Suzuki had their XL7 and SX4 press rollout this week at the beautiful LaCosta Spa in Carlsbad.
Think of the new XL7 as a Chevy Equinox, with more power, three rows of seats and a more contemporary exterior design...
2007 SUZUKI XL7 REDEFINES MIDSIZE CROSSOVER SUV SEGMENT
Larger, more powerful Suzuki flagship SUV blends perfect mix of performance, comfort and safety
The 2007 Suzuki XL7 midsize SUV moves American Suzuki forward to the next chapter in its ongoing SUV success story and up the automotive ladder as Suzuki becomes a more mainstream vehicle supplier.
Evolved from the Suzuki Concept-X, which debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the all-new XL7 is bigger, bolder and more powerful than the previous generation XL-7 and offers available all-wheel drive and available seven-passenger seating. In creating the 2007 XL7, Suzuki leveraged its SUV heritage and expertise to design an all-new vehicle for the midsize crossover SUV segment that provides style, room and adaptability for active, mobile lifestyles.
The XL7 design blends SUV versatility and safety with increased driver and passenger comfort. The XL7 not only offers the cargo and seating flexibility for all aspects of consumers’ active lifestyles, but performance capabilities and safety features that give them the confidence of being in control. Also due to its lightweight unibody chassis, it gets approximately 10 to 15 percent better fuel economy than most midsize body-on-frame SUVs.
As with all 2007 Suzuki automobiles, the XL7 is backed by America’s #1 Warranty: 100,000-mile/ seven-year, fully transferable, zero-deductible powertrain limited warranty.
Performance and Powertrain
The all-new XL7 is a front-wheel-drive vehicle that features four-wheel independent suspension and available all-wheel drive. The standard powertrain for the Suzuki XL7 is a Suzuki-built 3.6-liter, V6, 24-valve DOHC engine with variable valve timing.
The 3.6-liter engine is near the top of its class with 252 horsepower and 243 lb.-ft. of torque and is matched to a five-speed automatic transmission that features a manual-shifting (manumatic) mode. The XL7 goes from zero to 60 mph in less than eight seconds. Although the new engine is nearly one liter larger and significantly more powerful than the 2.7-liter engine used in the previous XL-7, the new, larger XL7 was designed to deliver fuel economy equal to or better than its predecessor. EPA fuel economy estimates are 18 mpg/city and 24 mpg/highway for front-wheel-drive variants and 17 mpg/city and 23 mpg/highway for all-wheel drive. Towing capacity is rated at 3,500 pounds, making it an ideal vehicle for active buyers seeking to tow their ATVs, dirt bikes or personal watercrafts.
The engine is mounted in a double-isolated engine cradle system; the engine mounts to the cradle at four points, and the cradle mounts to the rails at four points, providing double isolation from the body. The cradle system features two side load-bearing mounts and front and rear torque reaction mounts. There also is a friction snubber mounted on the passenger side of the engine to help control engine movement sometimes experienced during shifting.
All-Wheel Drive
The available all-wheel-drive system uses an active, electronically controlled rear differential module. The system responds immediately to all-wheel-drive requests and effectively eliminates lag times. A four-mount cradle secures the rear drive module, which is regulated by its own dedicated electronic controller. A new-design propeller shaft fitted with upgraded universal joints handles the added torque.
Advanced Chassis Design
The all-new 2007 Suzuki XL7 evolves from a rear-wheel-drive, truck chassis SUV into a crossover SUV with full-length underbody rails for added strength.
The sophisticated chassis delivers nimble, car-like ride and comfort whether driving on the highway, city streets or rural roads. The XL7’s responsive road manners communicate a sense of confidence and control in virtually every driving scenario, while still providing refined noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance at or near the top of the midsize SUV category.
Four-Wheel Independent Suspension
The XL7 features four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link design in the rear.
The small details add up to provide a car-like ride. The MacPherson strut-type front suspension is designed with long wheel travel, and the design of the struts compensates for coil spring side loads. The bottom of the coil spring is anchored more outboard in the spring perch to relieve the bending load on the strut caused when located further outboard.
The independent rear suspension is fitted with hydraulic shock absorbers in the five-passenger configuration and Nivomat load-leveling rear shock absorbers when configured for the available seven-passenger design.
The multi-link rear suspension design features a trailing arm plus three additional locating links to allow a low, wide load floor and maximum rear-passenger space. The vertical design of the rear-trailing arm provides flexibility in the twisting direction so the wheel can maintain camber as it moves vertically. The three locating links are designed to manage lateral loads and control the dynamic toe-in of the rear wheel.
Hydraulic-Assist Rack-and-Pinion Steering
The fixed-rate rack-and-pinion steering is tuned for responsiveness and good on-center feel. In addition, the steering column can be adjusted up and down (four degrees) to provide added driver comfort.
Stainless Steel Dual Exhaust System
The all-new XL7 is fitted with a true dual exhaust system, constructed of durable, long-lasting stainless steel. The system was designed for quiet, refined exhaust tones to achieve best-in-class NVH in terms of quietness and tonal quality. The exhaust system features two downpipes, two catalytic converters, a center muffler, two side mufflers and two 3.5-inch diameter exhaust tips.
Safety Features
The XL7’s safety features start with the body structure itself – a combination of computer-designed high-strength, dual-phase and galvanized steels. The body structure is computer designed to manage loads – to effectively transfer energy absorbed during impacts around the interior compartment and occupants – in both front and rear crashes.
