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2020 Suzuki XL7 Review

A better Ertiga, or a great SUV-esque 7-seater?

Earl Lee
2020 Suzuki XL7 Review
Contents

The Suzuki XL7, in a nutshell, is a dressed-up Ertiga with extra features and extra ground clearance. We’re not saying it is just another more expensive 7-seater, however, since the additions it has over its more affordable stablemate elevate the experience to another level. 

Though it is based on the Ertiga, the XL7 does feel like its own model. It’s a similar experience, but better. That being said, here’s our review of the 2020 Suzuki XL7. 

4.0 / 5
2020 Suzuki XL7 Review
Performance
Engine Output (HP), Acceleration, Transmission, Handling 3.5/5
Design
Exterior & Interior Design, Quality, Fit and Finish, Ergonomics 4.0/5
Ride Comfort
Cabin Comfort, Suspension, NVH Insulation 3.5/5
Safety and Technology
Convenience Technologies, Active and Passive Safety Features 4.0/5
Value for Money
Amount of the vehicle you get for the price, Fuel Efficiency 5.0/5
What You Will Like
  • Large 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Tasteful additions to the exterior
  • Frugal gasoline engine
  • Great value for money
What You Won't Like
  • Interior space is narrow
  • NVH insulation is only fair
How We Do Our Reviews
2020 Suzuki XL7 Exterior Rear Quarter Philippines
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Exterior Front
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Exterior Side +2

The design of the XL7 is clean for the most part. The additional cladding on its sides doesn’t give it an overly-wide appearance, while the faux skid plates in the front and rear don’t take away from its relatively sleek appearance. The front-end is also native to the nameplate which makes it look very distinct in Suzuki’s lineup of cars. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Exterior Headlights
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Exteiror wheels
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Rear Skidplate

Functionality-wise, the exterior has a good set of LED headlights and DRLs with halogen fog lamps. The vehicle also sits on 16-inch wheels netting 200 mm of ground clearance, and on top of that, the wheels themselves are two-tone. You also get roof rails on its side, and the rear, while plain and still looks like an Ertiga, does look clean and well-executed. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Exterior Fake Vent

Overall, it’s not an overly-accessorized model, which is good for the more conservative of us. In terms of 7-seaters, the XL7 is one of the better-looking models in the segment, not just because it is more dressed up, but because the execution of its additions isn’t over the top. Except, perhaps, for that fake vent on its front fender, though, that’s only one gripe we have with it. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior Dashboard
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior Dash Trim
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Inteiror Gauge Cluster

Open the doors to the XL7 and you are greeted with a dark-colored interior with carbon fiber-like accents. Though it isn’t real carbon, to the untrained eye it seems like the real deal, though the material’s addition doesn’t make that much sense on a 7-seater like the XL7, it’s only a footnote to the rest of the interior. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Rear Seats
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior 2nd Row Seats
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Arm Rest

Essentially, you get the same space as the Ertiga with a few touch-ups here and there. The seats are upholstered with cloth and leather, which allows you to have the best of both worlds, with durable leather in key areas to save you from punching holes in the seats, and it looks good, if not a little plain. 

Space for the driver is adequate, though we would have wanted the steering wheel to telescope along with its standard tilt adjustment. The second-row of seats is great for 2 average-size adults, but 3 people will be a bit of a squeeze. Side-to-side the XL7 is definitely narrower than we expected, but with some compromise, space is quite serviceable, and the experience is made better by the air vents. The rear seats are just any other model in the class, but ingress and egress are made easier thanks to the sliding middle row. Also, if your second-row passengers are feeling generous, the seats can slide forward giving you more legroom at the back. Passengers in the last row are treated to a single 12-volt socket. We would have preferred air vents at the back as well to make the experience for the rear passengers much better, however. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior Cargo Space
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior Cargo Space rear seats folded
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Interior cargo space all seats folded

Cargo space, like the interior space, is on the narrower side. It's still on par with the rest of its rivals, give and take a few liters worth of space. You can fold the rear seats and the middle row as well for maximum carrying volume, and getting the seats down is an easy task. Loading items at the back is also easy thanks to the flat loading lip and the relatively flat cargo floor. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Wheels

Because it has a unibody frame, the XL7 handles and takes bumps well. The higher ground clearance doesn’t significantly increase the comfort level in the cabin, but it does help alleviate most worries of bottoming out when going over potholes and bumps. While the standard for its class, it’s not stellar or overachieving, it’s a good standard. Impressive given that the XL7 only has semi-independent suspension, with a MacPherson strut in the front and a torsion beam in the rear. The standard for its class, this set of struts and beams delivered adequate performance over bumps. 

