Three years after going on sale in the United Kingdom the compact crossover Suzuki S-Cross is now getting its first major facelift. And why should I care, you ask? Well, because this plucky little thing represents one of the best value-for-money cars in any segment in that market.

Suzuki S-Cross is the kind of car that can handle any situation and because it is Japanese and cheap you can beat on it mercilessly without worrying about it breaking either itself or your bank account. There is a certain joy in things that works that way, even if they are not very exciting and have no glamour whatsoever.

The new Suzuki S-Cross Facelift comes as standard with seven airbags, ESP, Bluetooth, DAB digital radio, air conditioning, Daytime Running Lights (DRL), 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control with speed limiter, air conditioning, heated door mirrors, black protective skid plates and black wheel arch extensions. The car also offers its owner 430 litres of cargo space, and a range of engines including 1.0-litre or 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol engines or 1.6-litre DDiS engine, the latter capable of 68.8mpg and 106g/km of CO_2.

Another highlight of the S-Cross, available on SZ-T and SZ5 models, is the ALLGRIP four-wheel-drive system which is a good thing to have if you are planning to use this car on a field or something. This crossover is like a good old German Shepherd, a good, loyal, useful, low maintenance companion. Prices for the Facelift model start from £14,999.