Audi RS6 vs Suzuki S-Cross

What's the difference?

You’ll notice a number out of 10 on this review, you should ignore it.

Not only is it irrelevant because you can’t buy one, but the RS6 Avant GT isn’t a ‘brain’ car, it’s a ‘heart’ car. As much as a five-seat wagon can be, anyway.

Whether you think it’s overkill, overpriced, or overhyped, the GT is a celebration of a car that’s become such an icon for petrolheads. It’s also probably a marker for the end of an era, because we don’t see many V8 family cars getting about anymore.

Well done to Audi, the accounting team in particular, and if anyone who owns an Avant GT is willing to let me have another drive, my in-box is open. 

Or I’ll just keep an eye out.

Back in the day, you’d hear people say they’d never buy an all-new car, but instead get the last of the old model that would have had all the bugs ironed out.

If this sort of homespun logic makes sense, then maybe the latest S-Cross might just be the perfect SUV car for you.

Not only has it been in production for years, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. Indeed, for performance, packaging and ease, it does plenty that's right. Thoughtful design is timeless.

But there are newer alternatives that look way fresher (particularly inside) yet cost the same or less, and offer more, including updated driver-assist safety.

Still, you can do a lot worse than take an S-Cross for a test drive.

“It looks like a toy car you’d get in a Kinder Surprise” was the first comment from my housemate upon seeing the $400K collector's item on wheels.

Harsh, but to anyone unfamiliar with the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO racer, there’s arguably too much going on with the RS6 Avant GT.

The red, grey and black decals, the chunky white 22-inch wheels, the flared and vented front fenders and the wing over the rear window… all of it is a lot to take in, but it’s very faithful to the IMSA car.

As pictured, the 90 quattro IMSA has the red around the bottom lip of the car, on the bonnet, and even its rear wind, the same as the red on the rear of the Avant GT.

Some of the black at the front of the car, where the bonnet and fenders are, is just exposed carbon-fibre rather than a black decal.

Short of the sponsors and racing numbers, the Avant GT does a fabulous job of paying homage to the 1989 race car. It just means you’re going to be the centre of attention anywhere you drive. Or park.

On that note, an alternative paint and graphic scheme in 'Mythos Black' (this car is 'Arkona White') was available to customers and is decidedly more ‘under the radar’. You have to wonder, though, if you opted for the subtle version of a car that pays homage to a fire-breathing IMSA car, would you feel like you took the coward's option?

Besides, you’re either keeping this car in some kind of temperature-controlled bubble, or (hopefully) spending most of your time around it in the driver’s seat. From there, you don’t have to grapple with the question of garishness.

The interior is, while elevated past standard RS6 vibes, a lot more subtle. Dark materials of microfibre, carbon, leather and the smudge-prone piano black (an Audi favourite) are joined by a relatively restrained serving of red in the contrast stitching and seatbelts.

It took Suzuki not one, not two, but three goes before the stylists succeeded in making the S-Cross look good.

The original was like an early Nissan Dualis clone, but all droopy faced, so they grafted on an aggressively toothy face back in 2016 that only a gargoyle’s mother could love.

At least this latest version – said to have been designed in Italy, no less – no longer looks like Frankenstein’s monster.

Released during 2022, the blockier nose, squared-off profile and restyled posterior are meant to make the S-Cross seem larger than its more-successful (and prettier) Vitara sibling, which uses the same platform, by the way.

Not a bad makeover job as far as big facelifts go, then, especially considering the Suzuki’s windscreen, doors and roof remain as before.

You’ve bought a $400K collectible sports car capable of effortlessly deleting kilometres of highway with your family and enough luggage for a week. Usually a special edition driver's car at this price point is doing well if it has a place to put a phone and a water bottle, let alone phones and water bottles for four people - five if you really need.

Yes, in the performance car world, the Audi RS6 Avant has long been king of the convenience game and the GT holds onto that. 

The seating position and ergonomics remains comfortable, the driver’s seat being manually adjustable means it can sit even lower, there’s decent storage in the door cards, cupholders are able to be hidden, the phone charger is under the armrest, there’s a spot for small items like keys, change or glasses and the rear seats have mostly the same alongside their own individual climate controls and heated seats.

