2002 Suzuki XL-7 Reviews

But the original baby 4WD, which had many fans because of its great off-road ability, was both a curse and a blessing for Suzuki.The upside was that its loyal band of followers managed to return from the bush each weekend without getting bogged and without having to pay exorbitant fuel bills or high maintenance fees.Though tiny, the two-stroke Jimny – called the LJ50 in Australia – was dirt-cheap fun.In 1981, a WA LJ50 enthusiast and owner Les Allen, and I, were the first to retrace the Holland Track from Broomehill to Coolgardie since it was first opened in the 1890s in one of these weeny 4WDs.Following a rising wave of concern for the environment, the smelly, smoky, noisy and highway-unfriendly Jimny engine became a pariah.Further models appeared, including the biggest Suzuki to date, the XL-7.The bugbears of the past have gone but despite the near invisibility of Suzuki's 4WD models on the Australian market the product adheres to its primary role of getting people through some pretty nasty off-road terrain.It will seat seven, has the comfort level of a passenger car and all the creature comforts, and is as easy to drive as the LJ50.Which brings me to Lancelin.There probably isn't a better place so close to Perth to legally have a day of fun on pure, white sand. The sand, weighed down by recent rains, was firm and the undulations rated in angles from modest to cliff-face proportions.As expected, the sandpit was a doddle for the XL-7. At 4.7m long and with a 2.8m wheelbase, the XL-7 is no baby 4WD and shares little in dimensions with its ancestors.It's also porky at 1625kg – a meat pie or five away from its svelte predecessors.The long wheelbase XL-7 wagon, has a low-range gearbox and full chassis.It's physically stronger than its softroader competitors – primarily the Mazda Tribute, Toyota Kluger and Subaru Outback – but this translates into extra weight.The low-range gearbox adds a new dimension, making the XL-7 streets ahead when it comes to traversing demanding off-road situations.On the Lancelin dunes the automatic version of the XL-7 powered up and slid down the sandy inclines with ease. Low range was engaged on a few occasions to cross patches of soft, dry sand, but the strength of the V6 kept it moving.The only grizzle was climbing over sandy peaks that caught the underbelly of the XL-7.A bit closer to Perth, the Ledge Point off-road area has completely different soil characteristics.Isn't it great a shire or town gives its off-road community a great weekend fun park?At Ledge the ground is firmer so the tracks are moulded into hard ruts that really test the suspension. The XL-7's suspension, which is pretty basic though remarkably durable, has limited travel.What really endeared me to it was its ability to get its wheels back on the ground as quickly as possible to maintain traction.I didn't get bogged so I came away from the trip with a smile.The sophisticated V6 engine is similar to the Suzuki Grand Vitara's 2.5-litre version, with more low-end torque adding to its off-road ability.It will also rev freely to the 6000rpm red line without complaint or vibration.On the bitumen the Suzuki has a ride comfort equal to its rivals and loses little in road handling.The XL-7's seats are made for small bodies. The cabin room is fine but the seats could be wider for our fast-food fed frames.The standard third seat row is comfortable and spacious for children.But because it has reasonable legroom, the boot is small and won't house the family luggage.The third row splits and folds down to increase boot space; the second seat row can also be split and slides fore/aft on runners. The swing-out rear door is light, despite carrying the spare wheel.The XL-7, tested in basic form, has dual-zone climatic airconditioning, electric windows and mirrors, dual airbags, velour trim, six-disc in-dash CD, alloy wheels and ABS.There is a Luxury version available with more fruit at extra cost.This is a very impressive machine. It loses a couple of points because it looks ordinary but will really reward the family who actually want to go off-road and get home again.

Suzuki has never been one for high-tech, ground-breaking engineering in its production cars but is into refining a tried and true formula.This philosophy can be seen with the XL-7 which is built on a now unfashionable ladder chassis with the body bolted on and has selectable, high and low range four-wheel drive as well as rear-wheel drive high range for general running around.This is how ``proper'' four-wheel drives are built despite the profusion of so-called SUV soft-roaders that are dominating new vehicle sales charts.The Japan-built Zuke does not fall into this ``quasi'' four-wheel drive mould because it can tough it out in heavy going without really being troubled. Put a set of chunky tread tyres on the XL-7 and it will pretty well go anywhere, within reason.Try doing that in your pretend four-wheel drive soft-roader and you will quickly, almost brutally, learn its limits.This is the second version of the XL-7, which arrived quickly after the unpopular first edition. Its problem was that the styling was too reminiscent of the smaller Suzuki Grand Vitara and the vehicle was underdone in the engine performance and suspension department.These areas have been effectively dealt with on the new model with its handsome new ``big eye'' face, revised exterior hardware and a tweaked rear end look.It has a full-size spare mounted on the rear tailgate and the four-wheel drive selector lever is next to the gearstick.Power from the 2.7-litre V6 is up from 127kW to 135kW and there is more torque peaking at 250Nm/3300rpm.But the really big news is the optional five-speed automatic transmission sourced from the same supplier as Lexus.It makes the XL-7 a beaut city drive and also harnesses the engine's power and torque with precision. The auto also means you don't have to take your hands off the wheel off-road or muck around with a clutch.Performance is good for a vehicle weighing in at 1635kg relatively light given its size and passenger capacity. Fuel consumption can be on the heavy side if worked hard.The seven seats are all fitted with three-point seat belts but the rear row should be only considered as children's seats due to limited leg room.The adjustable middle row is relatively roomy even with large front-seat occupants. Suzuki is in a good position with its cars due to the weaker yen against the Australian dollar, therefore the XL-7 and other Japanese-sourced vehicles are competitively priced and well equipped.Standard equipment in the XL-7 entry model includes alloy wheels, climate-control dual airconditioning, ABS, dual front air bags, decent CD audio, remote central locking, steering wheel audio controls and power ancillaries.It is handy off-road, limited only by the road-oriented tyres and rear overhang.Luggage space is minimal with the seven seats in use.On-road performance will satisfy most, even with a full crew aboard. The ride is comfy, there is adequate room and the interior is functional if staid.