2006 Midsize SUV : SUZUKI XL-7

Launched during the 2001 model year and initially named Grand Vitara XL-7, Suzuki’s largest sport utility vehicle later adopted only the XL-7 designation to differentiate it from the automaker’s smaller Grand Vitara. The XL-7 name denotes the vehicle’s ability to hold seven people; in contrast, the Grand Vitara seats only five occupants. Seven-passenger seating is actually optional; standard seating is for five. For 2004, the XL-7 got a new five-speed-automatic transmission, and new Drive-Select push-button-operated four-wheel drive could be shifted on the fly.

Suzuki has adopted a simplified model strategy for 2006. Antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution are newly standard, and the CD/MP3 radio is XM Satellite Radio-ready. General Motors owns a stake in Suzuki, but the XL-7 platform isn’t shared with any GM division. Like other SUVs in Suzuki’s lineup, the XL-7 is built with body-on-frame construction on a truck chassis. Five-passenger models lack the third-row seat. All XL-7 models have automatic-temperature air conditioning, remote keyless entry, cruise control, an overhead storage console, heated power mirrors, and power windows and locks.

Suzuki’s Premium Package for the seven-passenger model adds leather seating surfaces, a six-CD changer with seven speakers, fog lamps, running boards and a power moon-roof. Antilock brakes and a tire-pressure-monitoring system are included. Side-impact airbags are not available. The XL-7’s performance is eager but not astonishing, and Suzuki’s automatic transmission yields quick, crisp shifts. This SUV maneuvers easily through corners and curves, though a little body roll is evident.