Name: New Suzuki Across models and Specifications
Brand: Suzuki

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2.5 PHEV E-Four

ACROSS

Suzuki is well known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but the car brand has been enjoying decent success in recent years, thanks to a line-up of neat, well-equipped and keenly priced models.

Its expertise focuses on smaller cars, although its high-riding SUV range is also hugely credible, especially the Ignis and Vitara, which are both rated highly by What Car?’s testers and which have enjoyed success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

Well priced, decent to drive and full of useful tech, Suzuki’s cars also generally stand out for delivering good fuel economy. The Ignis, Celerio and Baleno have all stood head and shoulders above the competition during our True MPG testing.

SUZUKI

2.5 PHEV E-Four 5dr CVT

Suzuki Across

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

At first glance the Suzuki Across looks pretty expensive, but it actually costs less to buy outright than most of its rivals, including the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense, the Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Discovery Sport PHEV.&nbsp;

It still isn’t cheap though, and will cost you quite a bit more than the Ford Kuga PHEV and the closely-related Toyota RAV4, which offers cheaper trim levels to bring the cost down.&nbsp;

It’s predicted to lose its value quicker than those rivals, too, which can have an effect on the amount you’ll pay each month, if you’re buying on PCP finance. That makes it quite hard to recommend as a private buy.

However, if you’re a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-company-cars/n22605">company car</a> driver, the Across's low official CO2 emissions and decent electric range put it in a low <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/company-car-tax-guide/n9352">benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax</a> band, keeping monthly payments down and less than a Discovery Sport or CR-V. Again, though, the RAV4 PHEV’s CO2 emissions are similarly low and its cheaper list price reduces the monthly payments further.&nbsp;

Officially, the Across can manage up to 282mpg, but don’t expect anything like that unless you keep it fully charged and stick to short journeys. On longer journeys, we'd expect around 50mpg. The PHEV battery has a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/fastest-charging-electric-cars/n26105">maximum charging rate</a> of 6kW, allowing it to go from empty to fully charged in about 2hr 45min.

The only trim level available is very well equipped. It includes adaptive cruise control, a leather interior, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, 19in alloy wheels and an electric tailgate. There are six paint colours to choose from, but few other options.

The Across didn’t feature in our 2024 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/reliability-survey-most-reliable-cars/n26137">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, but the Toyota RAV4 did really well, claiming second place out of 33 cars in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/reliability-survey-most-reliable-family-suvs/n26155">family SUV category</a>. Even better, Suzuki as a brand performed brilliantly, placing third out of the 31 included manufacturers and behind only Mini and Lexus.&nbsp;

The good news continues when you look at Suzuki’s standard warranty, too, which gives you cover for up to seven-years/100,000-miles if the car is serviced annually at a Suzuki dealer. That’s better than what you’ll get from almost all of the Across’s rivals, with the exception of the RAV4, which gets an industry-leading warranty of up to 10 years or 100,000 miles (if you regularly service it at a Toyota dealer).

The RAV4 received an excellent safety rating from <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044">Euro NCAP</a> back in 2019, so you can expect a stellar level of safety in the Across, too.&nbsp;

In fact, as standard, it gets plenty of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">AEB</a>) with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and an SOS emergency call function. There’s also blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

<h2 dir="ltr">“As good as the Across is, it’s difficult to ignore the near identical Toyota RAV4, which costs less to buy privately and as a company car. I do appreciate the long list of standard equipment, though.” – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/authors/stuart-milne/n25965">Stuart Milne, Digital Editor</a></h2>

Every Suzuki Across comes with four-wheel drive, with an electric motor on both the front and rear axles. Combined with the petrol engine, that gives you a total of 302bhp when you put your foot down.&nbsp;

That’s not insignificant and it helps the Across officially cover 0-62mph in just 6.0 seconds – quicker than the DS 7 Plug-in Hybrid 225 (8.9 seconds), Ford Kuga PHEV (7.3 seconds) and the Land Rover Discovery Sport Plug-in Hybrid (7.0 seconds).

