[chiro3110]

Our main runner - 2016 Swift DZire was starting to age. In the past 5 years it almost clocked 65000 km. Mostly doing office duty for my mother and several trips between Asansol and Kolkata (airport drops, visit to relative's place, et all). Soon in November 2021, the road tax would have been up for renewal (around Rs. 45,000) so we started to look for an alternative. The DZire was abused quite a lot , small dents here and there and majorly driven by our driver but still we used to get good service from it in the form of excellent mileage (~18-20 liters for a round trip between Asansol to Kolkata which is 400 km), very low cost of ownership and small insurance premium (we were enjoying the NCB from our previous car). But as with many machines it was slowly showing wear and tear, small noises would never disappear, squeaks from here and there, the missing Bluetooth on the audio system and to top it the road tax renewal pushed us to start looking for an alternative.

One last pic that I took before the airport drop: (it was a rough snap to show my fiancee that I'm gonna be late due to the traffic )


Our selection criteria:
1. Low cost of ownership
2. Good Mileage

The criteria of a comfortable ride was secondary as for longer self rides we have the Honda City to rescue. With 7 years and 22k on the ODO it is still a great ride.

Our options:

1. Brezza: This was our initial option for upgrade. It was fulfilling our criteria and the insurance cost would have come down with the NCB transfer as well. But while reviewing online before buying there were several suggestions to consider the S-Cross over Brezza which initiated my curiosity on the other. We went to the authorized dealer (Beekay Auto) in our place and was welcomed by some horrendous customer service which itself made me not like Brezza. Had to wait long till I was shown the car. No test drive option. And the sales people making stupid statements (like since this is SUV it doesn't need a rear AC vent, the structure makes an uniform cooling!)

2. S-Cross: This also ticked all the boxes. The NEXA reps were way more courteous than the Maruti Suzuki Arena team (would say almost close to Honda but still lacks in some places). The staff were friendly, offered tea/coffee, water etc. Also test drive was offered. The cabin felt more premium over the Brezza. Here I must say that I'm not a big fan of the sub 4m SUVs that are ruling the market nowadays. For me, after spending a lot of time in middle east, SUV = 4x4 system. So a crossover stance would never be a deal breaker.

3. Tata Altroz: The Tata dealership was right opposite to Maruti Arena, so went in to give a shot. I liked the Altroz as a car since it was launched. When I first time sat in the cabin it did feel a bit cramped. My friend has a Tata Tiago, and the Altroz felt similar almost. The cost of Altroz was lower than Brezza and S-Cross so the cost of ownership would have balanced out.

4. Tata Nexon: The outside design is a bit quirky but still when inside it felt plush and comfortable. Not to miss the stellar safety. I did like it but the cost was simply out of our range. Not to mention the crazy low price offered on exchange.

Our place doesn't have much dealerships. We have to choose between Maruti, Honda, Tata, Mahindra and Hyundai only. We did not check out anything from Honda, Hyundai or Mahindra.

The Exchange Process

The first showroom we went was Nexa. They offered 3.25L for our Swift DZire including the exchange bonus. Next up, Maruti Suzuki Arena. They offered 3.8L with the exchange bonus! Funny thing both places uses the same True Value showroom to process the exchange. Tata offered only 2.5L which was ridiculous. OBV and Carwale showed 3.75L as a good price for the car. Next we went back to Nexa and showed them the offer from Arena. They started making some calls. Then came back stating that they would not only do the 3.8L but give 10k more as the exchange bonus changed. We booked our S-Cross there itself. Booking amount was 11k. We were given the booking docket and the other paperwork were sorted in about an hour.

The Buying Experience

After 2 weeks, we got a call that the car arrived at the stock yard and was ready to get delivered. We selected a date then went for a visual check at the yard. After that we paid the due amount and released our old car to True Value.

At the yard:


On the promised day we reached the dealer at around 4:30 PM. The car was then getting polished and getting ready for delivery. My mother reached around 5:30 PM completed some other formalities and we were ready to drive off by 6:15 PM. There was some photo session with the key handover. We weren't given a printed copy of the photo. At Honda, we were given a framed photo along with a cake cutting ceremony.

