[vb-san]

Thanks for the detailed review!
Contrary to the common sentiment on the looks, I actually liked the plain looking exterior and all-black interiors.
Since they are marking this as a premium model, at least for the top variant they should have got it fully loaded with side-airbags, ESC etc.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am not surprised at the overall feel of the car being more European than Japanese. The roots of this car comes from the old Fiat Sedici, which was a car built on a Fiat Suzuki tie up. This car was not a Fiat in terms of looks but it drove like one and that seems to reflect on the new S Cross.

The first gen SX4 hatchback and Sedici were essentially one car sold with Suzuki and Fiat branding, and we got the sedan variant of it in India. For the current generation, I think the partnership is no longer there and Fiat's replacement for Sedici is one of their 500 spin-off (500L or X?). I think the European finesse is probably because they did not water down the Indian variant too much.

[k_ajay]

Originally Posted by sandygordon

.
Praying for steal pricing of the 1.6ss....
I have not waited like this, so anxiously, outside the labor room at the time of my son's birth, or for my pre / post grad exam results..LOL

Haha! Sir, your predicament is well understood and I suppose more than a few enthusiasts feel the same way here. I'm not praying but certainly hoping for a justifiable and sensible pricing of the 1.6 DDIS, too.


To the people who have checked the S-Cross in person and have spent time with it, could you share your feedback/sentiments on this? Even though the crossover reportedly weighs about ~1245-1275 kgs, I didn't find the doors to be very solid like the euro-like built cars here offer. The doors close with a mild thud sound but the heft, for me, is surely lacking. This concerns me (I've seen many Swift cars whose doors have been seriously damaged). It however, doesn't feel too tinny like a lot of other Maruti cars. What are your opinions?

Apart from this one, there is very little-to-no concern for me with this crossover vehicle. And like someone had mentioned, Maruti Suzuki definitely needs an applause for rightly naming this vehicle as a crossover and no fancy SUV linked nonsense nomenclature.

[CarJunki]

In another 2-3 years i will be looking to replace my first gen Swift, and i am very clear now that the new one will be S-Cross with DDiS320.

I have the first gen swift diesel and i love the wild feeling. Hope the wildness of first gen SCross is retained and not tinkered to become more civilized so to say.

[sandygordon]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

I didn't find the doors to be very solid like the euro-like built cars here offer. The doors close with a mild thud sound but the heft, for me, is surely lacking. This concerns me (I've seen many Swift cars whose doors have been seriously damaged). It however, doesn't feel too tinny like a lot of other Maruti cars. What are your opinions?.

I have spent some time with the s cross. It sure does not have the thud of a vento or a linea. But its better than a duster, ciaz or honda city IMO. Only time will tell whether the doors would start rattling like in the swift / dzire. I did not roll down the windows and close the door. Bhpians can try this when they come across the s cross I think. There are no 3 stages in closure of doors, but just one stage.

The car is as heavy as an Ertiga, and actually it has almost the same height and breadth.

[Vigkey]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Also, as per reports, the S-cross doesn't have the ride quality/handling of an SUV.

Creta wins in that department, displacing the Duster. Sigh.

Sorry sir, but I am left wondering if you somehow were misinformed about the capabilities of S-Cross, Creta and Duster OR if your post is so sarcastic that none of us were able to catch the sarcasm.

However, if I try to disregard the tone and just read your statement literally, what you have said is TRUE.

• S-Cross doesn't have the ride quality / handling of an SUV
  - Absolutely true. SUV ride is typically bumpy with a lot of body-roll thanks to the stiff suspension and body on frame construction. SUV handling is usually not so great either thanks to the increased ground clearance.
  
• Creta wins in that department, displacing the Duster
  - Probably Yes - If Creta has typical SUV ride and handling, it has won over Duster in THAT department, simply because that of Duster is not even close to that of a typical SUV. However, I fail to see if this is a positive for Creta. Duster is known for its impeccable ride and quality balance which is not matched by any of the crossovers till date - including Creta (based on the previews and media reports) and S-Cross.

I wish I could understand your post better as none of us really seem to catch your point

[Agnijit]

S-Cross ... You are right up there on my list of next probables.
Did not see a variant list in this post; hence thought of uploading one which I received from a NEXA dealer.
Saw the 1.3 Alpha version in skin, and IMPRESSED! is the only word that comes to my mind. Will wait for T-BHP mods official review on the performance of 1.3.. but till then the wait continues till 5-Aug

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by vibbs

How is that a negative? I mean not having the ride and handling of a SUV? Typically SUVs do not have ride and handling characteristics comparable with Sedans. They are bouncy, have much more body roll and handling is not a patch on Sedans.

