Suzuki XBEE

With the crossover market continuing to expand through astronomical heights, seems that a small Japanese car company like Suzuki isn't lagging behind when it comes to following today's motoring trends. Sure, they have crossovers like the Escudo, the SX4 S-Cross, the Ignis, and the kei-crossover known as the Hustler. Now, looks like Suzuki added another one to their crossover portfolio and this one's somewhat interesting.

2018 Suzuki XBEE

2018 Suzuki XBEE

Yes, this is Suzuki's Christmas present to the motoring public, it's a new crossover compact car and it's called the XBEE (pronounced cross bee). If the XBEE looks somewhat familiar to you, consider this; it's somewhat a mashup between the Hustler on the front and the Ssangyong Tivoli Air on the back, making this a crossover that is too hard to describe what's what.

2018 Suzuki XBEE interior

2018 Suzuki XBEE interior

On the inside, the XBEE is nothing beyond ordinary except for the cylindrical dashboard that looks like it came from either a Mini or a Mustang but whatever, questionable dashboard aside, the interior's pretty rugged indeed for the adventurous of few and customers can choose one of three accents on their waterproof seats such as yellow, orange, and ivory. With the waterproof seats which are as smooth as a crocodile's skin, it has decent space on the back that fits through all kinds of situations. You can fit from 525 to 1,305mm of boot space depending on the seat variation, which is very ample for a compact crossover of this size.

2018 Suzuki XBEE

The XBEE may be a little crossover but the little K10C 1.0L petrol engine has some zest to this nippy little rascal. The engine may be from the Baleno and so is its 6-speed automatic transmission but it's been given an Integrated Starter Generator linked to a Li-ion battery capable of reaching 22kmpl of fuel efficiency based on JC08 Mode standards and it's not just the nippy little engine and its fuel efficiency measure that benefits the XBEE, it's the HEARTECT platform that promises a lighter and more rigid ride very decent by Suzuki crossover standards.

For 4WD variants, the XBEE comes with four driving modes such as SPORT, SNOW, GRIP CONTROL, and HILL DESCENT, something akin to Suzuki's Euro imports such as the Escudo and the SX4 S-CROSS.

The XBEE is also the next to incorporate the SUZUKI SAFETY SUPPORT first introduced on the recently launched Spacia. It comes with a Lane Departure Warning, Driver Detection, High Beam Assist, Road Sign Recognition, and an advance car departure notice function. omnidirectional monitoring camera that can detect both sides of the car and an around view monitor, Emergency Stop Signal, Hill Hold Control, Dual Sensor Brake Support, False Start Suppression Control, backward erroneous start suppression function, and ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to detect obstacles behind the vehicle.

Price? The XBEE starts at 1,765,800 Japanese Yen, which is more expensive than the Ignis and the Hustler but more affordable than the Escudo, making it a bargain boomer in its own right, especially when it wants to make some negotiations with rivals such as the Honda Vezel and the Toyota C-HR. Sure, the XBEE may be the big brother of the Hustler but it can do some good things a compact car can do in its free time. Whether you can drive this one at work or in the middle of your day off, every day is an adventure for the XBEE. Man, I hope that sums it all up about the XBEE. Better wrap it up before some Third World gooks sniff their way on this latest Suzuki crossover.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation