Suzuki GRAND VITARA XL-7 7-Seater
Those Wanting To Transport Seven People In a 4x4 SUV Have Traditionally Faced A Big Bill. Suzukis Grand Vitara XL-7 Aims To Change The Script. Andy Enright Reports
The
Suzuki Vitara XL-7 is a concept so simple, so astonishingly logical that its miraculous that its taken this long for someone to come up with it. You like the rugged appeal of a 4x4, need to
seat seven but dont have thirty large ones washing around the deposit account what do you do? It seems that you wait for Suzuki to launch a stretched version of their Grand Vitara and then beat a path to your local dealer.
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Thats what
Suzuki are hoping, the Grand Vitara XL-7 weighing in just the right side of the psychologically significant £20,000 barrier and offering all of the refinements which have turned the Grand Vitara from wide-wheeled plaything to seriously respected SUV. The additional benefit of over a foot grafted into the wheelbase and seven inches onto the overhangs means that the XL-7 can genuinely live up to its claim of seating seven adults, just so long as theyre not part of a basketball team. Power is supplied by either the all-aluminium 2.7-litre 24-valve petrol V6 or a 2.
0-litre turbo diesel. The oil-burner is manual only but the V6 is available coupled to either the five speed manual gearbox or, for a £950 premium, a 4-speed automatic transmission. Good for 170bhp, weve become used to the V6 engine in the Grand Vitara range, but with significant extra sheet metal to haul, it produces sterling figures in the XL-7. Sixty mph arrives in ten seconds whilst an average fuel consumption figure of 27.
2mpg is scarcely credible for such a bluff, heavy petrol car. The diesel wont match the V6s urge but it trounces its impressive figures where fuel economy concerned. The five-speed gearbox is a fairly vice-free unit, although many customers will be prepared to pay the extra for the four-speed auto. Its not the sharpest auto weve ever tested, but it nevertheless prevents you exploiting the engines prodigious torque to get into the sort of cornering antics the XL-7 patently disapproves of.
This is no GTi, but its capable of being hustled along at a fair lick as long as not too much steering input is required. On-road refinement is very good, as is ride quality, although the steering is a little vague, although certainly no worse than the class norm.
"The tape measure shows that its only 5.3 inches shorter than the most leviathan of
Mitsubishi Shoguns"
The XL-7s credentials dont stop at on-road performance either. Most serious off road enthusiasts will tell you that a good rule of thumb is to ask one very simple question. Is the car youre considering built on a car-derived monocoque-bodied chassis (a la Hondas CR-V or Toyotas RAV4) or a tougher ladder frame affair (as would be a larger, more serious 4x4 like a Range
Rover or a
Toyota Land Cruiser)? Amongst compact 4x4 off roaders, not even Land Rovers Freelander can claim to be in the latter category, despite its jungle-busting image. Nor, like its
Honda and Toyota counterparts, does it have a low-ratio transfer gearbox for really heavy going.
The XL7, on the other hand, is what the importers call a real 4x4. Despite its additional length, the XL7 can still cut it off road. Ramp and departure angles, those overhangs fore and aft of the wheels, are a bit less wieldy, but the box-section steel ladder-frame structure impresses with its strength and durability. You also get a tough low ratio gearbox; an item deemed de rigeur amongst off roading enthusiasts.
The interior is the big news with the XL7 and its an impressive conversion. Luggage space is at a premium when fully loaded with people, but should you ditch a passenger, the split rear
seat allows a few more bags inside. Measuring 185 inches in length, the XL-7 instantly rockets out of the
Land Rover Freelander and Honda CR-V class and into the same ballpark as the Land Rover Discovery. The tape measure even shows that its only 5.
3 inches shorter than the most leviathan of Mitsubishi Shoguns. As youd expect from something this long, youre buying a big block of air inside. The rear doors open wider to help access to the back row of seats, whilst the middle row of seats also splits and folds, with fore and aft adjustment making it easy to carry some long loads. Skis will quite happily fit inside the XL-7 although the standard roof bars can carry 46kgs, easily enough for a decently sized roof box.
Fold the second and third rows of seats down and youll free up 1492 litres of load capacity, a decent figure, but the XL-7s inherent narrowness prevents load lugging of Discovery class. Still, there are a number of alternative stowage areas about the cabin including a lockable glove box, an underfloor box, a centre console cubby, a storage tray under the front passenger seat and a multitude of door and seat pockets. You may well need a map to remind you where you left the atlas. The Grand Vitara XL7 has been treated to a thorough working over in order to keep the value proposition looking fresh.
The focus of these improvements has been a comprehensive reworking of the Vitara interiors and not before time as the cabins were starting to look a little tired. The controls, instrumentation and specifications have been uprated and trim quality is far better. That sub-£20,000 price doesnt mean the XL-7 is as well equipped as your average crew bus. Separate high output front and rear air conditioning is a feature formerly only found in upmarket executive models, and sounds come courtesy of a four-speaker CD/radio stereo system.
ABS, power steering, electric windows and mirrors, remote controlled central locking and an adjustable steering column are all standard, but the list doesnt stop there. Expect to find velour trim, six-spoke 16-inch alloys and adjustable armrests. The Grand Vitara XL-7 opens up a whole new niche and only the lack of a diesel version prevents an unreserved thumbs-up. Thanks to Suzukis ingenuity, it deserves every sale it notches up.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 seven-seater
PRICE: £18,995- - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 190-285g/km
PERFORMANCE: [V6] 0-60mph 10.2s / Max Speed 103mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [V6] (urban) 20.5 / (Extra urban) 31.0 / (Combined) 26.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4700/1780/1740mm
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