• Large, usefully shaped 430-litre boot
• Equally generous panoramic sunroof dimensions
• Good rear passenger space too

The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross has a clever rear seat arrangement that allows the backrests to be set upright or reclined. Doing the latter unlocks another 10 litres of bootspace, in addition to the 430 litres on offer.

There is a big, square space in the boot, with flat-sided wheel arches and cut outs for transporting a wider object. You also get little storage bins to keep things from rolling around.

168

Either way there’s a good amount of space on offer – you’ll be able to fit four adults into the car relatively easily, and cutouts in the front seatbacks give rear passengers extra knee room for better long distance comfort.

Those over six feet tall may find their head touching the roof in the back, particularly in models with the double-sliding glass roof.

168

This is standard on SZ5 models, and consists of two sliding panels that extend over the front and rear seats, for a roomier and lighter ambiance. It measures a metre when closed and has an opening aperture of 560mm for a sort-of open roof experience.

There are storage areas in the central console and, despite its lousy positioning, there’s an armrest behind the handbrake with a storage bin within.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating in 2013
• Adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking
• Four-wheel drive availability

When building the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, safety was an inherent feature, as reflected by its five-star rating when crashed under controlled conditions by the experts at Euro NCAP.

Safety kit installed includes electronic stability control, a speed limiter, tyre pressure monitoring, seven airbags and a body designed to protect pedestrians in the event of an impact.

168

From 2020 autonomous emergency braking was added as standard, joining the adaptive cruise control (ACC) from the 2016 update.

The latter offers three levels of ‘gap’ permitted to the car in front. When the obstruction ahead clears the S-Cross is prompt at returning to the pre-set speed.

Usefully the ACC also allows the driver to change gear without disengaging the system, although the conventional cruise control doesn’t feature that degree of convenience.

High-spec SX4 S-Crosses also feature Suzuki’s AllGrip part-time all-wheel drive, which engages power to the rear wheels as and when the front pair lose traction. It’s a seamless system but in truth few UK customers will benefit from the extra traction.