Very minor changes were brought to the SC's suspension. There is a slightly wider rear track and a bigger rear stabilizer bar, in addition to the bigger wheels and shorter springs. The result is being able to take curves and tight corners a little faster than in lesser models, if that's important to you.

Most people find the monochromic paint more pleasing.

But the downside is that the ride is stiffer, which gets tiresome after a while, especially when driving in the city, which is where the SC is supposed to be at home. It's more bearable on the highway. I averaged 11.1 L/100 km during the course of the test.

Safety-wise, all Elements get anti-lock brakes and electronic force distribution, front side airbags, side-curtain airbags as well as traction and stability control. Only the EX model is available with all-wheel drive.

Inside
Unlike other Element versions, the SC doesn't have waterproof fabric on the seats, and there's floor carpeting instead of rubber. It also gains a centre console with an armrest. The steering wheel is pretty big for a vehicle of this size, and gives the impression you're driving a milk truck.

The seats proved their worthiness during a back-and-forth weekend trip from Montreal to Quebec City, and there's a lot of storage spaces spread around the cabin to keep stuff within reach. The A-pillars are too fat, though, and visibility suffers a bit. The climate control rotary dials are simple and the CD player sounded pretty good and reads MP3 files, which is important for the SC's target clientele.

There's a lot of room for back-seat passengers, but there's only seatbelts for two. If you've got two small kids like me, it doesn't matter anyway, because the width of two child car seats would compromise the 3rd occupant anyway.

The wide A pillars make tight maneuvers a bit difficult.