Suzuki Across Review 2024

Perhaps you’re looking at the Suzuki Across and thinking there is something familiar about it? Well, you’re not wrong, because it’s basically a Suzuki-branded version of the Toyota RAV4. The transformation from Toyota to Suzuki includes a new front bumper and headlights, plus a smattering of Suzuki badges. Otherwise, the Across is identical to the hugely popular RAV4, which is one of the best-selling SUVs around the world.

The Suzuki Across arguably looks less distinctive than the Toyota RAV4. But considering it sells in comparatively small numbers, the likelihood of you parking next to another one at the supermarket is pretty low.

There’s just a single model available, which is loaded to the gunnels with standard features, barring a couple of curious omissions such as sat-nav (you can at least connect your phone to the infotainment system to use navigation apps). There’s loads of safety equipment, too.

Power comes from a plug-in hybrid powertrain, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine, automatic gearbox and two electric motors to provide four-wheel drive. With more than 300PS, acceleration is really rapid, and it can travel 46 miles on electric power alone.

That translates to low tax rates for company car drivers, along with the potential to achieve very high fuel economy figures.

Despite its turn of speed, the Across driving experience is geared more towards comfort than excitement – no bad thing, of course. Add in a quiet, leather-lined interior with plush seats and the Suzuki Across is a lovely car to spend time in.

There’s no shortage of space, either. Five tall adults can fit comfortably, so the average family will have all the room they need. The boot is plenty big enough as well, offering more space than most other midsize SUVs with plug-in hybrid tech.

The Across feels like a car built for family life. Its interior looks and feels extremely robust, so your kids shouldn’t be able to disassemble it. There are plenty of storage spaces dotted throughout the interior, too. It’s just a shame there isn’t a bit more flair to the design, while the infotainment system is decidedly sub-par.

The price isn’t great, either, with the Suzuki Across costing around £48,000 at the time of writing. That’s punchy compared with rivals such as the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, which both cost considerably less. You do get more space in the Across, though, and there are lots of standard features.

The Suzuki Across is unlikely to be at the top of anyone’s shopping list, simply because Suzuki isn’t usually associated with this kind of car. It’s got a lot going for it, however, especially if your local dealer can offer you a good deal.

We're living with an Across for six months - find out how we get on with in our Suzuki Across long-term test.

It’s not the most engaging midsize SUV to drive, but the Suzuki Across feels very pleasant from behind the steering wheel. Its steering is light yet responsive, big windows give you a good view out, and the ride is notably smooth and comfortable compared to similar cars with the same kind of power. It doesn’t feel too big in town or when parking, yet it’s resolutely solid and stable on the motorway. The body leans over a fair bit if you turn into a corner at higher speeds, but it’s well-controlled as it does so. 

The Suzuki Across has four-wheel drive and a ‘Trail’ mode for driving over rough terrain, but anything more taxing than a muddy field or a rough farm track is likely to leave it floundering. The four-wheel drive is really there to provide extra traction on slippery roads, which makes the car feel more secure.

There’s just the one engine available in the Suzuki Across, a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol unit that’s backed up by two electric motors (the same system that powers the Toyota RAV4). When the engine and motors are working together they serve up a powerful 306PS (the engine contributes 185PS), which helps the car accelerate from 0-62mph in a sprightly 6.0 seconds. 

Driving normally, the car runs on electric power as much as possible. The 18.1kWh battery provides a theoretical range of 46 miles at speeds up to 84mph, so you can drive for short distances on motorways without using any fuel. There are two electric motors, one each for the front wheels and another at the back. Suzuki calls this electric four-wheel-drive system ‘E-Four’. 

When running on electric power, the engine is used as a generator to recharge the battery. It’s only when the battery runs low or you really floor the throttle that the engine joins in to power the car. The instant torque of the electric motors means the Across always feels responsive when accelerating, and it really charges forwards at a very rapid rate when the engine kicks in. That can be handy when overtaking or joining a motorway.

The CVT automatic gearbox doesn’t actually have separate gears, which helps the car accelerate very smoothly. This type of transmission can cause a car’s engine to drone loudly at higher speeds, but that’s not really the case here. It’s only under very hard acceleration that the engine makes itself heard more than is desirable.   

Euro NCAP hasn’t assessed the safety of the Suzuki Across. However, given the car is virtually identical to the Toyota RAV4, that car’s five-star rating can certainly be applied here. 

The RAV4 scored strong marks in every area that is assessed, including 93 percent for protecting adult occupants in a crash. As for the Across, it comes with loads of safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert system, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.   

