S-Cross 1.6 Road Test Review

We all know that Maruti Suzuki is an extremely strong brand. We also know that Maruti Suzuki sells its products, not based on the number of cylinders carved out in its engines, but the fuel efficiency the cars deliver, the affordable prices, the easy availability of spares and service and its widespread network of dealerships and service points. And we also know that the Maruti Suzuki story is good as long as it is in the mass market arena. Step into the up market world of expensive cars, Maruti Suzuki enters a shaky ground. But all that is going to change, or so says the company.

Now with the new S-Cross, the Maruti name takes a back seat and Suzuki gets a predominant role to play. This new crossover is a Suzuki Cross or an S-Cross to be precise. The new crossover from the company will be sold exclusively through Nexa outlets that have sprung up across the country. There are 30 odd Nexa outlets already ready, and more will come up in course of time. The would-be customers of the S-Cross will have exclusive attention at these outlets. The company is promising an out of the world experience when they go out to buy the S-Cross.

So what is all the hype about the new S-Cross. We drove the crossover from Mumbai to Nashik in Maharashtra, a distance of over 160km. It was a good enough distance to check out its qualities. On the looks front, it does not have too much of the oomph factor. It’s got a decent styling all over, with a lot of excitement in its rear design, but the body lines could have been a little more exciting. One look at the car, and we can make out it’s part of the Maruti Suzuki family. Is that good? Yes and No. Yes, because when you are part of a family like Maruti Suzuki, you are assured of a lot of good things like solid build, sound engineering, good fuel efficiency, great sales and service, easy availability of spare parts etc. But when you tell the world you are part of a   standalone family, and sell the car through the Nexa outlet of Suzuki, then expectations are high and the customers are different. It’s like the young boy in a family trying to set up a new home away from parents… it gets a bit difficult but they eventually succeed.

Even though the styling misses the great oomph factor, the S-Cross has everything else right about it. The vehicle is being offered with only two engine options and both are diesel. Personally I feel that a petrol mill should have also been there because a crossover is still a sedan in a way and a lot of people prefer a petrol mill in their cars even today even though a price difference still exists between the petrol and diesel fuels.

With the green lobby gunning for diesel vehicles and wanting to reduce their life span in cities like Delhi, a petrol engine would have come as a great option for many customers. Of the two diesel engines on offer, one is a DDiS 320 DOHC engine with a capacity of 1598cc with four cylinders. It will deliver 118 bhp@3750 rpm and a peak torque of 320Nm@1750 rpm.  The other engine, the DDiS 200 DOHC will be a 1248 cc with 4 cylinders. The engine will deliver 88bhp @4000 rpm and a peak torque of 200 Nm@1750 rpm. The crossover will come with a 2 wheel drive.

The DDiS 320 will have three variants – Delta, Zeta and Alpha, the DDiS 200 will have five variants – Sigma, Sigma (O), Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

The vehicle has an overall length of 4300mm, with a width of 1765 mm and an overall height of 1590mm with roof rail. It will have a wheelbase of 2600mm and will have a ground clearance of 180mm. While the 1.6 litre crossover will come with a 6 speed manual transmission, the 1.3 litre version will have a 5 speed manual transmission. With a tyre size of 2015/60R16, the vehicle has McPherson strut with coil spring for the front suspension and Torsion beam with coil spring for the rear suspension. 

The crossover comes with special features like cruise control, rain sensing auto wiper, all wheel disc brakes, auto IRVM, self adjusting clutch and fully synchronised reverse gear mechanism and high intensity discharge projector headlamps with auto function, among others.  The S-Cross has a smooth flowing roof line that slopes downward towards the rear.

Interior features include smart play infotainment system with 18cm touch panel display, Bluetooth, smart phone connectivity, navigation system.  It will also have a premium meter cluster- high definition TFT screen, rear parking sensor display, adjustable front central arm, auto AC, tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. The vehicle boasts of a boot space of 353 litres which can be increased to 810 litres when the rear seats are folded. It has a 60:40 rear seat split with two step recline.

Even though the car has a kind of plain Jane look in the front, its headlamps are smart, but the bonnet and the grille could have been a tad more stylish. But as I looked at it from all angles, I was quite impressed with its side and rear Profiles. The rear, there is no doubt, looks very chic. 

Like all crossovers, the S-Cross too is based on a new sedan platform but has been designed to make it look like an SUV.

Step inside the S-Cross and you step into a chic environment. There is a great element of freshness in the vehicle, be it its features, its inner fascia design, the TFT screen, the leather seats, the tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. It drives well too. The torque is very linear as one accelerates and the power too is adequate to zip along. Gear movement too is very easy and efficient. In July 2015 while Maruti Suzuki launches its S-Cross, its closest competitor Hyundai Motor India will be launching the Creta, a compact kind of SUV. The latter is definitely attractive.

But with the S-Cross one can be assured of a lot of peace of mind and sound engineering. The S-Cross will also score on the pricing front. It’s simple when it comes to the S-Cross, it’s family for millions of Indians and there is nothing above FAMILY!