Originally Posted by sandygordon

A hatch never handles like an SUV.

Originally Posted by volkman10

Displacing Duster in ride /handling ?

Originally Posted by Vigkey

Sorry sir, but I am left wondering if you somehow were misinformed about the capabilities of S-Cross, Creta and Duster OR if your post is so sarcastic that none of us were able to catch the sarcasm.

Guys,

I guess we all missed the point. The post was supposed to be sarcastic. It is in response to the highlighted part in the post quoted by Ramzsys.

[petrolveins]

Excellent review which is a norm for team Bhp !!! Rated 5 stars.

The Achilles heel(s) for this vehicle are:
1. Looks while subjective, are not SUVish when compared to Creta.
2. Safety - at least the 1.6 mill deserves ESP, 6 air bags. The all 4 discs are appreciated though.
3. Lack of Automatic transmission - Urban commuters would have been delighted with this though low in sale numbers.

I feel the car will be priced a little above expectations while not touching Creta at all because:

1. Maruti wants to go premium because of fatter margins and there is no point in playing volume game at premium segment.
2. The investment in the car would have been much higher than Ciaz with new deLership set ups, new 1.6 imported engines and all other associated branding expenditure associated with a premium car.

[pannags]

Originally Posted by ashishpotdar

As a past owner of a Ford Fusion with a thirsty but eager 1.6 duratec, boxy looks and the earliest semblance to a station wagon cum crossover I think this car is doomed. I like everything that Maruti has done to up the game but Indian consumers will be bowled over by the Creta. Because it looks like an SUV. Although more like a kid with muscles. I remember people ridiculed me about choosing Fusion over the dolphin City saying 'so much money and you did not get even a boot' !

The Fusion was indeed a terrific car. The things that worked against it were pathetic marketing and positioning - it came to be realised that the car was way too modern for the times it served.

Today's customers are much better informed and are not so much bothered about associating a boot with ownership pride - we have a host of compact sedans on offer for them anyway (no offense to owners).

Lastly, The Creta is not an alternative to S-Cross aspirants for the reason that Hyundai has been screaming "SUV" all the time, while Maruti is clear the S-Cross is anything but an SUV. Let's not forget that comparable variant-variant difference will be anywhere in the range of 1.25-2.0 lakhs!

[sandygordon]

THE 1.6s I HAVE MISSED

1. Accent GTX Tornado 1.6 (bought the accent 1.5)
2. Ford Ikon 1.6 petrol (The josh machine, used to long for the black one)
3. Fiat Palio 1.6 (The ST edition)
4. Ford Fusion 1.6 (Got a steal price of 6L in 2006, but settled for a Wagon R for 4.15 L)
5. Ford Fiesta 1.6 S (Settled for a 1.3 Dzire VDI)
6. VW Vento and Polo GT TDI 1.6
7. Suzuki S Cross 1.6 (Seems like I ll settle for a 1.3a)

Maruti... Price the 1.6 well..The ball is in your court...

[adtalwar]

Originally Posted by sandygordon

THE 1.6s I HAVE MISSED

1. Accent GTX Tornado 1.6 (bought the accent 1.5)
2. Ford Ikon 1.6 petrol (The josh machine, used to long for the black one)
3. Fiat Palio 1.6 (The ST edition)
4. Ford Fusion 1.6 (Got a steal price of 6L in 2006, but settled for a Wagon R for 4.15 L)
5. Ford Fiesta 1.6 S (Settled for a 1.3 Dzire VDI)
6. VW Vento and Polo GT TDI 1.6
7. Suzuki S Cross 1.6 (Seems like I ll settle for a 1.3a)

Maruti... Price the 1.6 well..The ball is in your court...

Kahani ghar ghar ki! There was another excellent car with 1.6 petrol - the Suzuki Baleno! I have a 2005 model Vxi with 1.25L done. Not been able to part with it till now and I think Ciaz is the natural evolution of Baleno rather than Sx4 and is in reckoning.

Coming back to the S-cross yes the ball is indeed in MSIL court. They should resist the urge to price higher after looking at Creta.. Hoping hoping

[opendro]

Originally Posted by pannags

The Fusion was indeed a terrific car. The things that worked against it were pathetic marketing and positioning - it came to be realised that the car was way too modern for the times it served.

That was in an era where Indian were crazy about three box. I want to be proven that Indians got over the three box craze by dumping the Amaze and buying the Jazz. There is not a single reason for anyone to buy the Amaze.

Now, Indians are crazy about SUV and hence S Cross may flop, but 1.6 multijet might save the day. As a car lover, I felt that it is long overdue that we get nice hatch backs like the S Cross and i30. But are the Indians ready to accept a grown up hatch? We will see in the coming months, because S Cross looks like a perfect product in that segment. However, how I wish it got a boot space of a C+ segment car. I still cannot digest the fact that it will still have space of Jazz.

