And Grand It Is
by Ross Finlay (17 Sep 01)

Suzuki is at its best with ingenious small cars and 4x4s. That's as far as its four-wheeler production is concerned, since it also turns out large numbers of motor-cycles, stand-alone engines, and various other odds and ends that don't move on their own account, or propel anything else. More about all that in a feature later this week.

The new XL-7 version of the Grand Vitara is an impressive machine, the production version of the XL-6 concept car which appeared at last year's Detroit show. It's the biggest Suzuki ever, a long-wheelbase 4x4 which isn't over-wide, but has three rows of seats. In theory it's a seven-seater, but I'd say the comfortable long-journey maximum, of adults anyway, is one less than that. Seven isn't out of the question, but it's a matter of middle-row width.

This is a smart looking car, although the "front guard" accessory as shown in our picture rather takes away from the neat, unadorned appearance of the standard grille, lights and bumper. Suzuki doesn't always ring the bell and take the coconut for exterior styling, but the XL-7 is a very professional job. The designers have tackled the problem of styling their longest-wheelbase vehicle with great assurance, and unlike some of their rivals they haven't been seduced into doing something freaky with the side window line.

There's plenty of passenger space in the front cabin, and the middle-row seats, with their 60/40 split, are ingeniously designed. That's a complete split, not just a divided seat back. Both parts slide individually fore and aft, and it's a sensible addition that they recline independently too.

Good Headroom All The Way

The third-row seats are naturally smaller, but there's generous headroom there, and the fact that both the middle and front rows have forward-and-back adjustment means that, with a certain amount of give and take, a decent amount of legroom is possible for everybody.

Over the back, with all seats in place, luggage space is quite miserly. But if you need more, the seats move and fold in such a way that it should be quite easy to arrange a compromise with, say, one of the rear seats folded down.

The 2.7-litre V6 engine is substantially bigger in capacity than the usual Suzuki design. Pushing out 170bhp, it's an enlarged version of the 2.5-litre V6, and it certainly makes the XL-7 hammer along when let off the leash. That's not just on dual-carriageways and motorways, but also on minor roads, where the car is unexpectedly quite at home.

Many large-scale 4x4s give you the impression of bumping and bouncing their way along narrowish country roads with less than perfect surfaces, and you often get the feeling that there are over-bulky wheels and tyres upsetting not just the ride but also the overall handling balance.

Suzuki has obviously done a great deal of development and testing work with the XL-7, because it wafted along some of my favourite hill and moorland roads in the launch area absolutely as to the manner born.

Well-Honed Handling

It could be fired enthusiastically along the fenced or hedge-banked straights, tucked into corners with a sure-footed feel, braked hard when necessary, and pulled over to let some on-coming vehicle pass without any suggestion that it was taking up more road width than was comfortable.

It's stable and four-square at motorways speeds, and the careful match of wheelbase length with suspension characteristics provides it with an unexpectedly supple ride quality.

Most of the time, the XL-7 will be run in two-wheel drive, but there's select-on-the-move 4WD. The transfer box allows for 2H, 4H and 4L operation, although as with most cars of this kind I'm far from convinced that owners will do much four-low work.

Using the standard five-speed manual transmission, the XL-7 costs just a fiver shy of £20,000, with automatic transmission a £950 option. Suzuki GB reckons that perhaps 75% of orders will be for the automatic. As with most models in its catalogue, there's quite a long list of extra-cost options and accessories.

Don't mistake the new car for a small Suzuki half-heartedly expanded in wheelbase and length. This is a dedicated design, well presented, with better sound-deadening than many of the company's cars enjoy. There's abundant engine power, and the dynamics are a revelation.

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