Look through the Suzuki range and two models look quite familiar. One is the Suzuki Swace, which is effectively a Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, and the other is the Suzuki Across - which you might recognise as a Toyota RAV4.
Manufacturers rebadging models from other brands isn’t unusual, and it gives Suzuki a range-topping SUV with an efficient 2.5-litre hybrid drivetrain. One downside of the Across is its high new price, at almost £50,000, but pre-owned models are much more affordable, and should still feel pretty fresh.
The RAV4 is the most obvious alternative to the Across, but there are plenty of other family-sized SUVs available that may also fit your needs, including the Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Tiguan, Peugeot 3008, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage - some of which also have plug-in hybrid variants.
Whether or not you buy an Across may depend on you finding the right car to buy to start with. The Across cost nearly £50,000 new, and as you can imagine, that’s a hard sell for some people - the Suzuki badge doesn’t quite have the cachet of the BMW X3s or Mercedes-Benz GLBs that money could also get you. It arguably doesn’t even have the cachet of the Toyota RAV4 it’s based on.
Depreciation has helped chop thousands off the price of used cars though, and at these lower prices the Across makes a lot more sense. That’s partly because there’s little fundamentally wrong with it to start with - it’s spacious, well-built, efficient, and should last just as long as the Toyota it’s based on.
Some people might actually find the Suzuki better looking than the RAV4 too, but otherwise it’s clearly very similar inside and out. Exterior styling is chunky and the interior is straightforward and well-built. The dashboard is dominated by a touchscreen system (9 inches in earlier cars, 10.25 inches later on) which isn’t much to look at, but at least comes with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It’s spacious, in part because it’s a little larger than some of its rivals, and the boot is a decent size despite the need to package batteries underneath. Those batteries will take you more than 46 miles officially, but economy in the regular hybrid mode is pretty good too. It’s not a sporty car to drive, but it’s a confidence-inspiring one, and with all-wheel drive shouldn’t leave you caught out when things get slippery.
If you’re considering an Across then you should probably add the RAV4 to your shopping list too, since it’ll expand your range of options. But if neither appeals, then rivals to this pair include the Ford Kuga, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Nissan Qashqai, the sharp-looking Peugeot 3008, and the competitively-priced Korean duo of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.
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With just one drivetrain and one trim level, the best one is the only one they sell. This means you can concentrate on looking for an Across in the right colour, the best condition, and with a comprehensive service history. That said, the best Across might also be the car it’s based on, the Toyota RAV4, so make sure you look at a few examples of that car too to expand your options.
Suzuki Across 2.5 Plug-in Hybrid: Taken straight from the RAV4, the 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Across makes 302PS through an electronic CVT automatic and powers all four wheels. 0-62mph takes 6 seconds, and combined economy on hybrid power alone is 42.9mpg. There’s also up to 46.6 miles of EV range.
The Across has so far been offered in just one trim line, which keeps things simple when you’re looking at used examples. Equipment has remained similar since the model was launched in 2020, though you’ll find a larger infotainment screen in more recent models. There aren’t many options either, beyond a handful of colour choices.
The Suzuki Across comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, a 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (later upgraded to 10.25 inches), privacy glass, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, a hands-free tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, a rear parking camera, radar cruise control, and dual-zone air conditioning.
The Suzuki Across’s dimensions are:
Length: 4635mm
Width: 1855mm
Height: 1690mm
Ground clearance: 190mm
The Suzuki Across’s boot size is:
490 litres
1168 litres (seats folded, to roof)
The Across is a plug-in hybrid, which means a small discount compared to the equivalent fully combustion-powered SUV. Unfortunately, as the Across was so expensive when new, the government then adds a surcharge to your VED bill, which means that between the car’s second and sixth years on the road, you’ll pay £560 per year in tax. The surcharge then disappears from the seventh year onwards.
Insurance is another area that the Across may not be so affordable. At group 39, it’s one of the more expensive Suzukis to insure, and actually a touch higher than the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, which runs from groups 34-37 depending on trim level.