Here it is, the much-hyped Suzuki Across in mild-hybrid 6-speed auto guise. South Africans have been watching the rise of this once-small car manufacturer with barely concealed admiration. Sales records tumbled in 2025, now we’ve reached a point where two remarkably similar family SUVs are asking consumers to choose. It’s a delicious problem to have, but a problem nonetheless …
The new Suzuki Across, you see, retails for R372 900 and sits on the brand’s Global C platform, just like the highly accomplished Grand Vitara. Therefore, they both share the same 2 600-mm long wheelbase, measuring 1 795-mm wide. And so it continues between the Across and Grand Vitara: 17-inch alloys, check. 210 mm of ground clearance, check. They are, in fact, direct architectural siblings. However, to drive and live with they couldn’t be more different …
SUZUKI ACROSS MILD-HYBRID 6-SPEED AUTO
Firstly, under the bonnet, the Grand Vitara runs Suzuki’s K15B engine. As we reported in our road test just a few weeks’ ago, it is a good, honest 1.5-litre four-cylinder producing 77 kW and 138 Nm. No mild-hybrid assistance, no integrated starter generator. Just a free-spinning internal combustion engine (ICE) and a five-speed manual gearbox that does exactly what you tell it. We like it a lot!
Meanwhile, the Suzuki Across makes use of the firm’s new K15C engine, mated to a 12-volt SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) mild-hybrid. Here, an integrated starter generator offers supplementary assistance of 2.2 kW and 55 Nm under load and recovers kinetic energy during deceleration. Woah, sounds cool, until you realise the combined output is lower than the pure ICE Grand Vitara, just 76 kW and 137 Nm. Sure, that’s just one Kilowatt and Newton Metre – mildly ironic detail perhaps – but the Across is also heavier.
NEW ENGINE AND HYBRID ASSISTANCE
Of course, a Suzuki Across 1.5 mild-hybrid surely has a real-world payoff at the pumps? I mean, the manufacturer claims 5.3 l/100 km across combined conditions, with a tank range nudging 900 km. Unfortunately, we experienced very different test results. Try 6.8 l/100 km, meaning the cruising tank range barely tops 500 km. The Western Cape is mountainous and the mild-hybrid, paired with a six-speed automatic, does not excel on steeper gradients.
For example, the drivetrain is regularly left searching for torque in a higher gear that it doesn’t have. This forces a kick-down from the gearbox, which kills fuel economy and driver enjoyment. Then, on downhill runs, energy harvesting back to the battery slows the car down too much. Other mild-hybrids can do this and almost fully disengage the drivetrain, giving a lovely sensation of lift-and-coast. Also, subjectively speaking, the Across feels slower and less urgent than its ICE cousin. This should come as no surprise given its lower outputs, heavier weight and automatic gearbox tuned for Driving Miss Daisy.
SUZUKI ACROSS OR GRAND VITARA?
Nevertheless, we will admit the Suzuki Across six-speeder is an upgrade over the Grand Vitara’s decrepit old four-speed (which we’ve also tested). But that’s only if you’re comparing autos to autos. The Grand Vitara’s five-speed manual, however, was its secret weapon. It provides direct mechanical connection and full authority over the powertrain that the Across two-pedal alternative does not. With fuel costing more than mir these days, we don’t believe the mild-hybrid delivers enough of an advantage over the ICE.
Nevertheless, things turn in the Across’ favour when you consider aesthetics and value. To our eyes, it’s more handsomely styled, taking cues from a certain builder of peoples’ cars. Dimensionally, is where things get interesting for buyers. Boot space in the Across touches 490 litres with the rear seats in place and total cargo volume of 1 168 litres. The cabin in the Across is superior, too. USB-C ports front and rear, a wireless charging pad, and a 10.1-inch infotainment screen partnered by a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Practical and well-considered, the Suzuki Across feels more like a facelift of the Grand Vitara than its proxy.
THE SUZUKI ACROSS MILD-HYBRID VEDICT
Time to be direct, the Suzuki Across mild-hybrid auto represents great value at R372 900. But for all its technical merit, the mild-hybrid auto feels overwrought. We prefer the manual-gearbox Grand Vitara by a considerable margin. It’s less unencumbered, the K15B engine has a natural, linear progression through the rev range. The gearshift action itself is light, precise and predictable. No hesitation and on-again, off-again automatic shifts as you go.
Of course, a R54 000 price differential in favour of the Suzuki Across is not to be sniffed at. If the newer infotainment, wireless charging pad and two-pedal transmission are non-negotiable for you, then your choice is mighty simple. However, during our test anyway, the simpler, lighter Grand Vitara ICE without hybrid interference was the fun one to drive. For us, that’s non-negotiable …
SUZUKI ACROSS MILD-HYBRID FIGURES
- 2026 Suzuki Across 1.5 mild-hybrid GL auto
- Engine: 1 499 cc 4-cyl petrol + mild-hybrid
- Power: 76 kW, 137 Nm
- Performance: 10.6 sec 0-100 km/h (tested)
- Gearbox: 6-speed automatic
- Economy: 6.8 l/100 km (tested), 5.3 l/100 km (claimed/combined)
- Price: R372 900
