2007 Suzuki XL7 World Debut at 2006 NYIAS

Performance and Powertrain

The all-new 2007 Suzuki XL7 evolves from a rear-wheel-drive, truck chassis SUV into a crossover SUV based on the sophisticated GM Theta platform with full-length underbody rails for added strength. The XL7 is now 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 GM-designed, Suzuki-built 3.6-liter, V6 DOHC engine rated at an estimated 250 hp with 243 lb-ft of torque.

The XL7’s 3.6-liter, High Feature (HF) engine with variable valve timing will be built under license by Suzuki in Japan using Suzuki engine-building technology at the Sagara engine plant.

The XL7 engine was developed as a joint effort between Suzuki and GM engineering and features unique Engine Control Unit (ECU) calibration. The use of the existing platform architecture accelerated the completion of the vehicle, which has been in development for three years.

The 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, DOHC engine is matched to a five-speed automatic transmission that features a manual-shifting (manumatic) mode. Although the new engine is nearly one liter larger 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.

Advanced Chassis Design

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.

The XL7 features four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multilink design in the rear. The independent rear suspension is fitted with hydraulic shock absorbers in the five-passenger configuration and Nivomat self-leveling rear shock absorbers when configured for the available seven-passenger design.