Suzuki XL7 Hybrid – An Efficient Road Trip Machine

Suzuki Philippines recently invited us on a media drive to test out the new Suzuki XL7 Hybrid. Day one of our drive started in Suzuki Auto Kawit where we set off for a trip to Phoenix Petroleum gas station for our fuel economy run and to Pico De Loro for our accommodations for the night. Day two, on the other hand, would have a more environmental focus as we had a tree planting program before our return trip back to Suzuki Auto Kawit.

Back to the XL7 Hybrid, the Japanese automaker has given it a couple of upgrades to distinguish it from the regular internal combustion version. For starters, Suzuki has changed the grille of the mild-hybrid variant of the XL7 and has added more chrome to it. It also has a new special color and a different tailgate garnish with a silver accent. These are small but noticeable changes to the car to distinguish it from the regular model.

While the exterior changes stop there, Suzuki has also given the cabin of the mild-hybrid XL7 a few upgrades. These include a new silver garnish for the dashboard, which has been paired with a black marble finish. Aside from that, the 7-seater SUV, also gets a new gauge cluster with blue accents, the new display also shows when the XL7 is charging its “battery” along with other important bits of information you might need.

Now, for our trip from Kawit to Pico De Loro, our unit did surprisingly well for the eco challenge. We did have to stick to some rules such as sticking to the plotted route and we had to keep the air conditioning on due to the summer heat, but aside from that we pretty much had free reign to do whatever we wanted to save fuel. While the Suzuki XL7 is already fuel efficient as it is, its hybrid system further helped us save on fuel especially on the down hill segments where we were coasting with the engine off. Its new auto start-stop feature also came in handy especially when we encountered heavy traffic.

Our trip to the Phoenix gas station revealed that we only used 1.48 liters worth of fuel using the full tank method over a distance traveled of 72 kilometers. If you do the math the XL7 “hybrid” was able to do around 48 km/l, which is very impressive. Our car wasn’t the most fuel efficient as another team managed to only use up one liter of fuel which was very impressive. 

However, we do have to disclose in order to get our fuel economy number we really had to hyper mile the car and that the cars started the drive filled to the brim or “sagad.” At the gas stations the cars were refueled again but through the automatic stop method. 

We stuck to very strict rules of coasting as much as possible, very light acceleration, and keeping the revs below 2,000. We also kept the car at speeds between 40 kph and 60 kph to make sure it was in the sweet spot of efficiency. These measures ensured that, despite the uphill sections of the trip, we were able to be frugal on gas. We also kept the air condition on for the duration of the trip. 

While these don’t exactly represent real world conditions as we expect that car to do about 18 km/l with regular driving, it’s still an impressive feat for the vehicle as it is only a mild-hybrid with no actual electric only range. It goes to show that Suzuki is superb when it comes to making fuel efficient vehicles, provided that you drive them with a light foot. It also showcases the commitment of the brand to a cleaner and greener future, while providing Filipino buyers with quality products. 

Overall, the road trip was a fun exercise in fuel efficiency, with the ever increasing gas prices of today, making sure every drop counts becomes paramount. Planning when to coast and conserving momentum becomes an important skill to learn if you want to make the most out of your fuel. This is why, despite being a mild-hybrid, the Suzuki XL7 hybrid still showcases that its a well equipped frugal 7-seater SUV.