I’m confused by the new breed of crossovers. They all appear to be utterly shameless visually beefed-up versions of hatchbacks that sell for a lot more than the cars they’re based on. We’re referring, of course, to the VW Cross Polo, Etios Cross and the Fiat Avventura. Mercifully, these particular cars have sold bugger-all in India. We’re really proud to see that India’s growing up as a market and can’t be conned with some extra ground clearance and plastic body cladding.
On the correct side of this crossover conundrum, you’ve got cars such as the Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport, Skoda Yeti and the forthcoming Hyundai Creta. The primary difference between these and the pretenders is that these are all-new cars and not jacked-up hatchbacks. They might be based on normal cars but they’ve been completely redesigned and rebuilt with a separate identity. And most importantly, they all look like SUVs and a few (Duster AWD and Yeti 4x4) even perform like them.
And then comes this Suzuki which looks decidedly like a hatchback-on-stilts crossover. It doesn’t look at all bad from any angle but anyone who looks at this and gets excited has either been living under a rock their whole lives or they are well overdue to get their eyes checked. It’s neither particularly beautiful nor particularly attractive.
But they wouldn’t have lived under a rock all their lives because Maruti Suzuki has aimed this car squarely at what it calls an ‘evolved customer’. Maruti says that this is someone who is “well travelled” and well versed with international standards of car-buying. To this end, they’re even rolling out an entirely new range of premium showrooms called NEXA, which will be all black leather and bright lights, just like ZARA — which they openly admit, it was styled after.
Here you’ll be treated to some posh coffee, while a salesman with an iPad (they’re very particular about this) gives you a ‘buying experience’. This person will also manage your relationship with the brand. We could write this off as just noise but Maruti still pretty-much OWNS the Indian car market. So they must know what they’re doing.
Or should they? Because every question that was asked about the car or NEXA was answered beginning ‘Our survey showed that…’ So the S Cross doesn’t have an automatic gearbox or AWD because their survey of ‘evolved customers’ said they weren’t important. Suffice to say this car is basically the result of survey results. Begs the question, since when did people know what they wanted until it was shown to them?
Anyway, the car. The interior is, mercifully, black. It’s very tastefully done. The steering wheel is packed full of buttons. Don’t worry, they work quite well and fall easily to hand. Except the ones that operate the phone which are hidden inside the wheel like a Range Rover Evoque’s. The centre console is squeaky clean, with the touch-screen interface dominating your vision. It’s a simple device cooked up by Maruti and Bosch. And let’s be honest, it feels better to use than the Range Rover Evoque’s.
The S Cross has a very strong party trick — the sheer acreage at the back and supernatural ride quality. Turns out that Mr Evolved Customer was good for something after all because along with being packed to the rafters with features, fantastic NVH management, an incredibly spacious back seat and a ride worthy of a European badge, it also has a beautifully long-legged drivetrain which makes it a great highway car. The 1.6 diesel engine feels robust and the 6-speed manual works well in the last 3 gears.
We’re still slightly confused about this car, if we’re honest. It’s not particularly fun to drive. It’s let down by a notchy gearshift and over-assisted steering. It’s forgettable to behold offering nothing India hasn’t seen before. But its strengths are rock-solid because as a place to be in and a device to get about in, it can still kick many a 20+ lakh car in the behind. If ALL you want is great ride and lots of space for anything this side of a Yeti, the S Cross is your new default choice.
