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-   -   Driven: The 2017 Maruti S-Cross Facelift (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/192400-driven-2017-maruti-s-cross-facelift-5.html)

In my opinion the look has improved a lot over the older version. Even if the chrome grills look a little too much the nice paint colours and increased height give the facelift a more upright stance and an agressive attitude. The pre facelift looked so boring and lathargic.

One thing for sure is that the car looks much better in flesh than in pictures. So if anyone is confused looking at the pics, I recommend you visit the showroom.

I like this version! I would go for this if I were buying the car. I was seriously considering this but will wait because no automatic version has been offered. C'mon Maruti!

If you look at the thread above somebody who drove the S-cross 1.3 commented that it lagged in 2nd gear at 20km/hour. I responded saying that Verna does not lag in 3rd gear at 20km/hour and expressed my surprise at how the 1.3 multijet is struggling to pull the heavier S-cross. I did not confirm it stalled

I have extensively driven the 1.3 Multijet having owned it in the Ritz.

I drove the Ritz 1.3 multijet for ~36K kms having owned it. Like you, I did not find it in the Ritz. Even with a VGT, with the heavier chassis, the S-cross needs a more powerful engine

I am not a fan of after market tuning. If the power could have been made available keeping up with environmental and engine life norms, the manufacturer would have done it himself. I keep my actions legal and as per norms all times

Leaving all of the arguments about engine and design aside, it seems Maruti has once again shown to have the best reading about the pulse of the Market having grossed 11000 bookings already, after being launched on October 1.

In comparison, other popular cars launched around similar times like Nexon (15000 after launch on September 22) and Verna (20000 in 2 months) boast similar numbers.

This number would decline with time, but 11000 bookings in a month for a car that 54000 in 2.5 years in its previous avatar speaks a lot. I expect S-Cross to settle around 5000 units a month which is definitely not a small number.

I do remain in hope of S-Cross launching in 1.5 petrol avatar that is currently exported to Indonesia. Current S-Cross diesel range starts at 8.5 lakhs, if the petrol were to start at 7.5 lakhs it would give cars like Ecosport a serious run for their money.

These numbers are good compared to the old model, but it comes at the expense of Ciaz also, IMO. Since the Ciaz is moved to Nexa and now with a new model S-Cross there, customers coming to the showroom for Ciaz may change their mind and give a look at S-Cross. This was not the case when Ciaz was at regular showrooms. The last month numbers of 4K for Ciaz (less by 2K from earlier numbers) can be attributed to this fact also, along with the launch of Verna.

If you car is stalling, I'd suggest you get it checked, even if its rare. The ECU also should have an anti-stall feature which may be playing up at times.

I don't know if the diesel Verna lags at 20 KMPH. It could be the ECU smartly using the anti-stall, but the official review says the 1.6 diesel does have noticeable lag until 1800 RPM

<<
The engine has noticeable turbo lag upto 1,800 rpm, after which you see progress. But it's over 2,000 rpm that the motor really comes onto its own. Acceleration is fast thereafter, thanks to the 260 Nm of peak torque

...
The lag is more obvious in the city and takes getting used to. Like most other diesels, the action is between 2,000 – 4,000 rpm. In bumper to bumper traffic, you will need to work the gearbox.
>>

Also note that the Verna runs a 1.6, not a 1.3 or rather (1248 cc to be precise). The highway performance of 1.3 admittedly is not great since the power to weight ratio is low in the stock setup and the in-city usability is adequate enough. At higher speeds, its power rating that really governs how fast a car can go. I have to respectfully disagree with you on that "struggling to pull". None of the reviews or ownership reports have reported a "struggle". Keep in mind that the torque rating is higher for the DDiS 200.

Here are the ownership reports for ref

Link1

Link2

Link3

Indeed! They truly have managed to garner a lot of bookings for the S-cross facelift as of now. It just proves that pricing is one of the most important factors in our market

Suzuki could have done better to make the car as good as this Benz IMO,
they do look similar,
but Merc looks very classy. Guess very little can be done on an existing platform without any major change.

The second pic the car looks much better. I think Maruti should throw in a option of a wrapped grill or give a option to the customer to have all black inserts in place of all the shiny chrome.

The Verna diesel does not have any lag from 1250 rpm. You are reading the official review of the old Verna. The official review of the new Verna is yet to be out on team-bhp. The new Verna torque/bhp curve is clearly below - constant at 260 Nm from 1500 rpm itself and more than 200 Nm from 1250 rpm itself which the 1.3 Multijet makes at 1800 rpm.

The 1.3 Multijet is the only sad piece in the S-cross. They need a more capable engine in a car of this weight. In my Ritz that weighed less, it was a gem but in a heavier car, it is just not good enough IMO

Ritz has a FGT engine with 75 BHP output whereas Scross has a VGT engine with 90 BHP output. So they are not the same hence comparison is flawed IMO.

Great review Suhas – short and crisp!

The pre-facelift S-Cross had a very mature/gentleman look albeit a bit aged (especially when compared to its peers), and it had the power to compensate with the 1.6L option.
With the toothy grille facelift it’s more like someone trying to hide his age with a tacky wig. But I guess this will sell more because it now fits well in Maruiti’s VFM portfolio.

There lies the problem. Why should a Suzuki need to imitate someone else’s classy looks? They should have a brand identity of their own.

The facelift looks really good to me. The old S-cross's front design always felt weird but that was compensated by the explosive 1.6L diesel engine. First Maruti Suzuki decided to discontinue the lower variants of the S-cross 1.6 and now discontinue it altogether. I guess we'll have to wait for the in-house 1.5L diesel engine to enjoy the true potential of the S-cross. IMHO The 1.3L feels inadequate in the S-cross. I have never been a fan of the 1.3L multijet + VGT combo as it looses out on drivability. The 1.3 Multijet + FGT is much more tractable.

The facelift S-Cross is VFM and it will sell well but it has lost its charm with the discontinuation of the 1.6. That push back in the seat which the older car offered was insane.

My intention was to convey how they managed to take design from a different brand and couldn't end up with the same result. Whole point of my post was to show how similar both cars look! wanted my message to be subtle.

If they could design something as good as the current Baleno, they surely could do better for a car that sits a segment above, in terms of pricing.

Hi ,

But this is the only car in Nexa without Automatic transmission. If Maruti calls it's Nexa premium , then how can they miss on Automatic. That too when automatics are getting more and more popular. Or they just don't care due the numbers already doing.

If Maruti can bring in the 1.5 petrol in the S cross some time in future, automatic is a possibility. But the "Kitna Deti Hai" strategy wont work though.