24/08/2026
Suzuki Across 1.5 GL 6AT Hybrid
Spacious and well-equipped, but lacking oomph.
Iāve said it before and Iāll say it again ā there is no point assessing a car and not revealing the good and the not so good aspects that are revealed in a weekās concentrated use. I say this because I came away from my dalliance with the Suzuki Across Hybrid feeling rather uninspired. Let me explain.
Suzuki in SA has enjoyed an extraordinary run in sales terms, a run that I donāt think anyone would have predicted as recently as five years ago. That run has been propelled by an extensive model range thatās priced most competitively, firstly because that range is sourced from India (Jimny excepted) with its low production costs and secondly because every model from top to bottom adopts a philosophy founded in the use of relatively simple mechanicals backed up by attractive spec levels and post-purchase support.
And then comes the China factor which has seen an unprecedented invasion of multiple models and configurations spanning a huge spectrum from budget to premium but concentrated primarily in between, just above where most Suzukis sit. In the meantime, the legacy brands as Iāll term them have faced component shortages and fiercely rising costs that have collectively seen most of them vacate market niches that were once their bread and better and head into pricing territory thatās now beyond the reach of once-brand-loyal buyers.
So, in the simplest of terms, Suzuki has found itself perfectly placed to appeal to budget conscious motorists who may in truth aspire to something more glamorous, but who are forced by economic reality to seek out more accessible machinery that sits comfortably in the middle ground as far as image is concerned.
Enter the Across, a model that almost inevitably belongs in the compact SUV class, but which isnāt quite what it seems as it parades under the Maruti Suzuki Victoris nameplate in India. Three models make up the SA range, these being the GL manual and auto and the GLX auto. If you are thinking that the newcomer treads in Grand Vitara territory, youāre not alone because it does, but be aware the importers are punting the Across as their flagship contender, so thatās how Iāll be assessing the GL auto that graced my driveway.
Letās kick off with what it looks like. The answer is ālike most other compact SUVs.ā Thereās a limit to what can be done to differentiate a two-box design, and in this case you could point to the fancy rear light bar and the squared-off, heavily ārubberā clad wheel arches as distinctive features. The end result is pleasant but hardly eye-catching, something that was confirmed by the total lack of attention this new model garnered on the road. Letās say itās neat and tidy and inoffensive, but in no way trend-setting.
Just maybe the paint colour of the test unit, a dark metallic green dubbed Mystic Green Pearl, could be partly responsible. I know itās a rather subjective comment, but it looked dull especially as the Across is decked out with black window surrounds and black alloys that are home to plump 215/60R17 rubber. Indeed, in certain light that green hue could easily be mistaken for black but let it be said that the smooth finish and high gloss it projected reflects the improvement wrought by the plant in India in more recent times. (This improvement coincides with use of the newer Haryana plant.) Panel gaps too proved to be nicely uniform but are not the tightest you will encounter and it didnāt escape my notice that the doors felt rather light and shut with something of a ātwang.ā
External highlights include LED headlamps/DRLs and connected LED rear lighting together with rear parking sensors and an automated tailgate that gives more than adequate warning of its intention to open or close! The Across is also blessed with generous glazing, so seeing out of it is easier than in most modern SUVs which are enclosed by hefty pillars. Nonetheless, a welcome camera system is standard fit. Body colour door handles and powered mirrors are also part of the GL spec.
Accessing the interior is achieved courtesy of a remote fob that operated seamlessly to reveal a cabin that, like the exterior of this particular vehicle, looks decidedly dark. Aside from stitched soft inlays adorning the door armrests and part of the central dash area, hard and scratchy plastics hold sway, which is the norm in this price category.
The gloom is partly relieved through the use of plated door handles plus rather naff piano black door panels and metal-look inlays at the most used touch points, but why, I wonder, is the texture of the somewhat shiny dashboard top different from that on the door card uppers? Sadly, Suzuki persists in using roof linings with a dust catching woolly texture, and in this instance, part of that roof lining had detached itself above the driverās head to reveal what was once a hidden curtain air bag, one of six air bags on board along with rear ISOFIX mountings.
As ever with Suzukis, the fabric covered front seats are generously proportioned and therefore endowed with decent under-thigh support, while the rear, complete with USB connectivity, an air vent and an armrest, offers surprisingly good kneeroom (a result of elongating the Grand Vitara platform) and adequate headroom. Luggage space is rated at (a mediocre) 347L expandable courtesy of a 60:40 folding seat. Maybe the welcome presence of a full-size spare mounted on a steel wheel encroaches a little. Inexplicably, the sides of the load area are decked out in easily scratched hard plastic, surely not the best solution for an SUV? Interior oddments space is well catered for with lots of pockets and nooks and crannies.