The accessories we selected:
1. Seat Covers
2. Floor Mat
3. Mud flaps
4. Bumper Protectors
5. Perfume

Later they gave the floor mats as gift along with a leatherette document folio and key ring. (That's all for gift folks!)

All set for delivery:


The Alpha variant: On-Road it was priced around 1.6L more than the Zeta. It had addition of leather seats, auto headlamp, auto wiper, DRLs, LED headlight and tail lights and auto dim IRVM. IMHO the 1.6L premium is a bit steep for the features offered.

Things I like about this car:
1. Good fit and finish on the interior
2. Decent mileage. Highway at 16-17 kmpl. City: 10 kmpl.
3. Driver seat offers quite a bit of adjustments. (Height, Steering: Tilt and Telescopic, Sliding armrests)
4. Small recline adjustment on the rear bench
5. Good braking
6. AC cools down fast
7. Good GC and wheels tyre combo (R16/215)

Things I don't like:
1. NVH levels inside the cabin, even during idling, is quite high
2. The SmartPlay studio is complicated to get around and needs practice.
3. Missing power outlets below dashboard and on rear seats. (2016 DZire had them)
4. Stock music system sound is okay-ish.
5. Rear seat is not very comfortable
6. Several times the idling start stop won't work (gives an error Idling Start Stop Not Available)
7. Genuine accessories list is very scant (some features like auto dim IRVM, wireless charging could have been provided at a premium)

S-Cross is currently the most expensive offering from the Maruti Suzuki stable. Some crazy omissions like no power outlets is very disappointing.

[chiro3110]

Now coming to the car itself. Firstly, lets explore the exterior.

The new grill takes cue from the Beamer! And for sure the oodles of Chrome treatment. But it looks better IMO compare to the outgoing version. For sure, the 1.6L is sorely missed. Some cladding on the front to fortify the crossover stance.




From this profile it is quite evident of the car being a cross-over and not a SUV.


Nothing special in the side profile.



I think the car looks it's best from this angle. One may almost think it to be an SUV, a big one even, if only this is shown.


The rear profile is neat. Has dual reverse backing lights. The loading lip is decent.


Reverse sensors housed in the rear bumper. The MID shows the obstacles as they come up and in the right direction.


Windshield is large and provide good visibility. Won't say the same for the rear one but the camera and sensors make up for it. Wipers provide good coverage and has abundant of settings.


The rear windscreen has washer, wiper and defogger. On a rainy day these will ensure to have clarity.


Fog lamp inserts come with some chrome treatment too! (Not sure why every manufacturer has so much liking towards chrome)


The car provides keyless entry. The front doors and trunk has request button. Like all keyless, you can't lock the car with the key inside. To lock/unlock, you need to press the request button. For the Honda, if you had the key in pocket, you simply insert your palm in the door handle and it unlocks. Stepping out of the car, while engine is running, with the fob gives an audible alarm.



Tyres given are 215/60 from JK Tyre. Along with the 16" rims, looks decent on this car. The alloys are nicely done too. The front and rear both house disc brakes.


Some closer look at the bootspace.

The loading lip is decent and it swallows luggage for the average airport run with all seats upright. The parcel tray pulls up on opening the tailgate.


The cover over the spare wheel (same size and tyre, but steel rims) has a special adjustment which can keep it locked in the ajar position. A neat and nice little touch there. A label indicates on how it works. The wheel removal kit is nicely tucked in a case. The boot space has a 12v socket (for a fridge perhaps? No one gonna keep their phone to charge there) and a lamp. The lamp can be automatically activated by the door/tailgate opening.




The wiring and the fluid hose are neatly passed via 2 black casings.


The parcel tray can be removed easily by removing the thread and pulling it out of the specific groove.



The following configurations are possible with the boot area. 60:40 split seats and also with the whole space without the parcel tray.





