By: Dave Abrahams
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire - Suzuki has announced a comprehensive makeover for its S-Cross crossover, analogous to the SX4 that we get in South Africa, including a new one-litre turbopetrol three with nine percent more torque than the naturally aspirated 1.6 it replaces.
The S-Cross will be available in Europe with either one-litre or 1.4-litre direct-injection turbopetrol power, or a 1.6-litre DDiS turbodiesel from October 2016.
The 1.0 Boosterjet is rated at 81kW, with 170Nm on tap from 2000-3500rpm, while its four-cylinder 1.4-lite sibling is good for 103kW and 220Nm, the latter available from just 1500rpm. That'll launch it from standstill to 100km/h in 10.2s, with a claimed top speed of 198km/h.
That will, will, however, leave Suzuki Auto South Africa in a bit of a quandary when the facelifted version gets here, since the current model is available in South Africa only in 1.6-litre petrol format.
Suzuki SA says it is 'studying' the new models, but that no decision has yet been made on which derivatives will be released here.
Bolder styling
The 2017 S-Cross gets a chunkier (we didn't say clunkier), more upright front end with a lot more chrome, and new, more efficient headlight clusters. New LED tail-light clusters also help clean up the rear styling.
More practical, however, is the revised suspension that gives the 2017 models an extra 15mm of ground clearance, from 165mm to 180mm.
The interior has been updated with a new soft-touch dashboard pad, new trim elements on the centre stack and new seat fabric (on models without leather seats).
Standard kit in Europe includes, aircon, cruise control, daytime running lights, Bluetooth connectivity, 16 inch alloys, an electronic stability programme and seven airbags.
More upscale models add projector headlights, front foglights, silver roof rails, tinted glass, leather upholstery, a double sliding panorama sunroof, satnav, parking sensors with reversing camera, and climate control.
As soon as we hear Suzuki's plans for what we know as the SX4, so will you.