Review- Suzuki full hybrid S-Cross

S-Cross, Suzuki’s small SUV is a good all rounder that is not the most exciting car on the road but has plenty to recommend it - including the price.

On the road cost starts at £26,749, our top spec Allgrip four-wheel drive in Ultra trim was £32,049 with an extra £550 for the metallic paint.

We were testing the new full hybrid which complements the 1.4 Boosterjet model with its 48-volt mild-hybrid technology.

This has a four-cylinder 1.5-litre engine and a larger capacity battery to improve fuel consumption and emissions still further.

Official figures are a combined 48.7mpg and we came close to replicating that over a week of mixed driving - much of it on short trips - which is pretty impressive.

However, we do have some issues with the raucous note of the engine under acceleration and the clunky automated manual transmission which struggles at times and is difficult to get a smooth drive out of.

Persuading the engine and transmission to work seamlessly together is a bit of a hit and miss affair and it is particularly noticeable when overtaking and on rapid acceleration.

Acceleration from 0-62mph is 13.5 seconds with a top speed of 108mph and an output of 113bhp so not the most powerful. S-Cross is at its best around town and on rural B-roads - particularly with the four-wheel drive.

Long journeys on motorways and fast A-roads are wont to prove tiring due to the issues mentioned above with the engine noise and transmission.

However, despite these misgivings, the S-Cross is neat and compact and very easy to live with. The turning circle is tight and the steering responsive.

Where the S-Cross hybrid really stands out among others in the class and price bracket though is on the levels of equipment it comes with as standard.

It has a full raft of safety kit including seven airbags, hill hold, blind spot monitor, cross traffic alert and lane departure warning and correction.

Headlights are LED, it has keyless entry and starting, heated leather seats, climate control and adaptive cruise control with speed limiter. Unusually it comes with a manual parking brake which is a welcome change as far as I’m concerned.

There is a 360-degree camera, which is not brilliant at night, and front and rear parking sensors as well as a rear parking camera.

The 9in touchscreen is responsive and easy to use and controls the sat nav and many other functions - although the climate control is via decent-sized knobs underneath. There’s Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android auto are integrated and there is a USB connector - two would have been better.

Up front, there’s plenty of room for driver and front passenger but those sitting in the back will feel a bit squashed with legroom and headroom tight.

The boot is not particularly roomy at 293 litres but with the seats folded it opens up to a credible 665 litres. There is a removable double height floor and a couple of hooks for shopping bags.

Specification

Suzuki S-Cross hybrid

Price: £32,049 (£32,599 as tested)

Engine: 1.5- litre full hybrid

Power: 113bhp

Torque: 101lb/ft

Transmission: six-speed automatic manual

Top speed: 108mph

0-62mph: 13.5 seconds

Economy: 48.7mpg

CO 2 emissions:132g/km