The parcel tray is split. From the rear seat it is possible to access the boot space as well.

https://youtu.be/O_qlwaRM4d0

[chiro3110]

The rear bench is 60:40 split and provides okay-ish comfort. Nothing close to the Honda City IMHO. The seating position is a bit raised. The nominal hump makes it a bit difficult for the third occupant. The middle passenger gets only a two point seat belt.


Two cup-holders on the foldable armrest.


This is the min and max position of the front seats. If I set the front seat driving position for my height (180cm) I can seat comfortably in the back seat without feeling claustrophobic. Yes, space is very decent. S-Cross (2600mm) has a longer wheelbase compared to Brezza (2500mm).


The Zeta and Alpha version has a rear seat recline option. The seat snaps into two positions. The two positions are shown below. The recline is also via the same lever which is to be used for folding the seats.




Coming to one of the major disappointments. No rear AC vents. Plus no rear power outlet or charging point. (Why Maruti?)


Coming to the front seats, they are way more comfortable than the rear ones. Again, comparing to Honda City, the seats are a bit less contoured and under thigh support is abysmal. The driving position is raised and gives a nice and clear view of the road. Front passenger seat is not height adjustable where as driver seat is.



The front armrest is slid-able.



All four doors have water bottle holders. 1-Litre bottle fits fine. Only the front ones get an umbrella/utility holder. The ORVM controls like other Maruti's are on the driver door armrest.


The glove box is large. It has illumination but doesn't have cooling feature.


Once the glove box is in close position somehow you can still push it in. Source of future squeaks?

https://youtu.be/XqgVNFFsGiQ

The front map lights illuminate good. The rocker switch can be set to off, door ajar and always on. The rocker switch will activate both the lights. Individual lights can be switched on by pressing the light cover.


Sun glass holder also provided.


The rear light is a single one and are controlled via a sliding switch. Also have 3 settings, off, door ajar and on.


The rear view mirror is same as other Maruti models and provide good visibility. I'm guessing they are the 'India-Road-Proof' which allow them to go full 180 degrees compare to the normal 90 degrees. Haven't tested though.


The IRVM is manually adjustable. Only alpha version gets the auto dimming one. I asked the dealership if they can fit it, but they declined. The other thread by @car-dent here (DIY: Auto-Dimming IRVM (S-Cross)) looks exceptional and very tempting to do.


The Zeta version gets the Suzuki SmartPlay Studio like other models.


It also doubles up as the rear view cam's screen. The quality is not excellent but clear enough. Only one view is available. The grid lines are not steering adjusted. Note a slight offset of the grid lines, it is due to the non central position of the rear view cam.


Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is supported via cable. The navigation maps on the Suzuki interface works only with USB connection.

[chiro3110]

The steering hosts quite a lot of controls. On the left is the audio system controls. The up and down arrow key also help in running through menus.


On the right are the cruise control buttons. They worked smoothly when I tested them on the highway.


The phone controls are on the left near the horn. A voice assistant button is also provided. The buttons seem a tad small and prone to fat-fingering.


There are quite a few storage areas. The central armrest houses a nice large storage along with a power outlet.


Some cubby holes beside the hand brake lever.


There is another storage area below the AC controls. A wireless charging mat would have been excellent. Also it has the USB and Aux In ports.


The engine start stop button is on the right. It is a tad annoying as it falls on the blind spot. On it's right is the engine idling start-stop deactivate switch, fog lamp switch and the headlamp level adjuster.


The driver armrest houses the power window buttons, the central lock button and the ORVM adjustment and fold buttons.


Both the visors get a vanity mirror with light.


The left hand stalk houses the wiper controls. The front one does get a intermittent adjuster. No auto wiper on Zeta.


The right stalk provides the light controls. No auto headlamp on Zeta.


The AC cools down fast even in the sun. The auto AC is simple to work with. When the windshield blower is activated, it automatically stops the re-circulation mode.



The light sensor for auto AC is present near the windshield on the edge of the dashboard.


Grab handles are provided on all doors except the driver side. They have a smooth fold-in action. Hooks are also provided on the rear ones.


The pedals are comfortably placed. The white thing sticking out is the Zyme Pro telematics device connected in the OBD port.


The fuel door release knob is near the driver seat.