The up-front occupants also enjoy a central armrest along with infotainment connectivity and a phone charging pad together with a separate volume controller and rather petite piano key air con controls. Hill hold and an electronic parking brake are also present. But pride of place surely must go to the 10.25-inch digital driver display thatās clearly on show through the multi-adjustable polyprop steering wheel. Clarity is excellent and the information depth equally so, with clear emphasis given to fuel matters. In this instance, the average fuel consumption was shown to be 6.8L/100km which is good considering that the Across spent most of its time in an urban environment.
This unit is backed-up by a configurable 10.1-inch capacitative touchscreen display that communicates with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay via USB or Wifi, and feeds camera images plus sound and Bluetooth hands-free calling and music playback.
Now for what gets all this equipment on the go. The answer is Suzukiās very familiar high compression injected four aided to some extent by what the makers call a SHVS mild hybrid system consisting of an integrated starter generator and miniscule lithium-ion battery, the primary purpose of which is to improve fuel efficiency by providing mild motive assistance harvested from regenerative braking.
That SHVS system certainly has little to add to under-bonnet muscle as peak respective outputs of 76 kW @ 6 000 rom and 137 Nm @4 400 rpm clearly betray. Even at sea level with little load on board, the paucity of low-down torque in particular shows up on gradients or when trying to regain lost momentum on a motorway. So, if you live at altitude and often fill that spacious cabin with people and luggage, be well aware of this hurdle to effortless progress.
In the denser air prevailing at the coast, the power unit delivers its goods without too much protest at lower revs, but above 3 500rpm it becomes progressively more strident, even sounding strained, which frankly is just what the combined output specs suggest will happen. Iām quite sure that this is precisely why Suzuki saw fit to fit a six-speed auto as the spread of ratios of the old āfourā would cause the engine to struggle even more.
I also suspect that the welcome provision of (responsive) paddle shifters is motivated by the need to give the driver as much direct control over ratio selection as possible. If left to its own devices though, the transmission shifts smoothly, but not especially quickly, up and down, and is programmed to provide quite urgent step-off from a standstill. I suspect though that the inherent slippage factor in this gearbox robs the engine of some oomph, so suggest that the 5-speed manual gearbox with its lower final drive ratio would be a more suitable partner for this engine.
The Across is suspended on a classic MacPherson strut/torsion beam arrangement that delivers predictable ride and handling characteristics marked out by decent control on undulations and a rather knobbly ride over sharper surface defects, as is the norm with almost every torsion beam design. This widely used, cost-effective set-up simply cannot deliver the ride finesse of a more expensive multi-link arrangement but itās light years better than what is delivered by solid axle, ladder-frame based SUVs. Indeed, not only did the Across resist being deflected by longer frequency road irregularities, it also demonstrated surprising grip levels during enthusiastic cornering.
While the all-disc brake system backed up by ABS and EBD proved admirably effective, I thought the steering of this Suzuki was its most flawed feature, something Iāve expressed with other Suzukis in the past - as have many of the UKās best known motoring titles. The rack and pinion system simply lacks fluidity, feeling exactly as though a strong elastic band is doing its best to resist any turning motion demanded by the driver. The strong self-centering action is partly to blame along with what is clearly an artificially induced resistance to movement about the straight- ahead position. Familiarity may reduce the scale of my criticism on this score but let it be said that on receiving a R225 000 entry level hatch on the day the Across departed, I revelled in the comparatively āfluidā feel of the power steering of this cheapie!
By now, you should have worked out that while the Suzuki Across is a worthy compact SUV contender for the money, itās let down by a power train that struggles to deliver easy performance. Sure, no-one expects a normally aspirated 1.5 to pull the skin off a rice pudding with undue alacrity, but the fact remains that as soon as this one is asked to flex its muscles, it protests aurally and just feels strained. And thatās at sea level. Sure, the Across offers decent passenger space and useful equipment levels but for me at least, itās short of automotive s*x appeal. Maybe a brighter paint colour will help as will knowledge of the excellent ownership sweeteners made up of a 5-year/200 000km warranty, a 4-year/60 000km service plan and a 5-year roadside assistance plan, all for R372 900.
RICHARD WILEY
