Crossover motocross. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Subaru XV vs Suzuki Vitara
It is understood that when buying a four-wheel drive crossover, even such a very compact format, as in our three today’s heroes, you at least sometimes plan to use the acquired features – four driving wheels and increased ground clearance. In other words, you will drive not only on asphalt, and sometimes still travel to the fields, to picnics, and the road to your house in the village may not allow you to reach it by an ordinary car.
Suzuki Vitara is cheaper than the rest: the minimal four-wheel drive version with a “automatic” and an atmospheric engine of 1.6 liters costs between 1,299,000 rubles, while the top-of-the-range GLX has 1,669,000 rubles. Our car with a 1.4-liter turbo engine, 6-automatic transmission and 4WD is estimated at 1,729,000 rubles. Subaru XV even with a 1.6-liter engine is more expensive – from 1 799 000 rubles. The XV with a 2.0-liter engine and a variator costs from 2,049,900 rubles, and the top grade Premium ES – 2,279,000. All-wheel drive Eclipse Cross in the Ultimate version with a variator is slightly cheaper – 2,256,000 rubles (Instyle – 2,032,000 rubles)
We decided to go a little further. What will happen if you experience crossovers in tougher conditions? What will happen if you jump on jumps and mercilessly bludgeon along a motocross track, which in some places may well pass for a very, very uneven primer? Which of these “Japanese” will be faster? Who will be more comfortable? Who is more fun? Who is tougher? Very soon you will know the answer to these questions. But first, let’s take a ride on asphalt, because, anyway, this is still the main habitat of almost any production car. Those who are too lazy to read can watch a short clip and then they will definitely want to read the second part of this test.
On the “citizen”
On the asphalt really lights Suzuki Vitara. Despite the fact that in our trio it looks more like a classic “SUV” – the littered Mitsu roof creates a cross-coupe image, and the XV is a completely raised Impreza – its habits and controllability can be called the most passenger. Suzuki Subaru lighter by 245 kg and by as much as 365 kg – Mitsubishi. The 1.4-liter turbo engine is very lively and interacts well with the “automatic” even in normal mode. And in the “sport” Vitara becomes even too harsh. Suspension on ordinary roads seemed excessive, tough up to discomfort for a car of this kind – shakes on any small things, “speed bumps” have to move in a whisper, and Suzuki reacts more sharply to others. But as it is kayfovo behind the wheel of a Suzuki, stringing turns one on another, how nice it is to hold this small and precise “steering wheel” in your hands! Few crossover is able to be so fun just on the pavement.
A recent update almost didn’t transform the looks of a Suzuki Vitara. In this triple he has the most classic crossover proportions. However, if it were not for the bicolor coloring and dashing vyshtampovka side, Vitara would look boring
In addition to the oak pendant there are a number of minuses. Vitara is slightly smaller than its competitors, ground clearance is only 185 mm, in the back row it is closer, but a trunk with a high roof is a priori more capacious – 375 liters (XV – 310 liters, Eclipse Cross – 341 liters). The interior of Suzuki is trimmed worse than its rivals, the Shumka became better after the upgrade, but not enough, already at a run of 5,000 km restless crickets appeared, multimedia was the most brake, navigation maps were ancient and unpretentious, and the climate control was only one-zone .
The interior of Suzuki Vitara has the most hard plastic – on the side of the door, on the steering wheel, on the central tunnel. Soft trimmed only the top of the front panel. “Climate” – only one zone. But the ergonomics is good, and the analog clock is very well written in the center
Only Vitara’s seats cannot be completely trimmed with leather, but the alcantara inserts that appeared after restyling look very decent. For slender persons, the chairs will be very comfortable – a cool profile, tough stuffing … But people in the body will be cramped in them. “Tidy” is rustic, but in the middle there is a color display. On the central tunnel – levers “automatic”, “handbrake” and USB jack
The rear row of the Suzuki was expected to be the closest, and the landing was the most vertical, because Vitara’s wheelbase is shorter than the others by 165–170 mm. There are no amenities for second-row passengers, only one front seat has a pocket, there is not even an armrest. But the Vitara trunk in a two-row configuration holds 375 liters – this is more than the rest. Under the solid raised floor there is an additional compartment, and even lower – “dokatka” and a set of tools. The seats fold in proportion 2: 3, but the floor is not even
Compared to the Vitara, the XV saloon looks much cooler, as if from a higher class car. Leather chairs with orange stitching, soft plastic almost everywhere, a laconic aluminum finish, an additional information display and an Eyesight complex with a whole scatter of active safety systems. However, when you turn off each of them on the “tidy” lights up a separate icon that is unnerving.
