First released in 2013, the S-Cross is possibly one of Suzuki's best kept secrets and their first foray into the crossover segment. Despite a modest number of sales in the early days the model was well received from owners and the automotive press alike, and so building on the success of the launch model, Suzuki released a facelift version in 2016 including a line-up of new, more economical but better performance engines.
The family car segment is highly competitive, with the Vauxhall Mokka and Peugeot 3008 being two of the big hitters, so we decided to see how the modest Suzuki SX4 S-Cross fairs against them and find out which one of the three offers the best value for money.
Suzuki S-Cross SZ-T | Vauxhall Mokka X Design NAV | Peugeot 3008 Active | |
Price | £17,999 | £20,035 | £23,480 |
Engine Size | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
Power Output (bhp) | 109 | 138 | 129 |
Fuel Type | Petrol (Hybrid) | Petrol | Petrol |
Transmission | Manual | Manual | Manual |
Gears | 5 Speed | 6 Speed | 6 Speed |
0-60 mph | 10.6 | 9 | 9.2 |
Top Speed (mph) | 112 | 122 | 117 |
The first thing that stands out is price. Suzuki have always prided themselves on offering a lot of car for not much money - and this certainly seems to be the case with the S-Cross when you compare it to the Mokka X & 3008. The 3008 Active is a massive £5,731 morewith the Mokka X Design Nav coming in at £2,286 extra.
Suzuki S-Cross SZ-T | Vauxhall Mokka X Design NAV | Peugeot 3008 Active | |
Average MPG | 56.4 | 42.8 | 54.3 |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 47 | 54 | 53 |
CO2 Emissions | 113 g/km | 150 g/km | 119 g/km |
Luggage Capacity (Litres) | 430 | 356 | 591 |
Weight (kg) | 1160 | 1828 | 1320 |
Euro NCAP Rating | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
WhatCar? Reliability Score (2018) | 100% | 95% | 96.9% |
In terms of economy, the S-Cross emits the least CO2 emissions and has better average miles per gallon than both the Mokka X and 3008 - no doubt, thanks to its smaller turbo engine.
Whilst the Mokka X is the speedier of the three cars, delivering 138bhp from its 1.4 engine, this power comes at the detriment to CO2 emissions and economy, scoring the worst of the three cars by a sizeable margin. The Vauxhall is also a heavy car compared to the Suzuki and Peugeot - weighing in at a stocky 1828 kg, compared to the svelte Suzuki at just 1160 kg who's lighter weight aids it's performance figures with impressive fuel economy and low emissions.
From a practicality standpoint, the Peugeot has the largest boot of the three with an impressive 591 litres. The Suzuki comes in second with 420 litres and the Vauxhall third with 256 litres less space than the Peugeot, not quite the size you'd be looking for in a family car.
When it comes to safety all three cars get the top 5 Star Euro NCAP rating, but where the S-Cross stands out once again is when it comes down to being a car you can rely on, taking top spot in the WhatCar? 2018 Reliability Survey. The survey is completed by car owners and the results are taken from 159 different car models, with drivers of the Suzuki S-Cross reporting no problems in the previous 12 months of ownership.
Suzuki S-Cross SZ-T | Vauxhall Mokka X Design NAV | Peugeot 3008 Active | |
Alloy Wheels | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Bluetooth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
DAB Radio | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
Sat Nav | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
Dual-Zone Auto Air-Conditioning | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Keyless Entry & Start | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
Rear Parking Camera | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
Front & Rear Parking Sensors | ✔ | ✔ | Rear Only |
Automatic Headlights | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
LED Daytime Running Lights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Electric Folding Door Mirrors | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Cruise Control | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Front Fog Lamps | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Automatic Wipers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Rear Privacy Glass | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
Front & Rear Electric Windows | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Rear & Front Centre Armrest | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
Rood Rails | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
When it comes to features, this is where Suzuki cars shine. Suzuki believe in an uncomplicated approach, with each model in the range having a great standard set of features with very few, if any, optional extras to increase the cost. The S-Cross SZ-T is the perfect example of this with a huge list of features as standard when compared to the Mokka X Design Nav and 3008 Active.
The Suzuki is the only car which comes with keyless entry & start; which isn't available even as an optional extra on the Vauxhall or Peugeot. Likewise, it also comes with a reversing camera and rear privacy glass as standard - there's no option for these with the Peugeot and it will cost you an extra £570 to add it onto your Vauxhall.
The Mokka X is the more powerful of the three, offering a better 0-62mph time; but due to this it comes bottom for emissions and fuel economy. It's boot is small by comparison and it lacks several features which come as standard with the S-Cross SZ-T. Not only that, it's starting price is £2,286 more than the Suzuki.
The Peugeot 3008 Active conversely, offers similar economy figures to the S-Cross and hosts the largest boot of the three, but its starting price is an eye-watering £5,731 more than the S-Cross. It also lacks several features which come as standard with the Suzuki, adding a further £1,070 onto that starting price if you want to add Sat Nav and electric folding door mirrors.
All of this speaks for itself, so the S-Cross comes top of our list especially when it comes to value for money and running costs: some of the most important factors when choosing a car. It's not only the cheapest car of the three but beats the Vauxhall Mokka X and Peugeot 3008 on economy, reliability and standard features.