Suzuki thinks XL

PITSTOP

Okay, maybe the Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 was not that hot in terms of sales in India, but there's no doubting the performance of that sublime 2700cc V6. Well, here's good news for those who fell in love with the biggest Suzuki that Maruti sold in the country.

Suzuki has just unveiled the all-new XL7 at the New York International Auto Show last week. The mid-sized (by US standards, of course) crossover SUV is based on General Motor's Theta platform, which it shares with the Chevrolet Equinox. Thanks to co-development with GM, Suzuki could be out with their new SUV in three years flat.

The unibody XL7 features a high-strength steel structure, which incorporates full-length frame rails and a safety cage in the centre into a single, welded unit.

By this mode of construction, Suzuki claims that the XL7 will offer car-like ride and handling, as well as comprehensive safety. Power comes from the GM designed, Suzuki-built 3600cc V6 that is rated at 250 bhp and churns out 33 kgm of torque.

It is mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox that features a manual shifting mode "� termed manumatic by Suzuki. The XL7 comes with four-wheel independent suspension and a multilink, self-levelling rear setup.

The rather radical looking front end surprisingly bears no resemblance to the smaller Suzuki SUV, the Vitara. A fairly large air dam, the triangular shaped headlamp unit, a sleek chromed grille, integrated ski-racks and the twin exhaust pipe add to the sporty image.

As for the interiors, the XL7 has options of chic wood or satin nickel for the trim on the instrument panels and doors, while chrome bits on matte black make up the rest of the cabin.

Leather is also an option on some trim. So how does all of this translate to us? Well, naturally the new XL7 is a car that could very well hit Indian shores as the new Grand Vitara. And hopefully this time, the big SUV will bring some sales volumes for Maruti Suzuki.