With the PH launch of the Ertiga Hybrid earlier this year, a lot of people have anticipated the launch of the XL7 Hybrid as well. As the Ertiga’s 7-seater sibling, this was not impossible. In fact, it was released in India last year and they’ve been enjoying its mild-hybrid goodness since. The Hybrid XL7 is finally set for a Southeast Asian debut, though, and with it, the possibility of it possibly – or finally – reaching PH shores.
Suzuki Indonesia to launch XL7 hybrid later this month
Photo: Suzuki
After a bit of our usual snooping around, we and others in PH media have stumbled upon an “announcement” from Suzuki. On June 15, what looks to be the XL7 Hybrid will make its debut in Indonesia, signaling its entry into the Southeast Asian market. It’s most likely to be the same unit from India that’s just badged as the “XL6”, but it really is just one and the same vehicle.
Photo: Suzuki
If the Indian unit is anything to go by, the XL7 Hybrid will be powered by the K15C engine that is paired with a 12V Lithium-ion battery and an integrated starter generator. These are the same innards under the hood of the current-gen Ertiga Hybrid in the Philippines, and being siblings, the XL7 may just have the same.
A big difference, though, is that the XL6 from India got a 6-speed automatic transmission. As it stands, Suzuki’s 7-seater(s) in the PH has a rather dated 4-speed AT. Seeing as “hybrid” vehicles are all about clean mobility and better fuel economy, perhaps the “upgraded” transmission will be fitted into the XL7 Hybrid. That would make for a lot more fun, and a greater draw for those who might look into getting one.
Photo: Suzuki
We’ve probably mentioned twice in this article that the Ertiga and XL7 are siblings, so for all that it’s worth and as a loose basis of how the Hybrid version of the latter might perform, you can read our review on the Ertiga Hybrid right here. Personally, I’ve driven both these models (ICE and hybrid Ertiga, and ICE XL7) and they weren’t very far off from each other as far as our Review checklist goes. Do use this as a very loose barometer, at least until we get our hands on the XL7 Hybrid, yes?
If anything, the only thing we wish for is an updated, more modern transmission for the hybrid version of the XL7. But we’ll just have to wait until after its Indonesia debut and whether Suzuki PH will announce its PH entry sooner or later.
