Suzuki's S-Cross compact SUV gains a sharper look and more equipment but otherwise continues as before, offering the brand's 48V mild hybrid tech courtesy of the company's 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol engine. The electrification claims to deliver a 20% running cost improvement. Plus there's plenty of space for a crossover of this size, lots of kit for the money and, unusually in this class, the option of a proper lockable 4WD system in the top version.

Suzuki must find it frustrating to see other brands doing so well in the thriving Crossover market. The Japanese maker has, after all, been offering products of this sort for some time, most notably the first generation SX4 model, originally launched way back in 2006, easily pre-dating the original Nissan Qashqai that most people think pioneered this class of car. That very first SX4 was a little too small, a little too shy and retiring and a little too poorly promoted to set the sales charts alight the way its Nissan competitor did, but Suzuki watched, learnt and came back fighting. As a result, in 2014 we got the SX4 S-Cross, a much more competitive proposition and a model that's gradually evolved. In 2020 it gained mild hybrid assistance for its 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol engine and in late 2021, the looks were facelifted too, creating the car we're going to look at here, a compact SUV but a particularly spacious and really quite efficient one.

This revised S-Cross carries over the 1.4 Boosterjet Hybrid 129hp petrol engine used on the pre-facelift model. You may be familiar with the way that mild hybrid engines work but just in case not, here's a quick re-cap. Basically, energy that would otherwise be lost when braking or cruising off-throttle is harvested via a kinetic energy recovery system and sent to a small lithium-ion battery that here has been placed beneath the front passenger seat. This is used to drive a belt-driven 'ISG' unit (an 'Integrated Starter/Generator') and power the engine's stop/start system. Suzuki's current 48-volt set-up can also deliver a couple of other important benefits. The first is something quite unusual amongst current mild hybrids - the ability for this car to idle and even coast on full-electric power, though only below 10mph. The other benefit here is something supposed to be now quite common amongst mild hybrid models - the ability to 'torque-fill' under acceleration to compensate for turbo lag. Which is just as well because this S-Cross Hybrid's 'K14D'-series engine was reduced in power a little when the MHEV tech was added to it, plus the car's electrified tech adds 65kgs of extra weight (in the case of the ALLGRIP 4WD version). But at the same time it gained 5Nm of torque (235Nm in total). The 62mph sprint takes 10.2 en route to 118mph. There's an auto gearbox option. And the brand's proper lockable ALLGRIP 4WD system is fitted to the top 'Ultra' variant.

Visually, the S-Cross has always looked rather dull, so the aesthetic changes made here will be welcomed by dealers, giving this SUV a bolder, more muscular design that enhances its presence with larger and more angular wheel arches and smooth flowing lines. The front design incorporates a raised bonnet line, a piano black front grille and new design 'three LED position' headlamps supposed to help portray a high centre of gravity. This theme continues at the rear with larger combination lamps that integrate horizontally with the rear centre garnish to emphasise a sense of width, in addition to roof rails and integrated rear spoiler. Otherwise, it's as you were. This car remains a mid-sized 'Qashqai'-class SUV that's a little larger than the norm, around 4,300mm in length. Inside, no changes have been made. Up front, it's an inoffensive but not unpleasant piece of design and the fixtures and fittings feel well screwed together from the Hungarian factory, although some of the materials are a bit scratchy. The centre-dash infotainment screen still has graphics that look a bit after-market but it certainly includes quite a lot, with sat nav and 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring as well as a DAB tuner and Bluetooth. The generous 2,600mm wheelbase length frees up plenty of interior room (the 430-litre boot is one of the biggest in the class) and there's very decent rear seat space too. Though the bench doesn't slide, the backrest reclines though a choice of two angles. The twin sunroofs of the top SZ5 model do rob a few centimetres of headroom though.

Suzuki's S-Cross compact SUV gains a sharper look and more equipment but otherwise continues as before, offering the brand's 48V mild hybrid tech courtesy of the company's 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol engine. The electrification claims to deliver a 20% running cost improvement. Plus there's plenty of space for a crossover of this size, lots of kit for the money and, unusually in this class, the option of a proper lockable 4WD system in the top version. Visually, the S-Cross has always looked rather dull, so the aesthetic changes made here will be welcomed by dealers, giving this SUV a bolder, more muscular design that enhances its presence with larger and more angular wheel arches and smooth flowing lines. The front design incorporates a raised bonnet line, a piano black front grille and new design 'three LED position' headlamps supposed to help portray a high centre of gravity. This theme continues at the rear with larger combination lamps that integrate horizontally with the rear centre garnish to emphasise a sense of width, in addition to roof rails and integrated rear spoiler. Otherwise, it's as you were. This car remains a mid-sized 'Qashqai'-class SUV that's a little larger than the norm, around 4,300mm in length.