Impeccably behaved - Suzuki's SX4 S-Cross

Rosie Allsopp tests the new Suzuki SX4 S-Cross and finds it's an SUV for all seasons

IT IS one of those beautiful sunny autumnal days, there's a definite nip in the air and I'm testing a car with a panoramic sunroof. Happy days.

So, I want to feel the full force of the sun and have the roof open, but I don't want to be chilled to the bone as I'm driving because of the fresh breeze. In another car this could present a dilemma, but not in the Suzuki SX4S-Cross because as well as a lovely wide sunroof, it has heated seats. What luxury it is to scoot around raised up high in this rugged SUV, open to the elements but not feeling the cold. It's a bit like having a ride on a warm buffalo that's on a skateboard. In a good way, of course.

So, this is the S-Cross. It's a perfect family vehicle, and at 4.3m long and just over 1.5m high, there's plenty of room in the back seat and the boot, yet at just over 1.7m wide it's not too bulky for our roads. It's also jam-packed full of features.

Parking this thing is so easy you could almost let the kids have a go. As you'll see from the photos, we took the S-Cross to have its picture taken with the extremely grand and imposing St James in the background.

I don't know if you have ever tried to manoeuvre a vehicle in the front courtyard area of St James, but it's a bit of a squeeze, especially when there are numerous busy delivery guys coming and going, not to mention schoolboys wandering around the place on their way to school assembly. Needless to say, we tried to park the S-Cross so that a) we weren't in anyone's way and b) we didn't squash anyone despite having to move a few times. Oh, and we were very pushed for time as well, so not really ideal conditions for a photo shoot. The S-Cross managed it admirably, the steering and handling were just the ticket for what we needed and the excellent visibility and parking assist with colour rear-view camera meant that there were no bumps or scrapes on the numerous obstacles either.

I really like the way it handles, and the drive and comfort were especially welcome. I quite fancied the idea of pulling over and climbing into the massive boot space for a little snooze, it was so comfortable.

The model I'm testing is the SZ5 which has a six-speed manual gearbox and a sturdy 1.6-litre engine that kicks out 120 PS at 6,000 rpm.

It can reach 62mph in 11 seconds and has a top speed of 111mph, which is more than ample for local driving and won't let you down if you hop off-island.

Suzuki is a brand that is well known for making super motorbikes and it's the same for their cars too. Well made, good looking and with excellent performance, the S-Cross is a really impressive vehicle.

Its four-wheel drive means that it's comfortable with a bit of rugged driving, but still behaves impeccably well in traffic.