The MID is sadly monochrome. I feel the colored one from XL6 or Ciaz would have been easily installed. It has the following displays.

1. The Menu. Accessed by long press of the selector stick.
2. Blank!
3. This neat graphic shows the working of the smart hybrid system. It shows if power is being delivered from the IC engine or battery and also if the regenerative braking is in play.
4. Total idling time where engine was stopped by the Smart Hybrid system.
5. Total fuel saved by the engine stop during idling.
6. Average fuel economy.
7. Distance to empty or Range.
8. Average Speed (quite useless I think).
9. Instant fuel economy is shown with a progress bar like graphic.

Final impressions (at 1000 km mark)

• Driving dynamics and Engine: Till the 1000 km mark have drove as restricted as possible but for sudden overtakes it delivers the power needed with downshift. At times it feels are bit bulky to drive into some small corner, narrow street or highly congested area. So would not say it is the most city friendly car. Our DZire would have have been better. However, in the highway at high speeds it feels quite planted and delivers a lot of stability (Note: This is at 100 kmph, I still haven't taken the car above that). The BS6 K15B engine has been a workhorse for a lot of Maruti cars. Refinement is decent but sure I'd still prefer the BS4 1.5L Honda iVtech over this.
• Gearshift: The gear shift is smooth, the short throw gets in position quite easily. I'd say a in whole a better experience with clutch operations and gearshifts over the DZire.
• Ride quality and Cabin quality: Suspension is good and it is able to swallow all the city bumps and potholes comfortably. The practical 180mm ground clearance ensures I don't scratch the underbody. Here I'd side with S-Cross over the Honda as with 4 occupants the Honda City scratches on several speed-breakers. Also a quick note on driving in the monsoon waterlogged streets in my city, which was smooth and I did not have to worry a bit. If the nice suspension was augmented by a more comfortable rear seat, it would have been fantastic. The cabin quality is decent and sure an upgrade over the DZire. Fit and finish feels very decent compared to Maruti standards. Small things like seat belt height adjustment, hooks on the grab handles, split rear parcel tray, illuminated vanity mirror does give a good experience to the customer. Some omissions like power outlet in standard places, cooled glovebox, or even the drink holder in front of the AC vent are really shocking to see missing. Rear seat under thigh support is missing and on long rides it would mean occupant has to get comfortable with legs up on the seat. The front seat sure is better than the rear but can be a lot better.
• NVH levels: Can be improved a lot! Engine rev and tyre noise levels keep on rising past the 2600 RPM mark. At idle state, the Honda City with a BS4 engine is almost non audible but would not say the same for this. However, the DZire has a vibration feeling in the cabin while driving or idle, which is totally missing in the S-Cross.
• The most important point! Mileage: In the city was not very satisfying. Manual calculations came out to be 9.5 kmpl. Highway mileage was as expected and touched 16 to 17 kmpl. Note these figures are with AC on. Again, this is at 1000 km mark, hopefully with some more usage it gets better. I'd take 12 kmpl in city and 17 kmpl in the highway as very good numbers, hope it reaches there.
• Handling: The car drives well. Highway handling is better compared to city. The 5.5m turning radius poses some difficulty while making a U-Turn especially in cramped city roads. The well built structure bolsters confidence at high speeds and body roll is minimal. The electronic power steering offers good driveability but again it is not as smooth as the City's which can driven with one finger! That being said, at high speeds the super smooth City's steering doesn't feel very good where as S-Cross' one scores.
• Braking: With regenerative braking if I have to slow down on the highway I simply don't use the brakes. At city driving the car arrives to a standstill immediately and on highway sudden braking it is stable and doesn't swerve to other directions, thanks to the ABS.
• Cost of ownership: Will have to wait a bit to elaborate on this. We just did the 1st free service. With current fuel prices a almost empty to full tank costs almost 5k. So far we did not have to spend anything for any part. After we have completed few months with the car, we will have a clearer picture on this.
• NEXA's customer dealing is way better than Maruti Suzuki Arena. At least at my place. Surprisingly both are owned by the same owner in our city.

