Maruti Suzuki S-Cross 2020 Review - Prices, Specs, Variants, Features and Mileage

2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Variants and Features

The 2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is offered across four variants and is priced between Rs. 8.8 lakhs to Rs. 11.43 lacs. Available only as a diesel, the S-Cross range comprises of the Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha variants. The new 2020 S-Cross come powered by a 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine with SHVS mild-hybrid technology sourced from the Ertiga, XL6 and Ciaz.

While the base Sigma variant gets quite a lot of the features on offer as standard fitment, higher variants add luxuries like leather seats, a touchscreen system, a rear parking camera and an automatic climate control system. Safety features are standard on the base variant and there are no changes when you move up the variant range.

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The Zeta variant is by far, the most value for money variant since you get a decent amount of kit for the money. It does miss out on LED headlights and DRL's but still looks quite premium on the outside thanks to the machined 16-inch alloy wheels on offer. The 1 lakh premium for the top-end Alpha variant is not justified since it doesn’t add a significant amount of kit for that price. If you love LEDs, the Alpha variant is your only choice if you’re considering the S-Cross.

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2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Engine and Performance

The S-Cross is powered by the ancient 1248cc Diesel engine, which not only does duty in other MS cars but powers cars from manufacturers like Fiat and Tata as well. This engine can easily be called the ‘National Diesel Engine of India’, for half the passenger Diesel cars on our roads feature this powerplant.  The new S-Cross for MY2020 will no longer be supported by the diesel engine and will be replaced by a BS6 compliant 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, SHVS petrol engine that returns 103 bhp at 6000 rpm and 138 Nm of peak torque at 4400 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed torque convertor unit.

The 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced engine has proven its worth, however, we feel that a premium crossover like the S-Cross surely deserves a better (and more powerful) engine. This engine is rated at 89 bhp of power and 200 nm of torque. Start the engine, and you’re greeted by a familiar Diesel clatter. NVH levels are good, and on the move, it’s hard to tell that the car has an oil-burner under the hood. However, rev the engine hard, and the vibrations on the pedal make you realise that as well. 

Power delivery is far from linear, with a considerable amount of turbo-lag. Get past 1800 rpm and the turbo spools up and the engine comes into its own. There on, the progress is smooth and the mid-range is very rewarding. Redline is marked at 5300 rpm, and the engine is very free-revving by Diesel standards. No wonder, this engine is used in multiple cars, and has truly stood the test of time. This engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, which sends power to the front wheels. Expectedly, this gearbox is very slick-shifting, and one won’t have any reason to complain. On cold winter mornings though, one may have to fiddle with the gearbox to slot it into the correct gate.

With the facelift, Maruti Suzuki has given the S-Cross a ‘Smart Hybrid’ treatment as well. Exterior Changes? It gets an SHVS badging on the boot, and that’s about it. This system debuted in the Ciaz, and one might expect the presence of a lithium-ion battery somewhere. Well, nothing of that sort. This system gets an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) Motor and a Torque Assist System, along with regenerative braking and auto-start stop system. All of this, without a lithium-ion battery! Basically, during coasting, the system charges the battery, moreover, the Torque Assist System helps provide you with additional torque, when you need it. 

The auto-start system switches off the engine when you bring the car to a halt, say, on a traffic light. This system is terribly annoying, however, works extremely well and accurately. Thankfully, there is a switch to turn off the auto-start system. This engine further aids in fuel economy, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that the S-Cross has the best-in-class fuel efficiency.

How well does the S-Cross accelerate?

Maruti Suzuki’s vehicles have always been known to be efficient and reliable, and the S-Cross lives up to that promise. However, the S-Cross’ engine is extremely sluggish and it takes quite some time before it comes to life and picks up the pace. The 1.3L engine also has a noticeable amount of turbo-lag that bogs it down at lower speeds in the city. Overtakes might need one to downshift, which is an inconvenience not found in the other vehicles in this segment.

The Creta might have a similar power figure, but its engine feels much more responsive at lower speeds. The Captur also features a bit of turbo-lag, but the engine revs much more freely than the engine on the S-Cross.

Hoe does it ride on roads?

Maruti Suzuki’s vehicles have always excelled in terms of the overall handling and the S-Cross balance between ride quality and handling is simply exceptional at this price point. Most vehicles in this segment have their suspension setup on the softer side to improve ride quality, but the S-Cross manages to deliver a decent enough ride while not feeling too unsettled around corners and on potholed roads. 

The suspension absorbs most bumps and the well-sized 16-inch wheels glide over bad roads without any drama. The S-Cross is also capable of some light off-roading, although we wouldn’t recommend going too far off the road with it since its low ground clearance might cause you to scrape the underbelly.

