KEEP your eyes open and you’ll see how popular the S-Cross is getting. They’re around every corner, and for good reason.

Suzuki has just added another by introducing its first twin-clutch automatic gearbox, dubbed TCSS. Its début here is linked solely to the 1.6 DDiS diesel engine, Allgrip four-wheel drive and top-spec SZ5 trim. It’s the first automatic transmission to see diesel power in a Suzuki car.

Nothing outwardly marks a TCSS-equipped car out from a manual SZ5 S-Cross. You get the same range of colours, including the easy favourites Boost Blue and Crystal Lime.

On the inside, though, are two changes. There are paddles behind the steering wheel, mounted to the wheel itself and turning with it, and a traditional automatic gear selector lever with drive, reverse, park and a manual mode.

The S-Cross is a very tidy-looking car with a solid image after a few years on sale. Owners report that they like them a lot, and word-of-mouth recommendations are as important as ever.

Height is this car’s greatest asset in terms of practicality, where the 430-litre boot ends up feeling a lot larger than that thanks to all the stacking room on tap. There’s a removable panel that allows access to a hidden area beneath the otherwise flat load bay. The high roof line, without raising the seats to full-fat SUV heights, makes it easy for even the elderly or infirm to get in and out.The one niggle is that the broad door sills, essential for occupant safety, make it tough to get out without rubbing the back of your leg on the potentially dirty bodywork. It’s the same on many modern cars.

Only the long-legged will escape.

Behind the wheel the Fiat-sourced 1.6 diesel has never been the quietest or smoothest, but it’s not too unruly and most people will find it perfectly fine. At least it makes itself heard more easily for people who change gear based on engine noise.

The gearbox is a good first effort from Suzuki. Its shifts are super-fast during hard acceleration, switching ratios with a damped little shunt. Down-shifts aren’t so fast but overall the TCSS system is smooth enough to impress you.

but mechanical enough to reassure you it’s there and working.

If left to its own devices it over-revs under hard acceleration, like all diesel automatics. It’s better to take manual control and shift up at 3,500rpm to exploit the engine’s fat torque curve.

Around town the gearbox is very effective, shifting up gently in good time. It makes traffic jams a breeze, despite sometimes being slightly grabby from very slow speeds, and it gives a relaxed driver more time to appreciate the spacious and practical cabin.

Value for money This is the first S-Cross to breach the £25,000 barrier, which on the face of it puts it up against some stiff competition. That said, it comes fully loaded whereas some of the other models in this price range are still a bit basic. You get useful four-wheel drive and potential for very high fuel economy on a cruise. Current lower residual values versus the competition mean finance payments might be more expensive than you’d think, though.

Who would buy one?

The parent who wants a high-spec, practical high-riding family car with a slick automatic gearbox will be first in line for the TCSS-equipped S-Cross. Getting a child seat in and out is easy, and a folding pushchair will collapse into the boot in a jiffy. The question mark remains as to whether this price point is a step too far for Suzuki, but at least the car has a lot to show for it.

This car summed up in a single word: Rounded If this car was a…: timepiece it would be a chunky, traditional-style alarm clock in polished metal. It looks good wherever you put it, and it never stops being functional.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS Allgrip TCSS SZ5, from £25,149

  • Engine: 1.6-litre turbodiesel producing 118bhp and 236lb/ft
  • Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic driving all four wheels
  • Performance: Top speed 108mph, 0-62mph in 13.0 seconds
  • Economy: 62.8mpg combined
  • Emissions: 119g/km