Leaked: 2017 Suzuki S-Cross

Press images of Suzuki’s heavily revised S-Cross have been leaked eight weeks ahead of its official public debut slated for the Paris Motor Show in October this year.

The pictures reveal a significant front-end makeover consisting of a more aggressive bumper design and a larger hexagonal grille, as well as a revised bonnet to give the S-Cross a far more imposing stance than the out-going model, and aligning it more closely to the styling cues of its rivals.

An updated wheel design and LED taillights round out the external updates while a new infotainment system headlines the few, but important changes visible on the inside. The updated system is accessed via a new 7.0-inch touchscreen display and is joined by new seat upholstery options in terms of what’s different to look at.

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And while the exact specification destined for Aussie showrooms is yet to be announced, there are plenty of updates to bits you can’t see.

According to reports, the S-Cross is likely to be powered by a new range of turbocharged petrol engines including a 1.0-litre three-cylinder joining an updated 1.6-litre four-cylinder design. Both will be offered with a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. And while it wasn’t made available to Australian buyers, reports suggest a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel option will be retained in the global line-up.

Selling just 285 examples in Australia during the first six months of this year to record a 0.5 percent share of the small SUV market, the firm’s local arm will be hoping the revisions will bridge the gap to its Japanese rivals; namely the class-leading Mazda CX-3 which sold 9372 units in the same period to claim an 18 percent segment share, while the small SUV segment itself experienced growth of 5.5 percent period on period.

Want more? See the Suzuki S-Cross in a small SUV comparison.