Does the S-Cross Brakes bite hard?

The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross gets ABS and EBD as standard along with a four-wheel disc setup which is quite rare for the segment. The brakes do provide a reassuringly solid feel and feedback while braking and the brake pedal’s movement is linear and progressive. The brakes also bite really well and bring the vehicle to a stop without any effort. 

However, sudden braking at higher speeds might cause the vehicle to skid and roll a little bit, since the ABS system only works on the front two wheels. But, overall, the S-Cross’ braking setup is well-calibrated and definitely helps the vehicle stop within a short distance.

How is the mileage of this car?

The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross features a mild hybrid system that uses a stop-start system to boost overall fuel economy. At a staggering 25.1 Kmpl, the S-Cross is very efficient for a vehicle of its size, which leads to lesser expenses when it comes to fuel. But the smaller fuel tank capacity sure does limit its overall range, but it's not by a significant amount.

The Hyundai Creta manages to be the one with the highest overall range on offer, but only by 11 kilometres. While this does mean you’ll be stopping at fuel pumps at a lesser frequency than the S-Cross, you’ll still be paying quite a lot of money for the fuel. The Renault Captur really disappoints in this department since its low mileage figure and average tank capacity limits its overall range, making it the most expensive vehicle to own in this comparison when only fuel costs are considered.

2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Exterior

The 2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross got a refresh in 2018 which gave it a more aggressive front fascia, compared to the older version’s calm face. This update included a multi-vertical slat grille which resembles some of the BMW cars. The new headlamps feature a projector setup with halogens on all, however, the top-end variant gets an LED unit with DRLs. The rest of the body retains the same shape as the original S-Cross. The windows are massive to make the cabin feel airier and there’s a character line that runs all the way from the headlamp to the tail lamps. The door handles feature a pull-type configuration, which has now become a staple in most cars.

The S-Cross gets 15-inch steel wheels as standard on the lower variants, which are upgraded to 16-inch machine-cut alloys on higher variants. While the steel wheels do look very plain and boring, they aren’t too bad in terms of overall ride quality. The larger 16-inch machined alloy wheels, however, massively improve overall ride quality along with making the S-Cross look like a much more premium vehicle. The 16-inch wheels also fill up the wheel wells in a much better fashion and don’t make the car look under-tired.

Overall, the S-Cross’s relatively small dimensions make it a decent vehicle to drive in the city on a daily basis. The S-Cross’ ground clearance might be the lowest in its class, but that really doesn’t matter for someone who’ll be driving on city roads most of the time. Even for bad roads, 180 mm of ground clearance is sufficient enough.

Exterior Features:

• Vertical slat grille with a chrome Suzuki badge

• LED Projectors with DRL’s

• 16-inch machine-cut alloy wheels

• LED Taillights

2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Interior

The 2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is a five-seater crossover with sufficient space for five adults. The cabin follows an all-black theme to make the cabin feel sporty, but this does make the cabin feel smaller than it actually is. The dashboard might look old and dated, but it is well laid out and all controls come to hand very easily. The soft-touch plastics further aid in enhancing the overall interior ambience.

The seats are very comfortable though, especially the ones in the top-end variant which come draped in leather, which feels soft and comfortable. The standard fabric seats also offer quite a lot of comfort. 

The rear seat bench is wide, and three adults can easily sit across this row. The central tunnel also doesn’t intrude into the interiors, which frees up enough space for the middle passenger to keep his legs comfortably. However, the seat base is mounted a little bit low to the floor which does mean that under-thigh support is not as great. The front seats are also very wide and the cushioning on offer is perfect for longer commutes. The seats also get some bolstering which holds you in place while navigating tight corners. There’s also quite a lot of shoulder room on offer in the front part of the cabin. But in terms of noise insulation, the S-Cross certainly falls behind its competitors. The engine is loud and gruff and quite audible inside the cabin, even at idle. There’s also quite a lot of wind noise from the relatively large mirrors, which might reduce the overall cabin comfort. Overall, the S-Cross’ interiors are sufficiently comfortable, but the lack of proper sound insulation surely costs the S-Cross some points. 

How is the infotainment system?    

The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross gets a different infotainment setup depending on the variant chosen. While the base Sigma variant gets no infotainment whatsoever, the Delta variant adds a standard two-din music system with a music player, Bluetooth and FM radio. This variant also adds steering mounted controls which are very useful for adjusting the system on the fly. The Delta variant also gets a four-speaker music system setup which is decent enough for most people. 

