√2023 Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid Australian launch planned

Suzuki Australia has confirmed it is looking to bring the fuel-efficient S-Cross Full Hybrid to local showrooms.

The 2023 Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid has launched in the UK – and Suzuki Australia has confirmed it is interested in bringing the petrol-electric SUV to local showrooms.

Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota told Drive the company wants to bring the S-Cross Hybrid to local showrooms, although supply and production delays at the car-maker’s Hungarian factory mean a timeline is yet to be confirmed.

“Our intention is to introduce it into our market as soon as possible, once available for distribution to Australia,” Mr Pachota told Drive.

“Currently, with production issues because of poor parts supply, we still have no confirmation as to when that will occur.”

The Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is paired to a hybrid system – consisting of a 140-volt battery and an inverter connected to the car’s six-speed ‘automated manual’ transmission.

Suzuki’s automated manual transmission is controlled by an electronic unit which automatically lifts off the throttle and engages the clutch while changing gears, although the driver can still select their own ratios with the steering-wheel mounted paddles.

Power and torque figures for the Suzuki S-Cross Full Hybrid are yet to be confirmed, although the same engine and electric motor combination produces 82kW and 138Nm in the UK-market Vitara Full Hybrid.

The Suzuki S-Cross Full Hybrid is available in the UK as a front or all-wheel drive model, badged as the Motion and Ultra variants respectively.

The two-wheel drive Suzuki S-Cross Full Hybrid returns a claimed 4.3L/100km on the European WLTP test cycle, while fuel economy figures for the all-wheel drive are yet to be confirmed.

Standard equipment across the Suzuki S-Cross Full Hybrid’s Motion and Ultra variants mirror the Australian-delivered S-Cross AllGrip and AllGrip Prestige grades.

In the UK, the Suzuki S-Cross Full Hybrid is priced from £26,749 ($AU47,750) in two-wheel drive guise, with the all-wheel drive starting from £31,549 ($AU56,300) – about £1750 less than S-Cross Mild Hybrid variants.

Australian examples of the Suzuki S-Cross miss out on the existing mild-hybrid technology available in the UK, with a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine powering both local variants of the SUV.

The Suzuki S-Cross is currently priced from $40,490 plus on-road costs in Australia.

The post 2023 Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid Australian launch planned appeared first on Drive.