If you don’t engage the fully electric mode, the Across’s <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/automatic-gearboxes-everything-you-need-to-know/n17022">CVT automatic gearbox</a> means the engine revs soar then stay high until you ease off again. It’s not too intrusive, but it’s not exactly relaxing either, with the engine sounding pretty coarse and sending vibrations through the pedals.

Refinement is much better in EV (electric vehicle) mode. Acceleration is accompanied only by the whirring of the electric motors as a soundtrack, and there’s no grating petrol engine noise.

Suzuki says the Across can go up to 47 miles officially on electric power alone, which is less than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">BMW X3</a> (55 miles) and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/cr-v/estate/review/n44">Honda CR-V</a> PHEV (50 miles). It does, however, have a longer range than the Kuga PHEV (43 miles), DS 7 (37 miles) and Discovery Sport (37 miles).

Whether you're travelling on petrol or electric power, ride comfort isn’t the Across’s strongest suit. It’s a similar problem that the Toyota RAV4 PHEV suffers, with the firm suspension required to compensate for the heavy electric battery meaning that it thuds over potholes and motorway expansion joints. It’s certainly not back-breakingly uncomfortable, but it never feels completely settled at speed.

Even though the Across is a quick car with firm suspension, you won’t find much enjoyment from driving it quickly, because its handling is fairly ordinary. However, you could argue that spirited drives are not really the point of a family SUV like this.&nbsp;

To that end, when you’re driving normally, the Across controls its body well enough, and the light steering makes negotiating car parks and town centres a doddle. If you want a PHEV that handles well, you’ll want to take a look at the X3 or, alternatively, the mild hybrid <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/cx-5/estate/review/n19">Mazda CX-5</a>, which has more steering feel and better body control.

<h2 dir="ltr">“I do appreciate the Across’s four-wheel drive system, because it’s great to have extra peace of mind when you’re driving in very wet or wintery conditions.” – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/authors/oliver-young/n22317">Oliver Young, Reviewer</a></h2>

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

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Does the Suzuki Across look rather familiar to you? It might well do, because it has more than a little in common with another – better known – SUV from another brand.

That’s right, built in collaboration with Toyota, the Across is very closely related to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/rav4/4x4/review/n130">Toyota RAV4</a>. While very similar underneath, it’s not entirely a copy and paste job, with the Suzuki getting a differently styled front end and only one engine option and trim level.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/44L8met2e0A" width="560"></iframe>

Unlike the RAV4, you can only have the Across as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">plug-in hybrid</a> (PHEV), which means you get a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors and an 18.1kWh battery. That puts it under direct fire from not only the RAV4 PHEV, but also the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ds/ds-7/hatchback/review/n188">DS 7</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/kuga/4x4/review/n57">Ford Kuga</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/review/n17358">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a>.&nbsp;

On top of that, it also needs to take down the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/cx-5/estate/review/n19">Mazda CX-5</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a>, all equally tough <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-used-family-suvs-for-less-than-pound15000/n20372">family SUV</a> rivals. So, does the Across have what it takes and should it be on your shortlist? Read on to find out...

Drivers of all shapes and sizes are well catered for in the Suzuki Across. It has full electric seat adjustment with a memory recall function, adjustable lumbar support and a large centre armrest.

The driving position places you high above the road, plus it gives a commanding view over the road ahead. Meanwhile, thin front windscreen pillars make sure you have an unobstructed view out at junctions and roundabouts.

The view over your shoulder isn't as good, with thick rear pillars reducing your visibility slightly. Luckily, the view out of the rear windscreen is much better, helping you to park easily; this is aided further by standard-fit front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Infotainment used to be a weakness of the Across, but a mid-life facelift changed that with the introduction of a new 10.5in touchscreen that has sharp graphics and a simple operating system. DAB radio, Bluetooth, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> smartphone mirroring and built-in sat-nav.&nbsp;

Most of the materials on the upper surfaces look smart and feel relatively plush. The chunky switches on the dashboard have a slick action, and the rubberised finish on the physical air conditioning controls add to the car’s rugged feel.&nbsp;

Overall, it's a pleasant place to be, but it's not as visually spectacular as the interior of, say, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/3008/estate/review/n17363">Peugeot 3008</a> and it doesn't feel as solid as the Mazda CX-5.

