Again and again, Suzuki likes to launch new car, yet without any showroom unit of test drive unit for people that are interested in the brand. When it brought in the Jinmy, and until today, most dealers are so lazy to "layan" you, and told you straight no test drive, no show room unit. So when Suzuki launched the SX4 S-Cross, this will be the similar expectation. Although the car is fully loaded, but a jump from the old SX4 sub RM90k pricing to a hefty RM130k will only mark the car with label "only for the niche" or "if you were crazy"! The S-Cross though marked the arrival of a Jap's urban SUV, will definitely lose out when it competes head-on with the Peugeot 2008 or Ford Ecosport, especially with its boring old 1.6-litre engine and CVT gearbox.
| Suzuki S-Cross | Peugeot 2008 | Ford Ecosport | Great Wall M4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Power | 115HP/156Nm | 120HP/145Nm | 109HP/142Nm | 105HP/138Nm |
| Transmission | CVT | 4-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed (AMT) |
| Engine Capacity | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe |
| Cruise Control | Yes | No | No | No |
| Airbags | 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| Wheel | 17" | 16" | 16" | 16" |
| Price | 130k | 120k | 104k | 60k |
When a crossover is overpriced like the Suzuki S-Cross, one could always look elsewhere, either by spending less to get a continental Peugeot 2008 or one could spend slightly more to look at a C-Segment sedan such as the Toyota Altis or Honda Civic, or even remain the crossover ownership by having a Subaru XV or Mitsubishi ASX! Anyhow, Suzuki is only making the number with the Swift, which with the latest facelifted model, looks dated now! Adding the lousy salesperson, dealerships and after sales service.
The S-Cross is Suzuki attempt to bring back its mass, but it is doom to fail now. However, it is definitely a good car as it is fully loaded. 7 airbags to start the safety list, adding on those standard Hill Hold Assist, Traction Control, ABS, EBD and BA. Off course, at this price, you get the auto headlight and wiper, GPS Navigation audio unit, cruise control and the very special double sliding panoramic sun roof. But again, do all these worth the RM130k price tag?
With no test drive unit, and not even a show room unit, no one is allow to even take a deep look at the interior as they claimed this is a customer unit. Not going to push for it, and if you are a clever consumer, you will not be getting the S-Cross anyway.
A peek inside the car reveal boring dashboard and meter cluster. The S-Cross is not for the stylish, not for the sporty...and maybe only suitable for the soccer mum who use it to ferry kids to the field or school! To Suzuki, if you want to sell, train your dealers, and force them to invest in a test drive unit!
