The Suzuki Across is a large plug-in hybrid SUV that offers a very generous electric range, but is that enough to recommend it over rivals like the Ford Kuga PHEV?

PROS:

+ Outstanding electric range

+ Impressive acceleration

+ Very practical 

CONS:

- Expensive for a Suzuki

- Harsh ride 

- Noisy CVT gearbox 

Verdict: The Suzuki Across might not be the most refined plug-in hybrid on the market, but its huge electric-only range will be enough to make a lot of people overlook its noisy gearbox and harsh ride. It’s big enough to suit just about any family’s needs but costing nearly £46,000, so it should. 

2021 Suzuki Across review: the five-minute read

This is the new Toyota Rav4. Hang on, sorry, we mean the new Suzuki Across. It’s an easy mistake to make - the Rav4 and Across are as closely related as Noel and Liam. 

A partnership between the two Japanese carmakers has produced two near-identical large plug-in hybrid SUVs which both offer an electric-only range of up to 46-miles: seriously impressive. 

It’s comfortably more than the plug-in versions of the Ford Kuga, Kia Sorento and Land Rover Discovery Sport. It’s also more than BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi’s best efforts in this field.

The only significant differentiator between the Rav4 and Across is the front end: the Suzuki has a larger grille and slightly narrower headlights. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which is better looking, but we suspect the only thing which would make someone take the Rav4 over the Across is badge snobbery. Oh yeah, did we mention yet that the Suzuki is a grand cheaper?

The cut-and-paste effect continues inside, where the only thing bespoke to the Suzuki is the steering wheel. There are a few scratchy plastics used but only in places your fingers never go, and the build quality is very good. The Across feels ready for all the rigours of family life, with chunky and robust switchgear that will stand up well against clumsy-fingered kids. 

While the 9-inch infotainment screen is placed handily high, so you don’t need to divert your eyes from the road to read it, the smeary resolution is reminiscent of a 90s video game console. Its reaction time to inputs is fine, but you’ll probably want to link up your phone for the familiarity of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which come as standard. 

While some SUVs in the class, like the Honda CR-V, are ultimately roomier inside, families of four are unlikely to struggle for space. Head and legroom in the back are plentiful for even taller adults, and the Across’ 490-litre boot swallows enough for a week away with the kids, so long as you’re not camping in the wilds of Scotland. It’s not as spacious as the Ford Kuga PHEV’s 581-litres though. 

Powering the Across is a 2.5-litre petrol engine producing 173bhp which is bolstered by two electric motors, one on each axle. The overall power output is a heady 302bhp, which means this unassuming-looking family SUV is able to box of 0-62mph in six-seconds flat. Tidy. 

Don’t think of it as a performance SUV in the mold of a S-badged Audi Q5 though, the CVT gearbox creates one hell of a din when the electric motors aren’t involved, so it lacks refinement. But if you’ve got juice left in the battery then things feel very serene, and those motors will march the car onto 84mph before calling on the engine to help, so as a law-abiding driver you shouldn’t ever need it until the battery is depleted. 

The ride quality leaves a lot to be desired – the Across has a tendency to crash over potholes and bumps – and you can feel the car’s weight in corners. But the fact that the Across covers up to 46 miles on electric-only, and offers a combined economy of 282mpg, will be enough to make many customers overlook that. 

During our week with the car we found the electric range to be accurate, coming in around 43-miles per charge, so if you are able to regularly charge it the Across could save you some serious cash in running costs. That said, with a starting price of £45,599 it’s a good ten grand more than the Ford Kuga PHEV, so you’ll need to be sure you can keep that battery topped up. 

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Extended read…

2021 Suzuki Across interior and infotainment 

Build quality is one of the Across’ strong points: the interior is very well screwed together, with no gaps or squeaks while on the move. The robust switchgear will give parents peace of mind, it will stand up to the rigours of family life. Only occasionally do you encounter cheap materials, and it certainly feels more solid than something like the Honda CR-V.

The rotary climate controls are easy to reach and use on the move, and Suzuki has retained large, easily-found buttons for key functions such as activating the heated seats, which come as standard, both front and rear. 

It doesn’t look as pretty on the inside as the Mazda CX-5 or, arguably, the Ford Kuga, and it is definitely not as premium as the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e or Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4, but on the whole there are few complaints, and standard features like a heated steering wheel go a long way to justify the Across’ lumpy price tag. 

One of the few complaints concerns the infotainment system. While the 9-inch screen is positioned nicely within the driver’s eyeline the graphics are poor and the icons are small and tricky to press. It falls well short of the standard of functionality of the Pivi Pro system in the Discovery Sport and the reaction time, while not awful, is not as slick the infotainment setups found in the Ford Kuga or Kia Sorento.

Its saving grace is the fact that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, so you can at least operate it like your familiar smartphone.

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2021 Suzuki Across practicality and boot space

It’s hard to imagine anyone struggling for room in the Suzuki Across – it’s broad and long which means the cabin is spacious throughout. The front seats offer generous ranges of adjustability and headroom is ample both front and back.

While the Honda CR-V is just that little bit roomier you would need to be well over six feet tall to find legroom cramped, and in this respect the Across is a more practical and comfier car than the Ford Kuga or Peugeot 3008. 

Just like its sister car, the Rav4, the Across is bustling with storage space and useful cubbies. The door bins are deep enough to hold large bottles of water and the centre console houses a deep storage bin and two large cup holders, which are up to the task of keeping a couple of buckets of coffee from Starbucks secure.  

The 490-litre boot is not class-leading by any means but it’s still large enough to swallow all the junk you need for a family week away. With the back seats folded it grows to a respectable 1,198-litres, and the Across comes with a kick-operated powered tailgate as standard, which makes loading with your arms full much easier. 

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2021 Suzuki Across engine

The Across might look like a run-of-the-mill family SUV but it packs a potent punch thanks to its hybrid powertrain. A 2.5-litre engine good for 173bhp is paired with a 180bhp electric motor on the front wheels, and a 54bhp motor on the back. An overall output of 302bhp makes it as powerful as the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e and Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4, but a lot brawnier than the Ford Kuga PHEV. 

More impressive is the claimed 46-miles electric range. On our test we found the figure to be accurate, getting around 43-miles per charge, although the more motorway driving you do the more that figure will drop. The Across is also capable of charging the battery via the petrol engine. 

When left to its own devices the Across uses the electric motors as much as possible, although you can alter this via driving modes. You’ll be very aware when the petrol engine does kick in though, because the Across is fitted with a CVT gearbox which makes quite a racket when under hard revs. For this reason it’s not as refined as many of its rivals.

2021 Suzuki Across driving

Aside from the six-seconds 0-62mph time the Across is not a sporty SUV, but it goes about its business steadily on the roads. Being all-wheel drive it is a solid option for those who experience a lot of snow, ice or rain, and while you can feel its big weight in corners it doesn’t leave you wondering if the grip is going to run out. 

Where the big Suzuki lets itself down is the ride quality. It is overly firm and it doesn’t enjoy riding over bumpy ground - it has a tendency to crash and thud over potholes. This effect is exacerbated by the standard 19-inch alloy wheels.

Around town the light steering is a plus, but it is devoid of any feel or feedback at higher speeds. Normally that wouldn’t matter very much in a family SUV, but that impressive off-the-line acceleration does make you wish it was matched in other areas.

If you want a fun-to-drive SUV then you’ll have more joy from a Mazda or Land Rover, but if you’re after a highly economical hybrid with an electric range big enough to mean you will rarely need to stop at the pumps, then this is the model to go for. 

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