1.4 Boosterjet Sz-T Auto 5dr

A Winner by a Head

Living in Wales where roads can be iffy, we wanted a compact SUV which would carry two or three people, plus a variety of goods and / or luggage, and be lively enough to drive yet smoother than the Kia Soul it replaced on local roads. I was not going to pay a premium for a so-called prestige brand, but wanted some comforts.
I test drove six cars that on paper looked worth considering. the MG was gutless and the seat adjuster came away in my hand at the start of the test drive. The SsangYong Tivoli felt cramped at the shoulders. The VW T-Cross was oppressively black everywhere. The Vauxhall Crossland's visibility was not great. The Dacia Duster was good, though rear legroom not great for a car which was a bit longer than the others, and it rattled the heck out of the cab when going over cattle grids, and there was nowhere for the left foot to rest (in the manual version). The Vitara felt right: plenty of visibility, shoulder room, leg room, headroom, rear space, and a place for the left foot. And the seats were far more comfortable than the used 2017 model I had sat in a few months earlier, and they adjust quickly and comprehensively. In the end we opted for the auto, so there was even more left foot space, and the wife's issues with gear changing disappeared just like that, as did her nervousness at hill starts: the auto holds the car still until the revs build a little, then you're off smoothly every time.
It has so much low-rev grunt that you'd swear it was a diesel, and the changes are pretty slick, though not impossible to catch out with a sudden jerk on hills. It revs well and feels quicker than the 9.5 secs 0-62 time suggests. It deals with bumps and potholes very well, though obviously not in a limousine class, and it is easy to steer at any sane speed, jumping a bit on big potholes when cornering - but what car doesn't?
The loudest interior noise is from the road unless it's very smooth tarmac, but it's no louder than others I have tried. We had an issue with a buzz from the instrument binnacle glass which came and went, but it was sorted by the dealer.
I wish it had electric folding mirrors and auto dipping rear view mirror, and front-end parking sensors. I am struggling to think of anything else that lets it down.

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