RAV4 Prime

Make
Toyota
Segment
SUV

Suzuki no longer sells passenger cars here in the United States but as we know from recent models like the adorable but highly capable Jimny, the Japanese brand is still going strong in other markets. Well, strong might be an exaggeration as Suzuki recently partnered with Toyota to build two rebadged versions of the Corolla and RAV4. The first of these models, the Suzuki Across, has just arrived on the market.

If the Across looks familiar to you, that's because it is just a rebadged RAV4 with a different front end. But the Across isn't just based on any run-of-the-mill RAV4, it's based on the plug-in hybrid 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime.

The Across uses the same drivetrain setup as the RAV4 Prime, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder four-cylinder engine mated to two electric motors. Suzuki says the Across has what it calls an "E-Four electronic 4x4 system," which is just a new name for Toyota's electronic on-demand all-wheel-drive system. Power for the engine by itself is rated at 179 horsepower (the same as the RAV4 Prime) while the total output is not mentioned. We assume it will produce the same 302-hp output found in the Toyota, making it the most powerful product in Suzuki's range of vehicles.

Suzuki appears to have based the Across on the RAV4 Prime XSE trim, based on the standard 19-inch wheels. But the interior seems to be a bit different than the US market RAV4 Prime, which features full leather seating surfaces on the top trim level. The Across appears to have cloth inserts with red striping, which is similar to the Camry TRD. Aside from this minor change and a Suzuki logo on the steering wheel, the cabin appears identical.

Only the front end seems to be different from its Toyota counterpart, with a reshaped grille and new headlight design. Even the paint choices appear to be plucked from Toyota's palette, although the Across does not get the option for a black roof. It should go without saying that the Suzuki Across will not be sold here in the US.