Behind those, a 548-litre boot puts most performance cars to shame, but its 1658L space when the rear seats are folded down is unbelievable for something that you’d want to take to a race circuit.

It might be an old interior, but at least Suzuki got the fundamentals right in the first place, while also bothering to update the electronics for it to at least seem more contemporary.

Basics first. In typical SUV fashion, entry and egress are excellent, via tall and wide doors with corresponding apertures. There’s a pleasing sense of space for taller occupants, especially in terms of leg and head room.

Once sat in the driver’s seat, the mid-last-decade looking dashboard is instantly familiar and completely non-intimidating.

Concise and surprisingly elegant analogue dials (now with an auxiliary digital speedo, at last) sit ahead of the driver, along with a reach-and-height-adjustable steering column that allows for people of all shapes and sizes to find the right position. Deep windows provide extensive vision and let lots of light inside, too.

Finished in what looks like stitched leather and chainmail-inspired inserts, the front seats in this Plus grade are wide enough for comfort yet bolstered enough for some support through corners.

We rate them, though driver-lumbar and front-passenger height adjustments are disappointingly absent.

Years ago, reviews lambasted manufacturers for providing “too many buttons”, but after an endless succession of touchscreens housing most (if not all) audio, climate and vehicle control access, we miss the days of the button-fest.

If you do too, the S-Cross obliges with array of climate-control switches and driver-assist buttons located around the driver for fast and definite access.

On the other hand, while Suzuki’s new 9.0-inch touchscreen does a fine job housing other vital vehicular and multimedia functions, it drops the ball with no volume knob.

The alternative looks like a slide control but relies on clumsy pushing. Fail. Luckily the steering-spoke-sited toggles do the same job far better, at least for the driver.

Kudos, too, for the effective and intuitive multimedia system, that packs a lot in a small-ish space. The excellent surround/aerial-view camera rates a mention, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay that hardly ever drops out.

Nobody is going to mistake the extensive plastic trim and other finishes as premium, but it isn’t horrendous, doesn’t inflict occupants with the cheap off-gas stink often found in bargain-basement brands, and absolutely nothing rattled or squeaked in our time with the Suzuki. 

Storage is also impressive, from the large glove box and deep centre bin/armrest to bottle-gobbling pockets on all four doors. Cups are also well-catered for.

However, betraying the S-Cross’ age are the AWOL wireless charging, head-up display (at this price… ), USB-C outlets and configurable instrumentation.

Moving on to the rear seat reveals a family-friendly environment as far as space is concerned, with adequate comfort provided by the (slightly) reclinable backrest and (fixed) cushion. The windows lower all the way down and the folding centre armrest has a cupholder, too.

But while you’ll find a single map pocket and overhead grab handles, there are no USB ports (at all), nor overhead reading lights or rear-facing air vents.

Never mind. At least the rear backrest reclines (a tiny bit) for added comfort, while further back, boot capacity is a useful 430 litres.

The load area is flat and wide and a space saver spare wheel is located underneath the boot floor.

The backrest has a 60/40 split and the floor can be positioned in different locations. Volume jumps to 1230L with the backrests dropped.

If you rate space, practicality and ease above modernity, then, the S-Cross still holds up remarkably well. Just keep in mind that its interior will appear dated compared newer and flashier competition.

As we’ve established, the base S-Cross Turbo front-wheel drive (dubbed 2WD in SUV-speak) starts from $39,990 (all prices are drive-away), while the Plus version tested here costs $42,490 drive-away.

But, just a couple of years back, the pre-facelift S-Cross version kicked off from about $10K less. And, before that, much the same car could be had for mid-$20K.

Suzuki doesn’t make it easy for itself, does it.

At least the S-Cross comes with a decent rollcall of kit, including dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, front fog lights, keyless entry/start, heated front seats, electrically folding and heated exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass and 17-inch alloy wheels.

'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB), lane keep assist, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, automatic LED headlights with high beam assist, adaptive cruise control and a reverse camera headline the standard safety items. More on those in the Safety section below.

For a $2500 premium, the S-Cross Turbo Plus ushers in a larger (9.0-inch) touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 360-degree surround-view camera, leather trim and polished alloys.

