The Suzuki Across was launched recently, and this means the company’s passenger line-up is finally electrified, but no so. Jiminy is the only exception, a vehicle, which became an embarrassment for all those executives who gave a huge emphasis on cutting emissions, but it was loved by the customers.
It is an achievement for the company, and what’s more amazing is it has happened so fast. In just a few months, the Ignis, Swift, Vitara, and S-Cross got the mild-hybrid powertrains. The vehicle can be regarded as the most electrified model of Japanese marque, and we are sure you have noticed by now that it’s not completely a Suzuki. The vehicle is based on the RAV4, and it’s very identical to it. It’s the result of the new agreement between Suzuki and Toyota, which makes it the first badge-engineered car.
But, surprisingly, however, the vehicle will come with a new four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid powertrain, which the European RAV4 models are yet to get, so for us, this is its debut. There’s a 167bhp 2.5-liter petrol four-cylinder associated with two electric motors, one with 51bhp at the rear and the other with 168bhp on the front axle.
The economic statistics are good as well, as it can travel for 44 miles on a single charge, where the combined mileage is 273mpg. The CO2 emissions are 21g/km, so it’s pretty low and gets a benefit-in-kind rating of just 5%, which is better than other vehicles. The price, however, is a bit higher than what we expected. The one-trim-only SUV is one of the most expensive cars in this segment.
There are some familiarities as well, like the cabin, which has a 9.0in infotainment touchscreen with hybrid-specific displays, and almost the same numbers of buttons, knobs, and switches. Its straight-line performance is good, and the 42-mile electric-only range is well enough to compete with the rivals. The company has announced that the Across will be available in limited numbers during the first year, so if you want it, you should act fast. But, even if you miss it, you can get a similar vehicle, RAV4 Plug-in, which might be cheaper as well.