Maruti Suzuki S-Cross review, test drive

Maruti has also acknowledged the importance of a strong equipment list these days, and given that the S-Cross is its most premium offering, you can bet it’s well kitted out. The top-spec S-Cross Alpha variant comes with keyless entry and go, a six-speaker touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone integration, satellite navigation, auto climate control, Bluetooth, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, projector headlamps and disc brakes all around. It’s good to see that Maruti has equipped all but the base Sigma trim with dual airbags and ABS, though even that one gets a single airbag. The only big omission vis-à-vis the competition, is a rear AC vent.

What’s it like to drive?

You can have the S-Cross with the Ciaz’s 89bhp 1.3-litre Multijet engine with a five-speed manual, but the bigger news is the new 1.6-litre diesel. Dubbed the DDiS 320 (for its 32.6kgm or 320NM of torque), this engine makes a solid 118bhp and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Incidentally, there won’t be a petrol version at launch, nor will there be an automatic or four-wheel drive. The one we’re sampling, of course, is the new 1.6-litre diesel.

Start it up and you’ll find it’s decently refined, though not quite in the league of Hyundai’s 1.6 from the Verna and upcoming Creta. The clutch is light enough and gears slot in authoritatively, though not with a buttery smoothness. What is smooth is the way it gets off the line, but then you soon realise that it feels a quite sluggish before the turbocharger kicks in. That only happens at around 1,800rpm, at which point the full force of that 32.6kgm comes in strong. It takes a bit of acclimatisation, and you have to learn to work the gearbox around the spiky power delivery. Also, the tall gearing, which only accentuates the lazy responses at lower revs. The upshot is that it makes for a great highway cruiser, sitting comfortably at 100kph in sixth gear at just 2,000rpm. Even overtaking manoeuvres at these speeds don’t take more than a small flex of your right foot, thanks to a really strong mid-range. The
S-Cross will continue to pull till about 4,500rpm, though at this point, you will get a significant amount of diesel drone.