Suzuki Across Review

It’s slightly poor form to start a car review talking about a different car, but it’s particularly relevant here. The Toyota RAV4 is a popular SUV because it’s economical, spacious and feels like it’s built to outlast Buckingham Palace. But, the Toyota badge on the front – and the associated reputation for reliability – means the RAV4 holds its value well and stays expensive. The Toyota tax is real.

Here’s a hack. The Suzuki Across is almost identical to the RAV4 – it’s made on the same production line using the same parts – but it doesn’t attract the Toyota tax. Same car, different badge, very different price tag. Buying a Suzuki Across over a RAV4 is using your whole brain capacity.

Suzuki doesn’t try to hide the fact it’s RAV4-based. The only styling changes are new badges, a new front grille and new headlights (which are borrowed from a Toyota SUV for the Chinese market).

Until recently, the Toyota had a clear advantage: a 10-year/100,000-mile service-activated warranty. But now, Suzuki has matched that – your Suzuki dealer will be so glad to service it that it’ll give you an extra year’s warranty cover for up to a decade.

What you see with the Across is what you get, because there’s only one engine choice and one well-equipped specification. The Across is only sold with the RAV4’s plug-in-hybrid engine, which means some surprisingly punchy stats – 302hp, a six-second 0-62mph time and 46 miles of electric range.

The Across has a very logical, intuitive interior. The design is perhaps a little conservative, but everything is obvious and within easy reach. We really like how many physical controls remain, too – it’s easy to adjust the temperature while driving, and there’s no chance of pressing a button on the steering wheel accidentally.

There are some cheap materials, but these should prove particularly durable, and they’re joined by some very considered material choices. The grippy ridged rubber lining the door handles and air-con controls is a nice touch – it feels rugged but also serves a functional purpose. There’s a strip of leather-effect trim on the dash, complete with red stitching, and half faux leather seats with more red accents.

Look for a 2023 Across or newer if you can, because these have a newer and far superior infotainment screen. It has speedy responses and is very simple to operate – mostly because it’s quite short of native features and relies quite heavily on connecting to your phone. There’s no built-in sat nav, but there is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The Across is an expensive car when brand new, and that’s somewhat justified by its long equipment list. Standard kit includes heated seats, a heated steering wheel, digital dials, a powered tailgate (that can open by you swinging your foot under the bumper), keyless entry, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and tinted rear windows.

The Across is one of the bigger options in the family SUV market, so there’s plenty of interior space. Both headroom and legroom is up there with the best in class – even tall adults can comfortably sit behind another tall adult. Plus, with a nearly flat floor and a flat rear bench, it’ll be no issue for three adults to sit side by side.

There’s all the features you’d reasonably expect in the back – two Isofix child-seat mounting points, USB outlets, air vents, map pockets and cupholders. The large windows give good visibility for kids, too.

Open the electric bootlid and you’re met with a 490-litre space that’s flat and square. While the space is useful for suitcases and bulky items, it’s missing a few hooks and clever features to stop your cargo from flying across the boot when you take a corner a bit too enthusiastically. There’s not a lot under the boot floor due to the high-voltage battery pack.

Similarly, we thought the front passenger seat could do with a bit more adjustment – although it’s good to see that the rear seats can recline to improve long-distance comfort.

The Across only comes with the RAV4’s plug-in-hybrid engine – the 22g/km of CO2 it officially emits is instrumental in bringing Suzuki’s average fleet emissions down.

A 2.5-litre petrol engine is joined by an 18.1kWh battery and two electric motors – a beefy 180hp one on the front axle and a 54hp one on the rear. The total output is 302hp, which enables a surprising 0-62mph of six seconds. Sports cars, beware!

However, unless the battery has the right amount of charge, you’re not going to get that full amount, so the Across doesn’t always feel as powerful as the figures suggest. Most of the time, that’s not a massive issue, because the Across is like a carton of milk – it’s best to keep it chilled.

Keep the battery charged and you’ll be able to travel up to 46 miles on electric power. Do so regularly and Suzuki reckons you could return 282mpg – so, if you can charge at home, the Across has the potential to slash your running costs. When the battery’s low, expect to see between 40 and 50mpg, depending on how and where you drive.

Unfortunately, any money you save on fuel might have to go on insurance and tax. Because it’s a powerful car, the Across sits in quite a high insurance group, and, because it costs over £40,000 new, it attracts the luxury car tax until the car is six years old.

The Across doesn’t really excel in one specific area of its driving experience, but the sum of its parts is a fantastic car for normal driving. It’s easy, stable and undramatic, and the hybrid system beavers away in the background, always juggling the electric and petrol power to best effect.

You’ll know when you take the Across out of its comfort zone. Attempt a corner too fast and you’ll get a chunk of body roll, while ask for full acceleration and the engine drones at high revs to get you up to speed. But, unless you’re joining a motorway or going for an overtake, that doesn’t happen too often.

The Across is generally quite comfortable. Big bumps are mostly smoothed off and the car stays composed. There’s a bit of tyre noise at motorway speed to contend with, but the Across is hardly alone in this.