The Suzuki Across can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1500kg. That’s in the same ballpark as most other midsize plug-in hybrid SUVs and just about enough to pull a typical four-berth caravan. With one of those attached, though, you’re pushing the limits of the Across’s capability. Diesel alternatives such as the Skoda Kodiaq have more pulling power, with an ability to tow around 2000kg.

At 4635mm long and 1855mm wide, the Suzuki Across is one of the larger midsize SUVs – it’s a lot bigger than a Ford Kuga or Kia Sportage, for instance – and that shows in the generously roomy interior. 

There’s masses of space up front, enough for pretty much anyone of any size to get comfortable. In the back, there’s more than enough headroom and legroom for a passenger over six feet tall to sit behind someone of similar stature. The seat is also wide enough for three adults to sit together. Kids will love having that kind of space to travel in, and they have a great view out through big windows.

The Suzuki Across sits a bit further off the ground than most other midsize SUVs, so there’s more of a climb up into it.

The back seats recline a little if passengers want to travel in a bit more comfort, at the expense of a modicum of boot space. With the seats in the upright position, there is 520 litres of capacity in the boot, which is more than you get in most other plug-in hybrid midsize SUVs.

The back seats fold down in a 60:40 split, freeing up 1630 litres of carrying capacity. The boot opens electrically – albeit quite slowly – and it’s quite a long way off the ground. But there’s no lip to heave things over into the boot, at least.     

Suzukis are generally very solid and durable, but the quality of their interiors can leave a bit to be desired. That’s absolutely not the case in the Suzuki Across. The dashboard and the area around the front seats are covered in high quality synthetic leather that feels warm and soft to the touch. The front and back seats are also covered in synthetic leather and feel really rather plush to sit in. The plastics used around the back seats and boot are more hard-wearing, but they’re far from unpleasant.

Throughout the interior, everything feels solidly put together. There’s absolutely no fear of anything breaking or falling off, so you’ll feel perfectly happy about making the Across work hard for its living. That’s not a sense you get from some of its premium brand rivals. 

The 10.5-inch touchscreen media system is the weakest point in the Suzuki’s interior. Like so much else in the car, it’s shared with the Toyota RAV4. But unlike that car, the Across doesn’t come with built-in navigation or media streaming. You can, however, connect your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to use your favourite navigation and entertainment apps. That’s probably preferable anyway, so you don’t have to use the Suzuki menu system, which isn’t especially intuitive. At least you get a high-quality stereo.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display that can be configured in any combination of four designs and three dial layouts. You can view a wide range of information and control some of the car’s features.     

At a smidgen over £48,000, the Suzuki Across is priced near the top end of the spectrum for a midsize plug-in hybrid SUV. Indeed, it’s a few thousand pounds more than you’ll pay for a top-of-the-range version of the Toyota RAV4 the Across is based on, although the Suzuki is better equipped. It’s also worth pointing out that, at the time of writing, high demand means Toyota is unable to take orders for new RAV4 plug-in hybrids, whereas you can still order an Across.

There are pre-registered examples of the Across available with a useful discount, while used examples look like particularly good value – generally costing less than an equivalent RAV4.

The official figures show that the Suzuki Across returns average fuel economy of 282.4mpg. It’s highly unlikely you’ll get anywhere near that figure driving in the real world. However, if you use battery power as much as possible, you should see numbers that are at least similar to, if not better than, an equivalent diesel SUV.

According to Suzuki, a fully-charged battery gives a range of 46 miles and a full recharge will take around two hours using a 7.4kW wallbox at home. CO2 emissions are just 22g/km.

All this translates into low benefit-in-kind tax rates for company car drivers. Private owners will pay an annual vehicle excise charge of £180 plus an extra charge of £390 from the car’s second to sixth birthdays, the latter because it costs more than £40,000 new.

Servicing costs should be pretty low and, because it’s basically a Toyota, the Across will likely prove to very reliable. If anything does go wrong, you’ve got a three-year/60,000-mile warranty to fall back on.

There’s just a single Suzuki Across model available and it comes absolutely loaded with standard kit. Starting on the outside, you’ll find 19-inch alloy wheels with a polished finish, front and rear skid plates, roof rails, rear privacy glass, LED headlights, heated door mirrors and a powered tailgate you can open by waving your foot under the back bumper.

Moving inside, there are heated leather seats (both front and rear), the front seats have electrically-adjustable lumbar support and the driver’s chair has eight-way electric adjustment. Other niceties include dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel and loads of storage spaces dotted around the interior.

Infotainment tech includes a 10.5-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a DAB radio and Bluetooth. In terms of driver assistance tech, there is adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a rear parking camera, along with some of the safety features mentioned in the previous section.