Though, we should say that NVH insulation is one of its stronger points, provided that quiet tires are put on instead of low rolling resistance eco tires. At highway speeds, expect some intrusion, but the audio system will be able to drown out the more constant background noise while going at high speeds. As a city car, however, it is a respectable ride and drive, pretty adapted to the rough roads of Metro Manila. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Climate controls
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines 10-inch infotainment screen
2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines USB and 12 Volt socket front and cup holders

This is perhaps one of the areas where Suzuki paid attention. Coming from the success of the Ertiga, the XL7 improves on the technology aspect ever so slightly, with the inclusion of a large 10-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Paired with a 6-speaker audio system that returns decent amounts of quality and volume, expect decent sound performance. 

Apart from that, you get the normal slew of top of the line inclusions that come with all or most other competitors in the segment, namely a backup camera, rear parking sensors, a gauge cluster with two dials and a TFT screen down  the middle that shows you your trip information as well as several other displays like your engine power and torque output, tire pressure monitoring system, and even your fuel economy meter display lives in this display. Apart from that, you get a USB port, and a 12-volt socket in the front, as well as a 12-volt socket in the second and third rows. 

Considering the price point of this car, the segment it is in the tech loadout is standard if not a little bit better thanks to the inclusion of the smartphone pairing tech and even other creature comforts such as keyless entry with push-button start. Overall, it’s not cutting edge, however, it is modern enough to stack up to other segments that have a knack for being more feature-rich. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines ISOFIX Tethers

The XL7 comes equipped with dual front driver and passenger airbags, ABS with electronic brake distribution, Suzuki’s side-impact door beams, electronic stability control, hill hold control, engine immobilizer, and ISOFIX tethers. 

The loadout of safety kit is par for the class, though it has enough to keep you covered in an event of an accident, and enough to keep you from being one. However, as with cars like these, high speed really is not a priority, so drive accordingly, and you should be fine. 

Suzuki XL7 Steering Wheel

Taking the XL7 out as a driver is quite respectable. Throttle input doesn’t take an eternity to register. Stop-and-go traffic performance is decent even if the engine only has 103 hp and 138 Nm of torque mated to a 4-speed automatic. Though, let’s face it, the straight-line performance is nothing to write home about. It’s your average do-it-all vehicle with a bit of weight, so it’s not going to be winning drag races. 

Handling is also quite similar to its class. The steering is light and responsive, though the added weight and the extra body roll doesn’t inspire too much confidence in the twisties. Really, better for a more relaxed drive more than anything else. Navigating tight city streets, however, is not too much of an issue, thanks to the rather narrow width of the XL7, so clipping a curb shouldn’t be too much of an issue, especially if you are looking at upgrading from a smaller vehicle. The backup camera and the parking sensors also help a lot with the length of the car. 

Like most of its contemporaries, it may struggle to get up to speed once it gets loaded, but the engine still is able to do most tasks even with a few people sitting in any of the seven seats, or with some cargo on board. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines 1.5-liter k15B engine

Though in ideal conditions, provided you are only one in the car, in the city, your fuel economy is like that of a subcompact sedan. Traffic figures, we were able to get 9 km/L. Meanwhile, in faster city drives, we scored 15 km/L with the XL7. Most impressive is the highway performance, which stands at 20 km/L, which looks very familiar, and much like the Ertiga. 

2020 Suzuki XL7 Philippines Taillight

To us at least, the XL7 took what was great with the Ertiga, and slapped on a different face while giving it some growth serum to get taller by a few millimeters. However, the additions are not as tacked on, more tasteful than most. It’s a subtle approach to making a model like the Ertiga, a more premium vehicle on the outside. 

Though, everything gets familiar once you step in the door. One gripe we have is the narrow cabin area, which technically makes feel more like a 6-seater if the occupants are larger than average. Still, at just P1,068,000, it’s definitely not a bad price for a car that you can do many practical things with. It’s definitely one of our top picks when it comes to value for money if you are shopping at this price point in the segment. 

Specifications

Engine

1.5 L

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Performance

103 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Transmission

Automatic

Summary

Name Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Black Upgrade GLX AT
Body Type Crossover
Price ₱1,181,000
Transmission Category Automatic

Engine

Performance

Economy & Environment

Dimensions

Safety & Security

Features

Technology

Colors

Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Savanna Ivory Metallic Savanna Ivory Metallic
Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Rising Orange Pearl Metallic Rising Orange Pearl Metallic
Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Brave Khaki Pearl Brave Khaki Pearl
Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Met Magma Gray 2 Met Magma Gray 2
Suzuki XL7 Hybrid Pearl Snow White 4 Pearl Snow White 4

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