2007 Suzuki XL7
Better in every way

By Road and Track
RoadandTrack.com

Talk about your extreme makeovers. The all-new 2007 Suzuki XL 7 has been completely transformed from a compact 7-seat SUV into something with more power, more space and a lot more style. In fact, it's difficult to take your eyes off the vehicle after your gaze fixes on those unusual pentagonal headlights. (Superman fans will be hard pressed not to draw little S's in them.) Those headlights symbolically define the nature of the new XL7, not to mention the nature of the company itself. According to Hirotaka Ono, senior operating officer in charge of overseas marketing, Suzuki intends to change its image from that of a maker of efficient-but-transparent people-haulers to a producer of exciting, sporty machines.

The most notable (and perhaps controversial) aspect of the new XL7 is its exterior styling. The front end stands out, and the big Suzuki's profile flows like a sports sedan from front to rear, with aggressive fender bulges that provide a muscular overall stance. Some may see the XL7 as a crossover, some as a genuine SUV, but all of us here agree that the car looks good.

• Conveniences abound in the new XL7-there's a handy iPod connector, a sliding cover for the ubiquitous cupholders, and easy-to-reach window switches. Side-curtain airbags are standard fare, and the gauges are a model of clarity.

"I like the bold styling of the XL7," said one editor. "The front end is strong and distinctive in a sea of other crossover vehicles. The profile is also very good." The XL7 is significantly larger than the previous model, with an overall length, width and height of 197.2, 72.2 and 68.9 in., respectively. This directly translates to more space inside. Frontseat passengers are treated to slightly more head and leg room, while passengers in the second-row get the bulk of the added space. As with the previous XL7, those in the third-row seats aren't condemned to slow torture on multi-hour commutes; there's actually a fair amount of space here for two normal-size adults. "I've come to appreciate this SUV's virtues. It's quite roomy for its exterior footprint. There's lots of head room and it has easy ingress/egress," an editor noted.

The XL7 will be available as a 5- and 7-seater, with more marketing emphasis put on the latter. However, Koichi Suzuki, president of American Suzuki Motor Corporation, said he expects the 5-passenger version to gain popularity because there are now more 7-passenger vehicles available in the marketplace. "When the maiden XL7 first appeared, there weren't many other vehicles of its nature offering 7-passenger seating. However, there has been a boom in the genre recently, so the 7-passenger seating theme isn't as exclusive to the XL7 as it once was," he said.

Under the hood of the new Suzuki sport ute is a GM-designed 3.6-liter dohc V-6. This aluminum powerplant, equipped with VVT (Suzuki's variable- valve timing technology) and a stainless-steel dual exhaust, puts out an impressive 252 bhp at 6500 rpm and 243 lb.-ft. of torque at 2300, making it significantly more powerful than the 2.7-liter engine it replaces (185 bhp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque). You can feel the difference as soon as you depress the accelerator pedal. The car jumps off the line like a sports sedan, with a good amount of torque coming before the tach needle sweeps past the 2000-rpm mark (96 percent of peak torque comes at 2000 rpm). As revs rise, the engine gets stronger, letting up only when nearing the 6700-rpm redline. The 5-speed automatic transmission provides smooth shifts, and possesses a manual mode that comes in handy on mountain roads.

• Beneath this cover lies a great engine, transverse-mounted and driving the front wheels.

Our test vehicle, a front-driver (all-wheeldrive versions are also available), ran to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and to the century mark in 21.1, not bad for a vehicle that weighs 4070 lb. "The V-6 does a very good job of moving the XL7 up to speed briskly, and is only a little buzzy under full throttle. The automatic transmission seems well matched to the engine's torque characteristics and performance. Power is more than ample if you bury your foot into the throttle pedal," remarked one of our test drivers.

The XL7's GM-based chassis also received the Suzuki treatment. The suspension— MacPherson struts up front and a multilink setup at the rear—is tuned to give the XL7 a smooth yet stable ride. At the test track, the SUV exhibits sharp turn-in response—thanks mainly to its quick-ratio rack-and-pinion steering system— but we found heavy understeer to be prevalent at the limit. Some of the blame here goes to the all-season Bridgestone Dueler tires, which are far from the performance tires we're accustomed to. Still, with stability control switched off, the big Suzuki managed to post 0.72g around our 200-ft. skidpad. Its slalom run of 56.6 mph was less impressive, the XL7 leaning heavily from side to side as it weaved its way through the cones. "Handling is okay. The traction control helps a lot in quick starts. This SUV is quite nimble for its size, and getting through city traffic is a breeze," an editor said.

As adept as the XL7 is at weaving through traffic, its home is on the open road. Ride quality is smooth, and the cabin stays amazingly quiet cruising at 60mph with only a little engine noise creeping into the cabin during acceleration. Wind noise becomes noticeable only at speeds of more than 80 mph. During its hardworking stint at R&T, our sport ute averaged only 16.1 mpg, although the EPA mileage figures are a very respectable 18 city/24 highway. But perhaps the most impressive thing about this new Suzuki is its price tag. The base front-wheel-drive XL7 starts at $22,899, with the all-wheel-drive version starting at $24,499. The base 7-passenger XL7 starts at $24,249, whereas the top-of-the-line model 7-passenger Limited, costs $27,949. With options, our test model listed for $30,784. Also of note is Suzuki's 7-year/100,000-mile fully transferable warranty.

The new XL7 is better than the previous version in every way. One editor described it best when he said: "All in all, it's hard to imagine that you can buy this vehicle at this price level. It's distinctive, smart-looking, easy to get into and out of, comfortable, roomy, and gets decent fuel economy—all at a very good price."

Copyright © 2007, By RoadandTrack.com