WITH sporty styling and a wealth of on-board technology, the Suzuki S-Cross is a very competent compact SUV that's vying for sales in a fiercely competitive sector.
With rivals such as the Renault Captur and Vauxhall Mokka on the radar, the S-Cross can easily hold its own.
It's a great looking five-door model powered by a punchy, yet efficient 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine and it delivers on the performance front too.
Our car in SZ-T trim level was priced at £20,749 but the optional Sphere Blue paint job added an extra £500 to the final price-tag.
The tiny Boosterjet engine can power the S-Cross to 62mph from a standing start in 11.0 seconds and it has a top speed of 112mph.
According to official figures, the car can deliver combined fuel economy of 44.9mpg with carbon emissions of 142g/km (WLTP figure).
The S-Cross may be small in size, but it's very big in character with eye-catching good looks.
Features include 17-inch polished alloy wheels, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, rear privacy glass, wheel arch extensions and under protection mouldings, black front and door pillars, a distinctive chrome front grille, LED daytime running lights and silver roof rails.
Move inside and the clutter-free interior offers room for four adults to travel in comfort and there's plenty of storage space too with a boot capacity of 430 litres.
Drop the 60:40 split folding rear seats and that limit increases to 875 litres. In addition, there are plenty of handy compartments to store away any goodies, including an underfloor storage area in the boot.
On the technology front, the S-Cross scores highly with a neat touchscreen complete with navigation system, a six-speaker sound system, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, dual zone air conditioning, rain sensing wipers, automatic lights, full smartphone connectivity and plenty more besides.
When it comes to performance, Suzuki seems to have hit the jackpot with its lively three-cylinder, 111ps 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine mated to a nicely timed five-speed manual gearbox. It pulls strongly and on motorwaysit cruises effortlessly at the maximum national speed limit.
Admittedly, the noise within the cabin is accentuated somewhat with additional road surface, engine and wind noise filtering through, but there is ample power on tap from this compact powertrain.
The suspension does a fairly thorough job of ironing out the poor road surfaces, but an unexpected pothole will send the car off track.
The car, which achieved a maximum five stars when it was tested for its Euro NCAP rating, is fitted with a wealth of features to protect occupants and passengers alike, as well as a number of driver aids to help prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
Specifications include the likes of anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, electronic stability program, hill hold control, side impact protection beams, ISOFIX child seat fixtures, a tyre pressure monitor, parking sensors, a rear parking camera, cruise control with speed limiter and seven airbags.