This lines up with the all-wheel drive (AWD) Prestige AllGrip equivalent, though it misses out on the latter’s panoramic sunroof.

Price and equipment-wise, the Plus matches rival mid-grade 2WDs like the Toyota Corolla Cross GXL, Nissan Qashqai ST+, Mazda CX-30 G20 Touring, Kia Seltos Sport+ and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Aspire.

Just keep in mind, all are substantially newer generationally than the S-Cross, even though it did go under the scalpel a couple of years back.

Audi’s venerable 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine remains at the heart of the RS6, though in the GT there’s no more power than the RS6 Avant Performance.

That means 463kW of power and 850Nm of torque delivered to all four wheels via an eight-speed torque converter automatic and Audi’s ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system, making the RS6 Avant GT capable of a 3.3-second sprint to 100km/h, according to Audi. Top speed is a blistering 305km/h.

All this in a car I took to Coles.

Here’s where the S-Cross definitely does not show its age, because Suzuki sure knows how to engineer a great engine. And automatic transmission, too. Take note, rivals.

Of course, we’re talking about the long-lived 'BoosterJet' powertrain, as found in the terrific Swift Sport hot hatch.

In this case, the 1.4-litre twin-cam, direct-injection, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine delivers 103kW at 5500rpm and 220Nm of torque between 1500-4000rpm. Tipping the scales at 1260kg, this results in a power-to-weight ratio of 82kW per tonne.

Not huge numbers, granted, but this little firecracker certainly punches above its weight in the seamless way performance is served up, helped out by the intelligent spread of ratios from the standard six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, with paddle shifters included. Sadly, no manual gearbox is available.

Do you care about this section of the review if you’ve bought one? Surely not. 

Anyway, Audi claims 11.8L/100km in terms of fuel consumption and you’d better believe it’s 98 RON minimum. 

It’s got a 72-litre fuel tank, which was depleted rather rapidly on test. While driving conditions weren’t ‘fair’ in terms of the test given the content demands of a short-term loan, there’s probably a realistic figure somewhere between the claim and the 17.9L/100km I achieved over a few days.

Suzuki reckons the S-Cross will average 5.9L/100km on the combined cycle, though keep in mind that it requires expensive 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

As far as carbon dioxide emissions are concerned, that translates to between 138 and 145 grams/km.

We managed about 7.7L/100km – and this included some very spirited performance testing with the air-con always on, against the trip computer’s more-accurate-than-expected 7.4L.

With a 47-litre fuel tank, expect a range of about 790km between refills.

There’s something unfortunate about how good the Audi RS6 Avant GT is from behind the wheel. That’s knowing how few people will properly get to enjoy it.

Not just because only 660 were built, but also because the majority of those 660 owners will be too worried about how much they’ve just spent on an automotive rarity to properly take it for a burn on a road, or even a track.

The RS6 was always an icon of Germany's penchant for subtle-looking cars that just happen to be capable of embarrassing much more brash vehicles, but the GT does away with the pretence and sharpens its teeth a little.

The specifically tuned rear differential makes for a more rear-biased driving experience in Dynamic mode, which means more agile cornering and a more natural balance compared to the way the RS6 sometimes feels - like a family wagon.

Its rival, the BMW M5 Touring, can go full rear-drive, but the Audi doesn’t need that as an option. It feels more capable and composed; ready to obey commands without fuss. A set of Continental SportContact 7 tyres (285/30) help there on the grip front.

The suspension underneath, adjustable coil-overs with three settings, is unique to the GT and lowers the ride height by 10 millimeters. It’s stiffer, 30 per cent at the front and 80 at the rear, and you notice it.

There’s more control and much less body roll, but the trade-off is the RS6 Avant GT is a little less comfortable on Australia’s particularly rough roads. Its 22-inch wheels don’t help.

It’s not, however, crashy or rattly. The suspension still does a fine job of stopping the driver being jostled around, but there’s a decidedly firmer response to the surface underneath. Again, still very composed.

With the new suspension, steering the GT feels easier than memory would suggest and the baseline was already good. There’s no unnecessary weight, but there’s still decent feedback from the front wheels and accuracy is bang-on.

