Suzuki Across 2021 long term review Car News

There is an 18.1kWh battery under the ground which is quite big by PHEV standards. It only allows electric range of 46 miles on the WLTP test cycle (so it fits in the 6% BIK tax bracket), but I’m getting closer to 36 miles in the real world. It’s not bad at all.

The charging time is 2.5 hours from a wallbox; I don’t have one at home, but a battery charge mode allows me to charge while I’m driving. In fact, even when the battery was flattened, the hybrid powertrain still managed to spin at around 45 mpg. So far, it has proven to be impressively effective.

I am also a fan of the interior of the Across. It doesn’t look or feel as plush as that of the much higher-end Discovery Sport, but it’s extremely functional and feels solidly built. There is plenty of space for passengers and the trunk is large enough to easily swallow my entire photography kit. The controls are all big, chunky, and easy to find, which I much prefer to the sometimes tedious touch buttons found in the Land Rover and elsewhere. Usually this would be the UK car you would praise for having switches and dials that you could use with gloves on, but here it’s the other way around. I love that.

Standard equipment is generous, although you’d really expect it to be when you consider this standalone Suzuki model costs from £ 45,599. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, an electric tailgate, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, heated steering wheel, rear view camera and more.

The only real possibility of customization is color. It’s also worth noting that the RAV4 PHEV starts from £ 47,395; I guess that’s one of the reasons you would go for the Suzuki over the Toyota.