The higher Zeta and Alpha variants ditch the standard music system in favour of a 7-inch SmartPlay Studio infotainment system which supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, USB input and AUX input along with adding an in-built navigation system and two additional tweeters. The name sounds awkward, right? Well, that’s because the earlier system was called the SmartPlay, and was developed by Bosch. The new system is developed by Harman and is more slick and functional. This touchscreen is fairly responsive to use but does slow down a bit while using the navigation on the native system or on Android Auto. The touch volume control is also very annoying to use, and Suzuki should consider replacing this with a volume knob.

Creature Comfort features:

• USB and AUX

• Four speakers and Tweeters

• Bluetooth

• Steering mounted Audio and Telephony controls

Interior Features:

• All-Black interiors
• Leather seats
• Automatic Climate Control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob
• Centre armrest for higher variants

Is the boot space big enough for this car?

One area where the S-Cross fall short when compared to its competitors is in terms of overall boot capacity. While the Creta and the Captur get nearly 400-litre trunks, the S-Cross’ 353-litre boot feels paltry in comparison.

 The S-Cross’ boot opening is also really narrow, which makes it difficult to load wide items. Loading heavier items is a much simpler process though since the loading lip is very low and there’s no form of obstruction in the way.  

The S-Cross might be small, but that doesn’t limit its overall usability. While a larger capacity would’ve certainly helped, it would’ve been at the expense of rear-seat space, which is not a compromise someone would like. The S-Cross’ capacity is still good enough for airport runs or shopping trips to the mall.

2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Safety Ratings and Reliability

The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is a vehicle that is sold globally and had last been crash-tested in 2015. This car was the pre-facelift version that was on sale in Australia and it received a remarkable 5-star rating from the ASEAN NCAP. This version gets an excellent score for the frontal collision test and also gets a ‘Very Good’ score for the side-impact and child safety test. However, the Indian version misses out on auto-emergency braking and seven airbags, which helped it achieve that score. 

The locally produced version also uses a lower grade of steel which might not be as strong as the one sold abroad. Expect the Indian version to receive a 3-4 star rating depending on how its overall structure performs. While such a rating is considered as ‘acceptable’ in other countries, it's actually a good score for a vehicle that’s manufactured in India since most cars in India do not conform to the safety norms laid down by NCAP. The S-Cross also gets a three year/50,000 km warranty, which is just about average for the segment since there are manufacturers that offer much better warranty packages in this segment.

Head-to-Head Competition Check

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross vs Hyundai Creta

The S-Cross was first introduced in the Indian market in 2014, and save for the facelift, nothing much has changed since then. It does get a black cabin for a sportier feel, but the plastics used are very low quality and the overall cabin ambience feels a little dreary. The Hyundai Creta gets a dual-tone cabin which looks and feels much more premium since the plastics feel much more expensive. The cabin’s overall beige theme makes it feel airy, even if the overall space on offer is lower than what you’d get in the S-Cross. The Hyundai’s touchscreen is also much more fluid to use and feels much more modern in comparison to the touchscreen in the Maruti.

The Hyundai Creta certainly is the more expensive car in this comparison, but that does mean you get quite a lot of features, especially in its higher variants. The S-Cross feel sparse in comparison, but it gets a decent set of features for its price point, which makes it a good deal for the lower variants.

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross vs Renault Captur 

The Renault Captur might be a sales dud in the Indian market, but it is among the newest SUVs in this segment. The Captur’s exterior design looks much more sophisticated and modern when compared to the S-Cross’ plain exterior. However, the Captur’s interior build quality is on the lower side and is quite similar to the plastic quality on offer with the S-Cross. The Captur’s touchscreen also feels quite dated, and in comparison, the S-Cross’ touchscreen is the better one in terms of overall usage. 

While most people would expect the Captur to have an interior as flashy as its exterior, the Captur’s cabin certainly looks poorly planned and an ergonomic nightmare. Overall, living with the S-Cross on a daily basis won’t get people to take one more glance at your vehicle, but it’s ergonomics and ease of use definitely trump the Captur’s impractical cabin.

Final Verdict 

The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross sure did have a slow start in its segment, but after the 2018 facelift, sales have been constant and show no signs of dying down. While most vehicles its size are priced quite high, the S-Cross’ low price is what seals the deal for most people. Sure, you do miss out on some luxury features and a blingy exterior, but in exchange, you get a practical no-nonsense car with a bulletproof engine that will definitely save you money in terms of servicing and maintenance. If you’re restricted to an inflexible budget and need a decent daily city commuter, the S-Cross is the perfect vehicle for you.