Throttle adjustment in the corners, too, is easier with the rear differential, and it means anyone who still had reservations about Audi and understeer can be proven wrong.

The drivetrain remains unchanged from the Performance, which is a good thing. The effortless acceleration, even in the more aggressive 'Dynamic' setting with the transmission set to 'Sport' is smooth but seemingly unending.

Fortunately, the 4.0-litre V8 under the carbon bonnet sounds delightfully burbly, so getting to the speed limit or overtaking is a little treat every time. While the steering wheel paddles are there if you really need to drive in anger, the eight-speed is fine left to its own devices.

A 2.0-tonne family wagon with a V8 up front, easy communicative steering, and sporty suspension that settles well over bumps but allows enthusiastic corner attacks?

The RS6 Avant GT is in limited company.

So, if you’ve read this far down, you might have been pleasantly surprised by the S-Cross' spacious and practical interior, ease of operation and decent equipment levels.

Yet the main event lives under the bonnet.

Let’s start with the performance. Throttle response is instant and lag-free, allowing for strong acceleration right from the get go. No jerkiness, no delays, no hiccups.

On the move, the S-Cross' power delivery continues to impress, feeling smooth and slick across the rev range. The finely-tuned torque-converter auto – rather than a CVT continuously variable transmission or dual-clutch – must surely play a role in this Suzuki's effortlessly consistent performance.

Where the turbo engine really shines, though, is at higher speeds, with ample power and torque still left in reserve for when you need to overtake or pull away in a hurry.

Delightfully muscular yet super creamy to boot, the BoosterJet remains one of the best internal combustion engine choices available in any small or medium-sized SUV, regardless of price and positioning.

If only Suzuki put a little more love into the S-Cross’ dynamics.

As with the AWD model, the S-Cross 2WD features electric rack and pinion steering, while its suspension consists of a MacPherson strut-style design up front and a torsion beam rear-end arrangement.

While easy and precise, with a tight-ish turning circle for easy urban manoeuvrability, the steering feels too light after all that delicious oomph on offer, especially at higher speed.

This is doubly disappointing, because the chassis is quite firmly set-up, meaning the S-Cross offers sharp yet controlled handling that allows it to be hustled quickly and confidently through fast corners.

We suspect the high-quality Michelin 215/55R17 tyres help. And, speaking of rubber, road noise is fairly subdued out on the open road.

Criticisms? Unlike in the AWD version, the 2WD seems a little skittish at speed on gravel. It’s a good thing the well-modulated driver-assist systems are at the ready. Unlike in so many other SUVs, including in MGs and Havals, their intervention isn’t too zealous or ill-judged.

Also, the Suzuki’s ride around town can be a bit stiff, but never harsh, over smaller-frequency bumps and surface irregularities.

Still, our overall impression is that the eager S-Cross feels far newer to drive than its birth date suggests. That turbo powertrain must take the credit for much of that.

While the pre-facelift S-Cross from 2013 to 2022 managed a maximum five-star crash-test score, no ANCAP rating information is available for the current JYB series.

There is a decent amount of safety gear as standard, though, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 'Weaving Alert' (a driver-drowsiness warning prompt), front/rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control (with full-stop functionality) and auto high beams.

Note that while the adaptive cruise control brings you to a halt, there’s no traffic-follow function as found in newer systems, betraying the S-Cross’ advancing years.

Plus, Suzuki does not supply information about the AEB and other driver-assist tech’s operating parameters.

Also fitted in every S-Cross are seven airbags (dual front, dual front side, curtain and driver’s knee), electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake-assist.

The rear seats contain a trio of child-seat tether anchorages, as well as an outboard pair of ISOFIX attachments.

Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is below industry par, though most premium brands are in the same boat.

Twelve years of bodywork warranty against corrosion is also included, as is a five-year run of free Audi roadside assistance.

Five-year service plans can be purchased, or customers can buy back-to-back two-year extensions for the warranty, servicing and roadside assistance.

Suzuki offers an industry-average five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, while basic capped-price servicing is available, with pricing ranging from a low of $329 per service up to a high of $539 for the first five years/50,000km. The average of $397 isn't particularly cheap.