Suzuki S-Cross long-term test: report 4
The S-Cross is one of the more grown-up and practical small SUVs, but does that make it an easy car to live with? We're finding out...
The car Suzuki S-Cross 1.5 Full Hybrid Ultra 4W AGS Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer
Why it’s here Hybrids often come into their own around town, and we want to find out if this one is as adept on laps of the M25 as it is on circuits of local ring roads.
Needs to be economical, especially on the motorway, and boast plenty of family friendly touches
Mileage 6745 Price £32,649 Target price £32,012 Price as tested £33,199 Official economy 48.7mpg Test economy 52.4mpg
11 November 2023 – bringing the noise
If, when you buy a Suzuki S-Cross, you choose to step up from Motion to Ultra trim, you get an extra feature that the brochure doesn’t shout very loudly about; the stereo gains an extra speaker, built into the dashboard, and as a result, it sounds just like a good set of headphones.
Now, I’ve not heard the standard system, but I suspect the upgrade is worth having; this front centre speaker is a subwoofer in all but name, and it lends music real authority. What’s more, Ultra’s big 9.0in infotainment screen (Motion gets a 7.0in unit) includes user-selectable sound profiles which are very effective; the Rock setting sounds convincing with Led Zeppelin, and Hip-Hop suits the squelchy bass of A Tribe Called Quest rather well.
My favourite setting, Custom, is like the graphic equaliser on a Sony hi-fi I had in the ‘90s. I tend to leave most frequencies flat but boost things slightly at 50hz, to help the bass overcome the road roar on motorways. The result is music to my ears.
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