASX for as little as $23,990 plus ORCs – and spend not much more for a base Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos or Honda HR-V.

This is not to say the S-Cross, at top-spec Prestige level, fares badly. While sat-nav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (the latter was missing in early facelift versions), climate control, push-button start and 17-inch alloy wheels are all S-Cross regulars, the Prestige adds leather-look seat trim, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors and dusk-sensing LED headlights.

No, the headlights don’t dip automatically (unlike comparable Mitsubishi ASX and Toyota C-HR variants), the interior plastics are a little firm, there’s no powered or heated seating, and nor are there any rear air-vents.

But the S-Cross, regardless of version, is nevertheless welcoming, spacious and not at all low-rent.

The downfall is the yawning black hole that looms when you start searching for safety technology.

In the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert are all conspicuously absent.

It might have been awarded five stars by Euro NCAP in 2013 and continued with the top rating through to 2017. But if tested by today’s ANCAP standards which require AEB to get the maximum score, it would fare nowhere near as well – certainly at carsales where an absence of AEB automatically rules a car out of contention for our annual Car of the Year awards.

The standard reversing camera and rear-only parking sensors barely compensate for the lack of advanced driver-assist safety features.

The S-Cross does get electronic stability control, ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. There are also dual front and side airbags, full-length head-protecting curtain airbags and a driver’s knee bag.

But there’s none of that feeling so common today that you’re being monitored by some higher being ready to protect you while navigating the streets and the freeways, or as an unwilling participant in stop-start peak-period traffic.

The safety shortfalls may partly explain why the S-Cross is attracting only about 50 buyers into showrooms each month, and why its Vitara sibling outsells it at a ratio of almost 10 to one (although only top-spec Vitaras come with AEB).

The fact that Vitara bidding opens at $22,290 – $6200 less than the entry-level Turbo S-Cross – is undoubtedly a major factor too.

The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine in the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross comes almost directly from the Suzuki Swift Sport (which has a tad more torque, at higher rpm) or the Suzuki Vitara Turbo, and fronts up with a respectable power-to-weight ratio that owes plenty to S-Cross’ feathery 1170kg kerb weight which puts it at least 200kg below most of its rivals.

The conservative 103kW maximum is produced fairly low in the rpm band, at 5500rpm, while the solid-for-capacity 220Nm of torque is already at full deployment by 1500rpm.

Combined with the Suzuki S-Cross’ light weight, this helps fuel consumption no end. At a claimed 5.9L/100km the S-Cross is comfortably ahead of the bulk of its rivals – and, at 138g/km, emits less CO2 as well. Our review car didn’t quite match official economy figures but we figured our real-world 6.5L/100km was pretty decent nonetheless.

With this favourable power-weight balance, the Suzuki S-Cross feels pretty light-footed and ready to go. There’s no appreciable turbo lag and it delivers a decent rush of power when you want it, such as overtaking on the open road.

The conventional six-speed auto goes about its business quietly and competently and can be coerced into a bit more involvement via the shift paddles on the steering wheel that are standard on both S-Cross variants.

On its suspension, which comprises MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam axle at the rear, the S-Cross rides a bit firmly but tends not to buck and bounce on abrupt, tight-spaced dips or humps, and ends up being quite comfortable and controlled in most circumstances.

Though there’s some occasional front-drive torque effect, the S-Cross steers pretty well, showing a bit of weight at the (leather-padded) wheel rim and going from lock to lock in exactly three turns. The turning circle is quoted at a handy 10.4 metres, which matches most of its rival small SUVs.

If you’re buying any sort of SUV, its utility as a passenger carrier and luggage consumer is likely to be a priority. And in both these respects, the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross deals a few aces.

Minimum luggage capacity is quoted at 430 litres, which puts it ahead of many of its rivals. Dropping down the 60/40-split folding rear seats opens it all up to 1269 litres.

The boot is pretty neat too, with upper and lower floor levels that leave the option of maximising the boot height by removing the upper floor altogether, or leaving it in place to provide a handy spot for hiding those things you’d rather leave unseen. The upper floor can also be positioned at an angle, so it provides simultaneous access to both boot levels.

And inviting four full-grown adults aboard is not likely to cause any discomfort as legroom, shoulder-room and headroom are about as good as you’ll find in the small SUV segment and are close to what you might find in some mid-sizers.

There are no complaints about seat comfort either, and there’s a good supply of storage spaces including a deep bin between the front seats with a sliding armrest cover and a USB port, a small cubby ahead of the shift lever, cup holders in the centre console and a (single) pocket behind the front passenger seat. The six-speaker audio system does a pretty good job too.

With the absence of a competitive price leader and the shortfall in safety technology, the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross does itself no favours trying to attract the attention of would-be buyers.

Its Vitara sibling, though admittedly more utilitarian to look at, is way better positioned in terms of model spread and does most everything just as well as the S-Cross.

Put the S-Cross’ deficits aside, however, and it’s a worthy player in this style-conscious segment of the SUV market.

Its expansive cabin, versatile boot configuration, not-so-stingy equipment (standard sat-nav, climate control and leather-look trim help make you feel a bit special) and nicely-rounded on-road behaviour place it smack in the middle of a hard-fought segment.

On top of this are the excellent fuel economy and the eco-friendly emissions readings which tend to help the S-Cross stand out among its peers.

There’s also solid aftersales back-up, with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years of both roadside assistance and capped-price servicing.

But finding traction in such a heavily-populated region of the SUV market, even if there weren’t any elephants in the room to contend with, will continue to be a challenge for Suzuki.

With no word of a replacement in the wings it seems, in many ways, that the Suzuki S-Cross may have missed the boat.

Or is it perhaps simply in a segment where the big-hitters hold sway and Suzuki’s traditional USPs – unique selling propositions – aren’t quite so obvious?

How much does the 2020 Suzuki S-Cross Turbo Prestige cost?
Price: $29,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 103kW/220Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 138g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2013)