If you can compromise on the SUV stance I feel this is a more finer option to choose between Brezza and S-Cross.That's pretty much all I had! Now it's time for a spin

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[vigsom]

Congratulations, @chiro3110, on a very practical choice. I could see a world or difference in fit, finish and build between the Brezza and the S-Cross when I saw them back to back in 2017. The S-Cross is a high quality product, and is evident in the many small bits that one sees in the car eg. the front roof lights. There isn't one picture from the many that you've showcased that shows any sign of poor quality.

Soon in November 2021, the road tax would have been up for renewal (around Rs. 45,000)

This is news. Does WB have a once in 5 year road tax structure?

I like:

- Good fit and finish on the interior
- Small recline adjustment on the rear bench

I don't like:

- NVH levels inside the cabin, even during idling, is quite high

In your car, the only thing that I didn't like was fitment of the seat covers; very average I would say, although the covers per se look nice.

You should have included the 60:40 split folding seats in your likes. This is a feature rarely seen in today's cars. The slight recline on the rear seat is a huge boon. I agree on the NVH part, which is a common issue on all Marutis and Suzukis, except the super silent Dzire, whose engine sounds like a whisper even on the outside.

Overall, this is Maruti's best product (I'd pardon the awkward placement of the engine start stop switch and the poor looks of the fog lamps and headlamp leveller switches), and I wish you many many happy miles in this car.

[shancz]

Congrats on your car, good choice

The absence of rear seat power outlets is a big miss IMO and the auto dimming IRVM should have been provided. But not even providing it as an accessory doesn't make sense though. That should be sorted in the aftermarket if the need arises.

Enjoy your drives till then.

[aan nhu mare?]

Congrats on the new car.

Originally Posted by chiro3110

Soon in November 2021, the road tax would have been up for renewal (around Rs. 45,000)

Why would road tax need renewal in just 5 years ? Isn't it paid for lifetime?

[GreyNomad]

You’re from my birth city! Congratulations on the SCross! I own the 1.3diesel since the last 2 years and it’s a wonderful car. The car gives you the best of both worlds - driving pleasure of a sedan + the peace of mind of a higher GC. Wish you many happy miles with it!

[Centodieci]

Congratulations on your car. In April, I purchased the same variant in nexa blue colour and have covered around 3000 kms till date. I too would recommend this car for its practicality and reasonable safety due to decent build and all 4 discs with brake assist.

[KPR]

I find MS Scross Zeta MT as a VFM variant among all pseudo SUVs sold in India. It is a mature car with very neat interiors. When Indians go crazy after Creta and Seltos I find this SCross a no nonsense car buying which money is saved as well. Congratulations. This car deserves a 1.5 diesel mill.

[HooghlyBoy]

Nice to see the 2021 S-Cross Review. A friend of my mine bought recently in Brown. I own a SX4 Sedan, which is the rightful pre-cursor of this model and one of the most successful cars from Suzuki stable on the global scale. It has got great capabilities on mountainous roads and is beast on the highways. It had participated (albeit finished 4th) in the WRC 2008 IIRC after which Suzuki decided to withdraw itself from all Rally & Races for cost control. Still this Car (primarily the AWD version) has got huge cult following in many countries for people in a budget/ naive drivers.
Hope Suzuki could bring more R&D in new cars.
Happy Driving S Cross !!!

[superbad]

Originally Posted by aan nhu mare?

Why would road tax need renewal in just 5 years ? Isn't it paid for lifetime?

Originally Posted by vigsom

This is news. Does WB have a once in 5 year road tax structure?

West Bengal has a provision wherein you can choose to pay either a 5 year road tax or 10/15 years (not sure about the latter two).

[Wason4699]

Congrats @chiro3110 for your new car. Wish you loads of happy miles with your car. Hope to catch up with you at Asansol.

[Sunderdeep]

Congratulations @chiro3110 on a practical choice. S-Cross definitely is a no non-sense quality offering from Maruti Suzuki in which you can expect peace of mind long term ownership, durability of mechanical parts and a notch better safety than Korean competitors.

Wish you many happy miles with it.