Suzuki S-Cross trial run at the wheel of the 1.4 Boosterjet Hybrid bvm AllGrip

 After our first test of the automatic version of the Suzuki S-Cross, we spent a weekend behind the wheel of its counterpart with a 6-speed manual transmission. Let's remember in the preamble that this "new" S-Cross, launched in 2022, is in fact only a deeply redesigned version of the original S-Cross, which appeared in 2013, and restyled in 2016... Apart from a significantly modernized dress, this compact SUV retains its architecture, its size (4.30 m) and its unique engine. We therefore find the small 4-cylinder 1.4 liter turbo micro-hybrid 48 volts; it is in fact an alternator-starter which, by delivering 10 Kw and 53 Nm, makes it possible to assist the 4-cylinder in certain operating phases. With 129 hp and 235 Nm, from 2,000 rpm, it provides great flexibility while offering sufficient performance. It is appreciated more on the torque than in the turns where it suffers from significant inertia when lifting the foot, the engine speed requiring a lag time before descending. Judiciously staged despite a 6th gear favoring the highway, its box however suffers from a command that is both a little slow and catchy; we are far from the precision of those of his compatriots Mazda or Honda which, it is true, are a reference. There remains the possibility of choosing the automatic version mentioned above, equipped with a classic converter transmission, very smooth but also a little slow

In this AllGrip version, equipped with all-wheel drive, this S-Cross offers perfectly balanced behavior, coupled with excellent traction. Behavior that benefits from well-calibrated damping whose softness also serves comfort, reinforced by 17” tires with a relatively high sidewall (55). The roominess is average for the segment and can accommodate a small family in good conditions, in front of a boot with a volume varying from 430 to 1,269 litres. The only downside is a rear roof guard, amputated, on our test version, by a roof lowered by a few precious centimeters by a superb panoramic sunroof. It remains, finally, to deal with a rather dated interior presentation with a certain number of hard plastics of very ordinary quality.