Picture Gallery: 2007 Suzuki XL7 JLX AWD
Day 1:
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Now this may seem completely unrelated but stay with me; while driving that Swift this weekend (pictures can be found here) and trying to save myself the embarrassment of being beached on a snowbank, I whacked my elbow on the door panel, a door panel made of the hardest plastic known to man.
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Hard plastics aside, the Suzuki XL7 has a somewhat appealing interior which, for some reason, really reminds me of a Cadillac. It could be the GM switchgear, XM radio or the navigation system, or I suppose it could be the wood trim with beige leather interior.
The engine reminds me of Cadillac as well: a 3.6 litre V6 mated to a 5 speed automatic transmission, the same engine which just happens to be used in vehicles such as the Cadillac CTS. So is this a Suzuki or is this a GM re-badge exercise? The XL7 actually rolls off the same assembly line as the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent.
Not that a re-badged GM would intrinsically be a bad thing. Platform sharing is a great cost savings exercise and, typically, the consumer benefits. I’ll try to judge the XL7 on its own merit this week by putting it through the same test drive I do with the rest of my test vehicles.
2007 Suzuki XL7 JLX AWD with Navi
MSRP as tested: $37,995
For more information on Suzuki and the XL7 visit Suzuki Canada
Day 2:
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The cold also induced some odd groans when accelerating and turning left, which also disappeared after five or so kilometers into my commute; it had me worried for a bit as it sounded like a loose sway bar or something of the sort.
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I noticed other things this morning besides the cold though, like my fingers freezing… seriously though onto the XL7. I noticed almost immediately the driving position of the XL7 is more car like than the Santa Fe I drove last week. The seat adjusts with a great deal of up/down travel, although the wheel does not telescope it does tilt.
Having the slightly lower driving position gives me more confidence as a driver. It makes the XL7, as large as it is, feel more car-like than I found the Santa Fe to be. Although when trying to park the XL7 it becomes obvious that it is a very large vehicle and its turning radius is limited, making parking lot maneuvers an art I have yet to master in the XL7.
Since I am always the driver of these vehicles I rarely if ever sit in the passenger seat. I do always attempt to take a few minutes to sit in the rear seats to evaluate the living quarters in that area. The XL7 is a 7 seater so I took some time to specifically test out the second and third rows.
Seating in the second row is fairly spacious, head room is adequate and leg room with my seat in my driving position was very generous. The second row flips forward to allow access to the third row seats in the XL7. The step up and into the third row is not so easy and would be difficult for anyone of small stature and even more difficult for anyone with a large stature. Once imprisoned in the third row, leg room is very limited, as expected, but the seats are actually comfortable. Head room is fairly limited at 5′9″ I had about 1 inch of head room remaining.
Day 3:
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The odd button placement doesn’t end there. The rear wiper switch is not a switch but an on/off button behind the gear lever, rather than on the steering column stalk like every other vehicle I’ve driven. The washer fluid dispensing is done with yet another button behind the lever; at least they are beside each other.
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I picked up a shelving unit that is 52 centimeters long and it didn’t fit width wise, though I assumed it would. Keep this in mind when looking for cargo capacity as sometimes the numbers do not tell you the entire story.
The only other little nitpicks are the paper maché-like sun visors with the smallest plastic clip I have ever seen, and the hard plastics throughout, including the flat door panels, which are truly unattractive.
But driving wise I am enjoying the XL7. Handling seems decent for a vehicle of this size, the traction control kicks in after the wheels slip which means you can have some tail out fun on side streets as I did this morning in the snow. Push a little too hard though and the traction control and stability control will kick in reducing engine output and drive to the wheels.
And for those of you that just cannot live with the foot-operated parking brake, well here you have it: an SUV with a hand-operated one. You’ll just need a very skinny hand to reach it.
I’ll be reporting tomorrow on the fuel consumption of the XL7 over the week, but so far I am fairly disappointed. Hopefully the computer has not had a chance to settle after it was filled and it is just plain incorrect, because so far the mileage I am getting is unacceptable.