<h2 dir="ltr">“I’m glad built-in sat-nav is now standard, because it’ll be appreciated by those that don’t use smartphone mirroring systems, such as Apple CarPlay.” – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/authors/dan-jones/n23433">Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer</a></h2>

Family SUV is competent, but&nbsp;only makes real sense as a company car

We doubt many people will complain about space in the front of the Suzuki Across, with head, leg and shoulder room being more than sufficient for a pair of six-footers with broad shoulders. That said, the Honda CR-V is even more spacious up front.&nbsp;

There’s lots of interior storage, including a reasonable-sized cubby under the front armrest, decent-sized door bins, a couple of cupholders and trays in the dashboard (which are useful for items such as keys or a mobile phone).

Rear-seat passengers will be equally happy, because the Across offers more space than the Mazda CX-5 and similar levels of leg and head room to the Ford Kuga and Land Rover Discovery Sport. Again, though, the CR-V takes the biscuit and offers more space, making it worth a look if you need lots of rear space.&nbsp;

The rear seats in the Across recline and split in a 60/40 configuration before folding flat to create an enormous load bay. That said, they don’t slide as they do in the CR-V and Peugeot 5008. In fact, that latter gets an altogether more versatile 40/20/40 split and comes with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven seats</a>&nbsp;– something you can’t have with the Across.&nbsp;

As you might expect, you get the same 490-litre boot in the Across as you do in the Toyota RAV4 PHEV. In real world terms, that should be plenty big enough to carry a large family shop or a couple of buggies. Indeed, we managed to fit eight carry-on suitcases in there, which is the same as the CR-V PHEV and the Discovery Sport.

<h2 dir="ltr">“The Across’s 490-litre boot certainly isn’t small&nbsp;– I managed to fit my weekend luggage in there with plenty of room to spare. It’s worth noting that normal hybrid versions of the Toyota RAV4 get a much larger boot, though.” – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/authors/neil-winn/n1101">Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor</a></h2>

across

Being a plug-in hybrid, the Suzuki Across stacks up well as a company car choice, keeping costs down with a good electric-only range and punchy performance. The closely-related Toyota RAV4 is just as good in all those areas, though, and it costs less. 

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Comfortable ride </li> <li>Feature-filled infotainment </li> <li>Space for child seats </li> <li>Robust build quality </li> <li>Practical storage spaces </li> <li>A boot fit for a family holiday </li> <li>Fuel-efficient engines</li></ul>

While we define a small SUV&nbsp;as something&nbsp;less than 4.3 metres long and a large SUV as measuring more than 4.5 metres, family SUVs tread the middle ground.

As the name suggests, the vast majority are&nbsp;designed for family duties rather than serious off-roading, so practicality is paramount. However, that&nbsp;shouldn't come at the expense of a decent drive; the best examples combine tidy handling with smooth engines&nbsp;and a ride that's comfortable&nbsp;enough to ensure the kids aren't left feeling queasy.

&nbsp;

Family SUV

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Usefully long electric-only range</li> <li>Exceedingly frugal</li> <li>Cheap company car tax rates</li> <li>Smooth switching between electric and petrol power</li></ul>

If you're not ready to commit to a fully electric vehicle&nbsp;but have the capacity to charge your car at home or at work, a plug-in hybrid could be the perfect compromise. Electric batteries paired with a petrol or diesel&nbsp;engine means you'll never be left short of charge&nbsp;but can capitalise on cheap running costs, thanks to a surprisingly long electric-only range.

There's plenty of choice, too, whether you're after a sporty saloon like the BMW 3 Series, the 330e variant of which providing up to 36 miles of electric-only driving on a full charge, or a large load-lugging large SUV, including the Volvo XC90 T8, which claims an extraordinary&nbsp;113mpg.

Throw in competent handling and driving prowess, despite the added weight of the electric batteries, and a plug-in hybrid&nbsp;makes a compelling case for frugal buyers.&nbsp;

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