There was nothing seriously wrong with the original SX4 S-Cross - it was just afflicted by a mild bout of dullness.

You see, it simply wasn’t as striking or good-looking as its rivals and, in a highly-competitive marketplace, that was a bit of a problem.

To its great credit, Suzuki recognised the issue and sent its design team back to the drawing board to find the antidote to the car’s apparent blandness.

After three years on the market, the S-Cross has been given a major mid-life facelift and the results are pretty pleasing.

The S-Cross now has a bolder and tougher look, making it as aesthetically pleasing as competitors such as the Nissan Qashqai.

Notably, the car now boasts a whole new front end, featuring a more prominent nose and aggressive look to the light clusters. The front end also accommodates a striking radiator grille.

If it didn’t look enough like a proper SUV before, it certainly does now.

The S-Cross also now sits slightly higher off the road than its predecessor, offering a lofty and commanding driving position.

The car, built at Magyar in Hungary, has undergone some significant changes under the bonnet.

Out goes the old 1.6 litre petrol engine, replaced by two turbocharged units found elsewhere in the Suzuki range; a 1.0-litre three cylinder and a 1.4-litre four cylinder, with the latter tested here.

And it’s a nicely-powered engine for a vehicle of this size, offering sprightly acceleration and potent power.

It also has the benefit of providing greater economy than the previous 1.6-litre engine , returning more than 50mpg on the official combined cycle.

If you prefer, there is also a 1.6-litre 118bhp diesel available, with some modifications on the previous version.

Another significant choice to make is whether you’re content with front wheel drive or want the extra reassurance of Suzuki’s four-wheel system, known as Allgrip. It’s available with all three engines.

You don’t buy crossovers for pure motoring pleasure, but the S-Cross still manages to offer an enjoyable drive.

It has slick controls, trustworthy handling, responsive and precise steering along with well-controlled body roll.

The ride quality is also decent, with the vehicle offering a composed drive on even the worst pot-hole riddled surfaces. However, there is some very noticeable wind noise at higher speeds.

A key reason for the appealing dynamic abilities of the S-Cross is that it’s considerably lighter than many of its competitors, with a kerb weight of 1,240kg.

This lightness has the added benefit of meaning the engine seldom struggles.

Inside, there is a softer feel to the dash as the cabin benefits from some new, smart black plastics.

There’s also an upgraded infotainment system which I found to be very user-friendly.

The general build-quality of the interior feels good, topped off by new fabrics for the comfortable seats.

In terms of space, there’s no shortage of leg and head room in the cabin.

Meanwhile, the boot has grown by 10 litres to add a little more practicality.

The S-Cross is available in three grades - SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5.

The entire range comes noticeably well-equipped for the price, with the test vehicle coming with adaptive cruise control, rear parking camera and dual-zone automatic air conditioning.

Another pleasant feature was the double-sliding panoramic sunroof, which lends the car a more airy feel.

With the crossover and SUV market growing rapidly in recent years, this upgrade of the S-Cross certainly seems sufficient to keep the vehicle firmly in the limelight.