Test drive: Suzuki rolls out great new SUV

This week, we’re testing Suzuki’s all new 2007 XL7 Limited SUV, which goes from a compact SUV to a spacious, powerful, mid-size sporty vehicle in just one year. The transformation is truly amazing, from outward design to the many amenities that greet the consumer.

Front to the rear, Suzuki’s designers have come up with a winner. The new XL7 features a dramatic, smooth and contemporary design with triangle-shaped turn lamps, bold three-bar grille, brawny wheel arches, wrap-around rear taillights and integrated roof racks. Parked next to segment competitors, XL7 easily measures up or surpasses in most every category.

Now for a few surprises. Suzuki’s XL7 is based on the same platform as GM’s Pontiac Torrent and Chevy Equinox. It is built in Ontario, Canada, and is classified as a unibody crossover SUV. However, XL7 is nearly 8 inches longer than Chevy and Pontiac, and also develops more power than the GM siblings thanks to its GM designed 3.6-liter V-6 engine. Suzuki tweaks and assembles this engine in Japan, and then ships it to Canada for where the XL7 is assembled. Yes, it pays to have good friends and partners in this business.

XL7 incorporates a sophisticated chassis that dishes up an agile, comfortable, car-like ride whether driving on the highway, in the city or on mountain roads. The XL7 features four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link design in the rear. When built in seven-passenger mode, the independent rear suspension is fitted with Nivomat load-leveling rear shock absorbers. This is a great addition for keeping XL7 level in all situations. Thanks to its stretched body, XL7 now better handles its third row seat, where kids and smaller adults will find acceptable surroundings, larger ones not.

XL7 features standard four-wheel disc ABS and Electronic Stability Program including traction control. Interior standard safety features include driver and front-passenger advanced airbags and side-curtain airbags, and tire pressure monitor system to mention a few. Our tester came with all-wheel-drive that utilizes an active, electronically controlled rear differential module. This system responds immediately to 4-wheel traction requests and effectively eliminates any lag time.

Under the hood, we really like what Suzuki offers. There sits the aforementioned all-aluminum Suzuki-built 3.6-liter DOHC V-6, developing 252-horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 243 pound-feet of torque at 2,300 rpm. This makes XL7’s new V-6 way more powerful than the 2.7-liter, 185-horse, 184 pound-feet of torque engine it replaces. The result is good acceleration, gobs of low-end torque (yes, you can spin the tires fairly easy with traction control off) and a decent highway EPA number of 23, with 17 in the city. A five-speed automatic transmission provides excellent power transfer, with manual shift mode there for the taking. Our test vehicle went from zero to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds, not bad for a two-ton vehicle.

A note here on price; our tester arrived in fully loaded, top of the line condition, so we want to emphasize that the base front-wheel-drive XL7 starts at a non-discounted retail of just $22,899, with the all-wheel-drive version starting at $24,499. Also deserving praise is Suzuki’s 7-year/100,000-mile fully transferable warranty.

Important numbers include a wheelbase of 112.4-inches, 18.6-gallon fuel tank, 4,049-pound curb weight, 3,500-pound towing capacity, and from 14.0 cubic feet to 95.2 cubic feet of cargo space depending on seating configuration.

We didn’t spend too much time writing about the numerous standard features the new XL7 offers, but rest assured it’s just about everything. Your dealer will gladly explain all three XL7 models and corresponding amenities.

Here’s to Suzuki for building a great, new, SUV that will undoubtedly be a prime sales threat in this crowded, popular mid-size segment. Thus, we’ll bestow a very strong 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 for the efforts.

You owe it to yourself to drive an XL7 if shopping this market.

Likes: Great engine, design, interior space, ride, power.

Dislikes: Interior plastics and hardware could be better.