Designers Think “Big” With New Suzuki Sx4 S-Cross

Designers Think “Big” With New Suzuki Sx4 S-Cross

Designers realised that in line with consumer demands they had to think “bigger” when conceiving the new Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. This exciting new crossover model for Suzuki will be introduced to the New Zealand market in mid January 2014.

The highly practical “C” class segment S-Cross represents a new departure for Suzuki with its growing number of global strategic models.

Motorists want the benefit of good interior and load space while retaining low running costs and keen driving manners.

Yasushi Sasaki, chief engineer on the S-Cross project, faced the task of blending the attributes of a passenger car with the qualities of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). “We gave the new SX4 S-Cross the internationally acclaimed handling of the Swift and made no compromise in four wheel drive performance,” he said.

Even though the S-Cross is larger than the first generation SX4, Suzuki felt it appropriate to retain the original name tag. Suzuki has been a pioneer of both crossover and four-wheel-drive, and the “S” stands for Suzuki, the “X” for crossover and the “4” for 4WD. At 4,300 mm, the S-Cross is 150 mm longer than the original SX4.

The new model is fractionally wider, slightly lower and the 2,600 mm wheelbase is 100 mm longer than the smaller SX4. Yet despite the larger dimensions, the turning circle for the S-Cross is actually tighter, making the car easily manageable in urban and city driving.

Suzuki combined its small car expertise with SUV practicality, giving the S-Cross distinctive styling, class-leading space for passengers and luggage, advanced optional four-wheel-drive performance and excellent fuel economy. The car also boasts one of the lowest CO2 emissions in the segment.

Yasushi Sasaki said, “Daily life - and with it, what is expected of a car - has become far more complex today than it was just a few years ago. Whether it is a family outing to the seaside, a weekend shopping tour in the city or a quick sporting trip, tackling rough terrain and bumpy country roads or smoothly cruising down the motorway - the SX4 S-Cross complements all the needs of living perfectly.

Styling elements of the Suzuki Swift Sport, Kizashi and Splash are combined in the front end appearance, while the roof slopes gently downwards towards the rear. There are smooth contours, integrated roof rails, side under garnishes, rear under garnish and smart wheel arch mouldings.

The new model is manufactured at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary and has already gone on sale in Europe. It is being progressively introduced in many other territories, including New Zealand and Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America as a world strategic model.

Magyar Suzuki plays an important role as Suzuki’s European production centre and the launch of the SX4 S-Cross marks the start of an expansion programme in which the company will extend its exports to more countries and increase production volume. The initial S-Cross production and sales target is 100,000 units for the first year.

Gary Collins, General Manager of Automobile Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand, explained the new S-Cross was far more than just a crossover vehicle. “It’s the perfect fusion of family-friendliness, safety, performance and emotion and delivers outstanding driving pleasure,” he said.

The new Suzuki was already earning praise in Europe for its excellent fuel economy, outstanding boot space, high standard of finish and compliant ride with good body control, said Collins. “Not only do independent critics like the deft, balanced handling, they also see the S-Cross as very good value for money.”

Public launch for the SX4 S-Cross is scheduled for 18 January 2104 and pricing starts from a very competitive $27,990 plus on-road costs for the GLX 2WD manual variant. The Allgrip AWD versions start from $30,990. All Suzuki vehicles also come with a 5 year, 100,000km warranty package and 5 years roadside assistance.

ENDS

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