The unibody construction is a high-strength steel structure, incorporating full-length frame rails and a safety cage in the middle into a single, welded unit. It also is designed with front and rear crumple zones engineered to collapse in a controlled manner to help absorb crash energy while protecting the integrity of the occupant safety cage.
The safety cage is reinforced with welded, tubular-section members that frame door openings and support the roof and steel members in the doors. The combination of single-piece door aperture and door beam reinforcements help resist side-impact intrusion.
The all-new 2007 Suzuki XL7 is fitted with standard four-wheel ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP)1 (including traction control), all working together to provide a technically sophisticated safety net for the driver. The system uses a yaw sensor, lateral accelerometer and steering angle sensor to monitor vehicle stability and driver inputs.
Working with the standard ABS with EBD and traction control system (TCS), the system can apply individual brakes selectively to control oversteer and understeer as needed to help the driver maintain control on slippery surfaces or during emergency maneuvers. Being able to control any or all of the brakes allows the ESP system to provide maximum responsiveness, control and enhanced accident avoidance capabilities, although ESP is not a substitute for safe driving practices.
The TCS uses brake and engine torque intervention to enhance traction during launch and acceleration on all road surfaces. If the ABS system detects impending wheel slip, it signals the powertrain engine control unit (ECU) to adjust engine torque output accordingly. TCS also senses when one or more wheels spin faster than the vehicle’s speed and applies the brakes at that wheel or wheels. Working together, the two systems limit wheel spin and help maintain control and forward progress quickly and efficiently.
In addition, rollover sensing is standard on both five- and seven-passenger XL7 vehicles. The technology uses sensors to proactively monitor the vehicle’s angle and rate of roll on a flat road surface and applies brake force to the outside front and rear wheels in order to reduce lateral force in the vehicle.
Additional standard safety features include driver and front-passenger advanced airbags and side-curtain airbags, three-point seatbelts with load limiters in all five- or seven-passenger seating positions, front seat safety belt pretensioners, child-seat lower anchor and tethers for children (LATCH), five-mph bumpers and low front bumpers for optimum safety in the event of a collision with an automobile, and tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Sleek Sophistication and Functionality
The all-new XL7 features a modern, sleek and expressive design with Suzuki styling cues, such as triangle-shaped turn lamps, bold three-bar grille with large Suzuki “S,” muscular wheel arches, dual exhaust with chrome tips and integrated roof racks.
Plush Interior
The 2007 Suzuki XL7 is the largest, most comfortable Suzuki SUV ever built. It offers the driver and passengers a spacious, functional interior that provides upscale sophistication and refinement. The unique third-row seat delivers seven-passenger capability and real comfort.
With its six-inch deep footwell, the stretched platform delivers comfortable first-, best-in-class second- and ample third-row seating, offering respectively 41.2, 38.8 and 30.8 inches of legroom and 41.3, 40 and 38.8 inches of headroom. The reclining 60/40 split-folding second-row seat tumbles and folds, and the 50/50 split-folding third-row seat can be folded flat into the floor for additional cargo carrying room. The fold-flat front-passenger seat allows room for longer items such as ladders, surfboards or even a small kayak.
In addition to the practicality of the touch-screen navigation system and DVD entertainment and ample storage consoles, the interior of the 2007 Suzuki XL7 features upscale wood or satin nickel appliqués on the instrument panel and doors, chrome accents throughout and matte black, low-gloss surfaces. Leather seating surfaces and leather-wrapped steering wheel are part of certain trim packages.
Trim Levels and Packages
Three trim levels will be offered: XL7, Luxury and Limited. The XL7 and XL7 Luxury are available in both five-passenger and seven-passenger configuration. The top-of-the-line XL7 Limited features standard seven-passenger seating. Each trim level will be offered with front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive.
The XL7 has a long list of standard features, including five-speed automatic transmission with manumatic shift, safety features, including an alarm with immobilizer, driver and passenger front airbags, side-curtain airbags for all rows of passengers, ABS with EBD, ESP with TCS, and TPMS. Standard features also include remote keyless entry, power windows, door locks and mirrors, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, trip computer with driver information center, auto on/off headlamps, black roof rails, 16-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, satin silver interior trim, overhead storage compartment, air conditioning with automatic climate control and AM/FM/CD stereo system with six speakers. In addition, three-row, seven-passenger models feature Nivomat load-leveling rear suspension, rear cargo underfloor storage and rear air conditioning with separate HVAC controls.
The XL7 Luxury adds leather seating surfaces, power driver seat, heated front seats and wood trim accents. The Luxury model with three-row, seven-passenger configuration offers an optional sunroof or an optional DVD entertainment package with wireless headphones and remote start feature.
The XL7 Limited (standard with three-row, seven-passenger seating) adds fog lamps, rear spoiler, upgraded roof racks with silver-colored rails and cross bars, aluminum lower bumper valances, 17-inch wheels and tires, AM/FM/CD/MP3 XM Radio-ready audio system with seven speakers (including subwoofer), DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones and auto-dimming antiglare rearview mirror with compass.
Consumers can also choose the optional Platinum Touring Package (late availability), which replaces the DVD entertainment package with a power tilt-and-slide sunroof and adds a touch-screen DVD-based navigation system and chrome plated alloy wheels.
The XL7 and Luxury models feature 16-inch alloy wheels with P235/65R16 tires, while Limited models are fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels and P235/60R17 tires. The 16-inch spare tire is carried in an outside-the-cabin underfloor area equipped with a hoist system. The storage area is designed to accommodate up to a 17-inch wheel and tire should there be a need.