Safer 2022 Suzuki S-Cross in Australia soon: A fresh look and added features for facelifted SUV rival to the Mazda CX-30, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR and Haval Jolion

Suzuki is set to unveil a facelifted S-Cross SX4 for 2022, with a new nose, tail and interior, as well as an expected updated powertrain and improved safety systems.

Slated for a reveal later this month, Australian sales are expected to start sometime in the first quarter of next year.

This will be the JY-series S-Cross’ second makeover since launching in 2014, in an attempt to give the slow-selling SUV/crossover a fresh injection of interest against far-fresher rivals such as the latest Nissan Qashqai, Mazda CX-30, Toyota C-HR and Haval Jolion.

Read More About Suzuki S-Cross

2021 Suzuki S-Cross pricing and specs detailed: Mitsubishi ASX, MG ZS, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30 and Toyota C-HR rival now costs more 2022 Suzuki Jimny, Swift, Baleno, Vitara, Ignis and S-Cross get big multimedia upgrade for MY22 S-Cross news and reviews

We understand production of the existing model ceased in August.

The facelift will centre around a new-look front end that is designed to soften the toothy face of the current version released five years ago, while alterations to the rear should bring a more contemporary style.

Likewise, the dashboard is expected to come in for big revisions, bringing with it Suzuki’s recently-announced next-generation multimedia system as well as – hopefully – a digital auxiliary speedo as part of a restyled instrumentation panel.

Of more importance is the availability of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) for the first time in the S-Cross in Australia, to significantly boost the model’s safety specification. Also expect to see other improved or upgraded safety systems, including up-to-date blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control technologies.

Tested by Euro NCAP in late 2013, the current-generation S-Cross scored five stars back then, but in its existing guise would not under the latest crash-test regime, so the implementation of AEB and other safety is a big step in the right direction.

We also understand that different colours, trims and wheel designs will be rounding out the visual changes in the 2022 S-Cross, but the makeover doesn’t end there.

According to overseas reports, an improved 1.5-litre 48-volt mild-hybrid four-cylinder petrol engine will be introduced for Europe and some other markets, with a substantially more powerful electrical system and possibly a newly-available six-speed automatic transmission to join the existing manual version.

The existing mild-hybrid powertrain released in 2020 cuts emissions by 20 per cent and boosts torque by 15 per cent compared to the equivalent non-electrified variants, so the anticipated benefits of the MY22 version should make this a worthwhile development.

Whether we see the 1.5-litre hybrid in Australia is unknown, as the S-Cross has been offered solely with Suzuki’s punchy 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine since late 2016. Driving either the front or all four wheels depending on grade via a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, it delivers 110kW of power and 220Nm of torque.

It is expected that – like its far-more popular Vitara smaller SUV sibling that shares the same Suzuki Global C architecture – the 2022 S-Cross will continue to be sourced from Magyar Suzuki’s plant in Hungary. The series is also made in India and China, but not in Japan.

Finally, given how relatively minor the facelift is, some reports suggest that the MY22 S-Cross will be a stop-gap measure until an all-new, third-generation crossover arrives sometime in 2024 or later. It’s unknown whether the latter will be the much-touted YFG model.

Whatever the case, the unveiling is not far away, so stay tuned, as we will fill you in with all the latest Suzuki S-Cross news as they break.