[cijo]

Thanks for the detailed review. I personally like the plain neutral design very much. IMO after the polo-vento siblings no car launched with such a design which will not offend anyone .S-Cross stands out in a market where quirky shape and loads of chrome are considered to be upmarket. For me S cross looks very similar to Subaru Outback crossover.

[sudeepg]

Saw the car in Person today at the Nexa Showroom, Bangalore outer ring road.

In one word: I am sold on it.

First impressions and few things noted.
a. You have to see the car in person to feel how good it is.
b. The diesel engines are silent.
c. Interior fit and finish are of very good quality. Does feel premium.
d. Controls fall in place naturally. The only concern being horn is a stretch with the typical maruti steering.
e. The driver seats absorbed me and it was easy to find the perfect driving position. Steering reach and rake is very handy!
f. Wheel well cladding present (front and back). Not noted in our official review though.
g. Boot is not deep, but reasonably good enough to pack luggage for a week (unless you travel very heavy)
h. Rear seats are very comfortable, but the middle passenger will have some trouble. He will need to rest his foot on both sides.
i. Rear seat leg room is very very good! (The above 2 were very important points for me)
j. Looks are not that great, but looks really don't matter to me. But I must say that it grows on you. A couple of other folks in the showroom were ok with the looks after seeing the car in person.

Overall, truly impressed. It's a very well packaged offering from Maruti. Now waiting for the pricing. If it falls in my range of 14L, I am booking it.

[sandygordon]

Went to the Hyundai Showroom for the TD of Creta

Saw the Creta in flesh. Loved the looks. This is one looker. Definitely not in the range rover or Audi class. But looks like a 14-15 lakh car. If Creta scores 8.5 on looks, the S cross scores 4.5, you need 0.5 grace points for a pass. The alloys are attractive. Diamond cut ones look superb.

Got in, found the high seating position good for tall drivers.The steering is adjustable for height. Easy to find out a good driving position. The knee and hip points are almost level at the maximum height position. The seat squab is almost the same size as in the s cross. I felt more lateral support in the S cross. Seat backs were taller in the Creta, my upper back was more comfortable. Steering reach was excellent. The gear lever falls easy to hand. See the distance between my comfortable position and the gear lever in S cross, It is a bit farther than I like, but does the job done. The elbow support is good in both, especially for taller drivers. You get a commanding view of the road. Dashboard is higher in the S cross than in the Creta (See the picture). The green house up front s better in the s cross compared to Creta. But both IMO are good. Much better than Ecosport.

Rear seats are a different story. The seat back angle is much better in the Creta than the S cross. In the S cross you sit a bit more straight, so the advantage of the lower car gets lost and you would feel the same 'roll' in corners. The creta has narrow rear seats, can be compared to Ecosport, may be wider by 2 - 5 cm. Three would really be a squeeze. Three would be a comfortable squeeze in ths S cross though. Floor hump is smaller. The rear ac vents are a boon on the Creta. The rear window lines are higher in Creta. See the red line in the picture below. You will feel intensely claustrophobic, the all black interior adds to the agony. A six footer like me can easily rest my head (temple) on the rear door sill, that would be a comfortable resting position LOL.

Interior plastics are fantastic. Even the SX trim feels luxurious. All switches have a tactile feel. The door trim is beautifully crafted. If the S Cross scores 6/10 creta scores 8.5/10 (SX) and 9/10 (SXO) in the dash and the door trim appointments.

Creta has won my heart in the looks and feel department, except for the claustrophobic rear seat and rear knee room.

Driving was a different experience. Loved the view of the road. Feel of the steering is vague. If S cross is dead in the centre (I have not driven it) the Creta steering is dead everywhere, especially at low speeds. Ride was good, much better than the ecosport, not as good as in the Duster. Body roll was noticeable. The engine has no definite note at all, NVH level is superb. All you will be hearing will be the faint rumble of the engine. Clutch is super light, gear shift was smooth and there is no significant turbo lag. The acceleration was as good as the Verna. Loved the buttery smooth pick up. But I missed the turbo kick anyway. Went through some potholed roads, ride was not that cushy, better than Ecosport though, comparable to likes of Swift / Dzire, not as good as the Fiats or Duster. Missed the fuel efficiency indicator on the cluster. Dials were crisp and beautiful in the evening.

I am eagerly waiting for the S Cross TD. Creta SX CRDI , in spite of lack of 'premium' features have pulled a few heart strings. Can the S Cross still succeed? It will depend on the pricing and of course the Test Drive.