SUZUKI’S new crossover vehicle makes an instant impression – and luckily for Suzuki it is a good one.

The sheer solidity and build quality of the SX4 S-Cross shine through the second that you fire up the engine.

Well-made, rattle-free and economical, the newcomer boosts the Japanese carmaker’s pedigree in the production of crossover and four-wheel-drive cars.

The attraction of crossover vehicles is easy to understand.

A high driving position, strong, striking styling, combined with family-friendly amounts of cabin and luggage space make for an attractive alternative to a standard hatchback.

Priced from about £15,000, the S-Cross comes in a choice of two or four-wheel-drive and four specifications, all of them fitted with seven airbags and electronic stability control as standard.

The engine choice is a straight decision between diesel and petrol, both 1.6 litres and both producing 120 horsepower.

The diesel, while rumbly at low speed, will be cheaper to run for people covering lots of miles, and on the road the Hungarian-built S-Cross is stable, quiet and as solid at speed as the initial impression of the build quality suggests.

Suzuki says it carried out numerous tests on European roads before launching the car and that shows in an excellent blend of handling, stability and driving comfort.

The four-wheel-drive system has four modes – auto, sport, snow, and lock – that can be selected at the flick of a dial.

The auto mode, likely to be the most-used setting, uses two-wheel-drive by default and will switch to four-wheel-drive if wheelspin is detected.

Sport mode is best suited to twisting country roads, boosting engine speed by 500rpm and automatically diverting 20 per cent more torque to the rear wheels.

All models are equipped as standard with tyre pressure monitoring, as well as daytime running lights, cruise control with speed limiter, air conditioning, heated door mirrors, protective skid plates and wheelarch extensions.

Move up to the top-of-the-range test model and Suzuki has thrown all its toys into the mix, with satellite navigation and DAB radio, rear parking camera, front and rear parking proximity sensors, leather upholstery, double sliding panoramic sunroof and automatic headlamps.

Inside the trim is mostly dark plastic, with some padded surfaces and silver splashes on the centre dash panel, centre console, and door trims to liven it up.

Oxford Mail:

A well-designed interior

Instrumentation and switchgear is clear and fuss-free, though the steering wheel sprouts no fewer than 14 separate controls for everything from cruise control and speed limiter to the hi-fi system.

Safety is obviously of crucial importance in any family car and here the S-Cross scores highly with a five-star overall rating in NCAP tests and strong scores of 92 per cent for adult occupancy protection, 80 per cent for child occupancy protection and a high-scoring 72 per cent for pedestrian protection.

The lasting impression of the S-Cross, too, is of a seriously impressive car.

AT A GLANCE

  • Price £23, 549
  • Top speed: 108mph
  • Length: 430cm/169.3in
  • Width: 176.5cm/69.5in
  • Insurance group: 19A (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption
  • (Combined): 64.2mpg
  • Luggage capacity: 15.2 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 11 gallons/50 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 114g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/ 60,000 miles