Day 4:
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The V6 offered in the Suzuki is no slouch and the XL7 (all ~4000lbs of it) seemed to move along nicely and fairly effortlessly. But an average of 17L/100km over the course of the week is about 25% more fuel usage than the similarly powered Rav4s and Santa Fes of the world.
As a few of my readers have pointed out though, the XL7 is an excellent value proposition. My tester is priced at $37,995 but is equipped with Satellite radio and Navigation, full leather and pretty much all the goodies. The Rav4 was pretty spartan for $36,000; the CR-V was also fairly basic for $34,000, though the other value leader, the Santa Fe, came in at $34,295 with some leather goodies but did not have navigation or the seven seat option.
The XL7 may not be perfect but does provide value for money, though its fuel consumption is a little disappointing, unfortunately, but perhaps our tester is a little thirstier than your average XL7.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2007 Suzuki XL7 JLX AWD with Navi
MSRP as tested: $37,995
For more information on Suzuki and the XL7 visit Suzuki Canada
to our site.
February 14, 2007, 10:40:54 am Ah pricing...Value for the $ is certainly where the XL7 shines, especially compared to most of it's competition. Sante Fe shares a similar pricing strategy, dollar for dollar they are bang on. When you get into the nitty gritty they have each have features that would appeal to different buyers. But comparisons with the the Lambda platform? Does anyone even bother checking pricing before piping in lol? A fully loaded XL7 is 38 with a NAV system. With only AWD, leather and a roof it's 36...price out any comparable model in terms of features (V6, leather, roof, XM, AWD) and they will be thousands more. An Outlook? It starts at 34k for a FWD base, that'll be 47k with leather, roof and AWD...oh you want NAV? $52,000!! As for the Equinox, a comparably equipped AWD with leather and a roof would be about 35500. The pricing on the XL7 is where it needs to be, directly in line with the Korean's, thousands less than a comparable Japanese product, and less than comparable domestics before programs. The XL7 will bring new customers to the showroom but the SX4 and the upcoming Swift will drive more. Yes there are cost savings to sharing platforms with GM but it hurts both Suzuki's image and sales in Canada more than it helps. Suzuki is growing rapidly in the US with GMDAT cars and product like the XL7. This is the fastest way to grow the brand in the US in a short period of time. Once they have a sufficent, profitable dealer network, they will move away from GMDAT and bring in Japanese/Global Suzuki product designed with the US in mind.
Globally, the 100,000 sales in the US is 4%, yes FOUR PERCENT of Suzuki's global automotive production...The XL7 was designed for the US and will sell in droves there, hopefully helping the company reach 200,000 sales by 2009. Since the company wants to be at 3 million units produced by that time, the US will still only represent 6% of global production. Suzuki is a company driven by profit, not by sales numbers. It has been profitable for 55 years straight...they will sacrifice unit sales in a segment for profit in another. Canada would benefit from an onslaught of the small, fantastic cars Suzuki produces overseas. The Japanese Swift, WagonR would be a hit here, especially the diesel versions, but as a business case this does not make sense. The cost of certify these cars for Canadian market doesn't make it worthwhile. Suzuki will grow in line with the US and sales will be roughly 10% of what the US does. The company won't be leaving the market and will always be a niche player appealing to a specific demographic. Don't be surprised if Suzuki is selling 40,000 cars in Canada by 2013-2014, they have a robust product pipeline.
February 14, 2007, 12:20:32 pm I learnt to drive on my mothers Swift, so I do have a place in my heart for the Suzuki badge.
Even though it had a really cheap interior and was a bit slow, the car took a licking and kept on ticking (I loved to rev the engine and ride the clutch). She eventually had to put it down at just over 200K.
This model seams a bit average and I'm guessing that is how it will sell.
February 14, 2007, 12:42:56 pm
I think it looks better than the real XL-7 and I said stayed closer to the style - not copy it. Yes the front-end of the concept isn't pretty, but I think it could be transformed into something more attractive than the XL-7, plus the overall shape of the concept is closer to the more acclaimed crossovers on the market (CX-7 and Murano).
February 14, 2007, 06:12:21 pm
If they leave all customers as satisfied as we were with our 2000 Suzuki Esteem wagon the company will indeed grow. They didn't have a model that provided what we wanted this time or we would happily have been second-time buyers. We wouldn't have even been car shopping yet if my old bones hadn't finally rebelled at driving a standard around town.
