Suzuki S-Cross 2023 review: Allgrip Prestige

The S-Cross has been revamped and the new styling works well. The previous model had a grille that wasn’t super stylish in its toothiness and chrome accents, but that’s been replaced by squared off edges, a blackened grille and sleek LED lights that makes the front look far more serious.

This facelift also sees a complete redesign on the rear and honestly, this is where the design loses me. I don’t love how rectangular, it is. The lights are also very blocky-looking, creating a discord with the (almost) sleek happenings at the front.

The interior hasn’t been forgotten either and the dashboard looks respectable with the mixed-material panels and cutaways, but on the whole, the cabin is let down by some more traditional looking features, like a rather huge gear shifter and handbrake, which I don’t mind so much. But coupled with plasticky flip-switches, buttons and manual seats… it’s like buying a newly built home but the kitchen is 10-years old. 

Front passengers will benefit the most in terms of headroom and legroom. The panoramic sunroof (only available on this model) does shave off some headspace but occupants in the back seat will notice this the most.

I feel fairly squished in the back seat and I’m 168cm tall (5'6"), so taller individuals might be in a spot of trouble for comfort.

The storage is pretty basic for a car of this size and you’ll be hard-pressed to fit much in the shallow glovebox or middle console.

Front passengers will benefit the most in terms of headroom and legroom. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Expect a fair amount of your cabin essentials to be on the seat with you or at your feet.

The boot is a good size for this class at 430L when all seats are in use but even though you can lower the cargo floor, it still feels a tad too shallow.

When the cargo floor is at its highest position, it creates a level load space, which should make it easier to slide items like a pram in and out. The deep pockets on the sides aid in stopping smaller items rolling around, too.

The boot capacity of the S-Cross measures at 430L. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It’s not hard to operate but there are things that start to irk you over time. Like the doors. They feel as if they’re not oiled and are cumbersome to open/close. So much so, that I’ve had to help my five-year old get in and out, which cramped his sense of independence.

The tech is a bit disjointed to use (more on that below) and while the panoramic sunroof is lovely, the grey shade doesn’t diffuse the light all that much. Which, will be awesome during the colder months but might get annoying during summer when you want a break from the glare of the sun.

The back seat lacks a few amenities to make it truly comfortable. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The seats are firm and wide but it’s a shame that even in the ‘top-spec’ model, they remain manual and there’s no additional lumbar support on the front seats. The front passengers do enjoy heated seats, though.

The back seat lacks a few amenities to make it truly comfortable, like directional air vents, extra storage or USB ports. Besides the handy compact size of the S-Cross, the usability can feel basic at times.

The new facelift sees an overhaul of the safety features and S-Cross now has items I like to see on a family car, like AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring.

The airbags remain the same, at seven, but at the time of writing, this particular model hasn’t been rated with ANCAP. Which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe, but it’s something to consider.

Front passenger space will be cramped when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

When you turn on the car, a 360-degree camera ‘welcome’ screen pops up and it’s a nice reminder to check your surroundings before starting your journey.

There are ISOFIX mounts on the outboard rear seats and three top tether child seat mounts but you’ll really only fit two seats side-by-side.

It was fairly easy to install my harnessed booster seat but front passenger space will be cramped when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

When turning on the car, a 360-degree camera ‘welcome’ screen pops that reminds the driver to check their surroundings. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Like some other brands, Suzuki has pared back the S-Cross line-up to just two models and finally beefed up some of the safety features on both. The Allgrip Prestige is the top model, and will cost you $44,490, before on-road costs.

The Prestige only adds five extra features on top of the base variant: a 9.0-inch multimedia system (as opposed to the standard 7.0-inch), synthetic leather-accented seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera, and a panoramic sunroof.

Unless you were desperate for these features, you could save yourself $5K by opting for the Allgrip model.

The Allgrip Prestige is the top model, and will cost you $44,490, before on-road costs. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The official combined fuel cycle is 6.2L/100km and I achieved just shy of that at 6.3L. Now, my driving style might contribute to that but I did push the engine this week, so that’s pretty impressive econ. If you’re in the city, I’d expect that to be higher.

The S-Cross comes with Suzuki’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for this class, but it also comes with five-year roadside assistance, which is a nice bonus.

It has five years capped-price servicing and services average $397, which is pretty standard for this class.

The S-Cross comes with Suzuki’s five-year/unlimited km warranty. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first and that could be painful if you clock a lot of kays every year.

The Prestige offers a decent features list but the price tag isn’t as competitive as it could be considering the overall finish on the S-Cross still feels a little old-school. Its nearest rivals, the Kia Seltos and Nissan Qashqai offer similar features but their designs feel modern and crisp.