February 15, 2007, 08:32:49 am
The Outlook pricing I remembered is what I saw at the auto show : 32k$ for a base fwd, 44k$ for a loaded awd. I don't care for leather in a non-premium vehicle, and I despise the very existence of nav systems. Point is, some cars add value in their upper trim levels, some lose value by way of overpricing. I see value in the base Lambda, but I don't see any in a loaded Lambda or XL7 (or Sante Fe, or RAV, or ...). A 3rd-tier brand such as Suzuki is not a place (yet, at least) to spend money on upper-trim doo-dads, unless you plan to run it into the ground. Otherwise, you're throwin' money through the windows. There's more value in the base XL7, but if you like the basic vehicle and don't need the 3rd row, the Equinox / Torrent are easier on the eyes. I see good value in the Grand Vitara, btw, and its styling makes my head turn.
February 15, 2007, 10:42:05 am Outlook FWD is 35k+freight, XL7 JX FWD is 31k +frieght...a loaded XL7 with Leather and Roof at 35k has tons of value but that would be up to the comparision shopper to really determine.
As for fuel consumption, I don't know about Ottawa but it's been -16 to 20 in Toronto that's takes a toll but James never seems to be very happy with Fuel Consumption...hmmmm...maybe tailout behaviour are negatively skewing the numbers vs. the Transport Canada City/Highway cycle lol...I have a lead foot too...I've never seen transport canada numbers in anything i've ever driven.
February 15, 2007, 10:44:53 am smallfry, I'll fill it tonight but I have been VERY light footed with this vehicle. I drove the Santa Fe last week with a fairly heavy foot. Does 17L/100km not disappoint you? Certainly does to me! Hopefully the computer is wrong!
February 15, 2007, 01:18:51 pm James, the "odd" window switch placement is exactly like all e36 BMWs. It's a "driver's thing" ...
February 15, 2007, 01:21:04 pm Seems like a cost savings thing. They save 1 whole switch
February 15, 2007, 03:56:24 pm
Once you are use to the placement of the window switches in the centre, it works just fine
E46 also have them in the centre
I believe it has more to do with it being a world car ( for the 3 series anyway) on the passenger door rest you can see where the knock out is for the mirror adjustment would be for a right hand drive car
February 15, 2007, 04:14:34 pm Saab window switches are in the middle as well (or at least they are on my 900). I seriously doubt that Saab (who placed heat vents at the back seat windows so they clear faster in the winter) was saving a switch or two... Door locks and interior light switches are in the middle as well.
Some GM cars had the switches in the middle (old Z24s - pre 1994, few others).
February 15, 2007, 06:29:09 pm That's funny that both Saab and Suzuki have window switches in the middle; glad I owned both these types of car in the days of wind-up windows when creative placement of controls was NOT an option! When I saw the centre console placement of the window control switches on the Chevy HHR recently I was not impressed.
February 15, 2007, 10:17:10 pm
February 16, 2007, 08:07:27 am My 4500 pound, 3.5 litre 240 hp Odyssey never creeps beyond the 14 l/100 km range, cold and all, so another week in a GM product with the Caddy V-6 would give you a comparison point, specific for vehicle type.
Regarding the window switches, Wing, you should have mentioned that this is not a Suzuki feature, but a GM one, as this is the same layout as the Equinox. Giving credit were credit is due, from the outside, the vehicles don't look like rebadged twins.
February 19, 2007, 01:08:34 pm the new XL7 looks funky esp headlamp lower angle... should be deleted look better & rearlamp looks blend inside not excited cost hight than Hyundai SantaFe. Looks similar to GMC Acadia/Saturn outlook, too! I am looking for another crossover that seats more than 5 passenger with 4 cylinder, guess what there are only 2 real crossovers. Mazda 5 which I brought last year & this year for my wife... 2007 Kia Rondo
February 19, 2007, 01:56:54 pm Let's put the fuel consumption in perspective : minivans tend to be better than would-be off-roaders, and here's 2 examples that support this : city driving in the same cold spell in the Odyssey, including warm-up time : even 15 l/100 km; Road trip to Quebec City in the MPV with some local driving there, 3 adult passengers, rolling on Blizzaks and snowy roads : even 11 l/100 km.
17 l/100 km in the XL7 is a lot (green engine ?) as both of my vans aren't exactly featherweights (around 4500 lbs for the Ody, 3800 lbs for the MPV).
February 19, 2007, 02:10:17 pm
Which do you prefer and for what reasons?
February 20, 2007, 12:43:14 pm There is no cloth hanger in the Equinoxe. This is a piece of plastic costing 5 cents. Same thing in the XL-7?
February 20, 2007, 12:45:25 pm There is but it is almost unusable. The placement is very odd.
February 20, 2007, 05:56:51 pm Saw an XL7 ad last night - desert with a bike and an XL7... they skid and then get out to exchange keys asking "Can you handle it?" to each other.
This commerical looked of normal/high TV quality (the Wolfboy SX4 one did too) versus past Suzuki ads, but I don't know why they had to use the XL7 for this concept. It's simply not sporty enough - they should be spending the money advertising the 3rd row or some family friendly features. The concept would have worked for a saucy new euro Swift or something, but cheesy for the XL7.
At least I noticed it.
February 20, 2007, 10:47:03 pm I sat in an XL-7 last night and I thought it felt el cheapo. I would not even bother driving one now after my showroom impressions.
February 21, 2007, 10:21:22 am that commerical is part of a series put out in the US. A little along the lines of the BMW film series but mixes in Bikes/Cars and action in one story instead of various different tales. They shot the series and then pulled commericals out of it.
www.suzukifilms.com
February 21, 2007, 11:56:38 am
www.suzukifilms.com
Interesting. Didn't know that existed. I actually like the tie to other Suzuki vehicles, just this particular one seemed polar.
Loudpedal... you're definitely 'in the market', aren't you? What's the story there?
February 21, 2007, 12:29:30 pm SAM, any product I buy, I research to death. I've begun that process for the next vehicle.
For a car guy, I'm a pretty thrifty guy
cheap bastard. I typically buy and hold till I drive it virtually into the ground. I may not do that this time round.I've got two kids who are <5 yrs of age. A Civic SiR hatch and an Infiniti G20t, while great cars IMO, are perhaps close to no longer meeting future needs. The G20 (which may be the most reliable car I have ever owned) will likely be run till the end, so that means the Civic is on the bubble.
The real clincher will be when I deal my current personal watercraft (that I easily tow with the Civic) to get another boat (waterski boat, bowrider, etc). So, towing is a big consideration. As such, it's ruled out the RDX and CX-7.
I've nearly also ruled out minivans mainly due to the lack of AWD (Sienna excluded, but I don't want run flats).
Now the consideration revlolves around 5 or 7 (or
Truth be told, I'm waiting for the CUV market to hit a saturation point that the manufacturers are dealing them like crazy, and the balance shifts closer to surplus on the lots. I figure that is between 6-18 months away.
On the other hand, I could keep the current vehicles and pick up a couple of year old Pathfinder or Tacoma for much less...*cheap bastard thinking out loud*...
February 22, 2007, 04:17:23 pm I've been driving my 2007 XL7 for almost 4 months and it now has 10,000 km's.
I don't beat on it every day, but I don't
I commute from Durham to Toronto every day and my average fuel economy will range from a best of 9.8l/100km to a worst of 13.2l/100km. My last tank of fuel averaged 11.5l/100km with an average speed of 48.8km/hr.
I found the XL7 to be a great deal for the $$. The power window switches do take a bit of getting used to.
The rear wiper/washer and fog light switch placement is fine. They are only blocked by the shifter while in park, as soon as you shift into gear, they are easy to use.
The engine is very strong and pulls like a mad from idle right up to the red line (I love the sound, it has a nice snarl). The transmission has a very good shift, and it is always in the right gear.
When you think about the weight of the vehicle, 0-60MPH in under 8 seconds is pretty impressive for an SUV.
From what I have read, although the engine is based on the Caddy CTS, it is being manufactured by Suzuki in Japan (the transmission also comes from Japan), then shipped to Canada.
That's my 2 cents worth..
Tim