Under the bonnet of the Across sits a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder 'Dynamic Force' engine with two electric motors, a larger more powerful one mounted at the front axle and another, slightly smaller one, at the rear. They draw their power from an 18.1 kWh battery and drive is put to the wheels through a CVT auto gearbox. The total combined power output, 306hp, is vastly more than any Suzuki has ever offered before; the 62mph sprint takes just 6 seconds. More significantly, the WLTP-rated EV driving range is 46 miles.
The car has four powertrain settings. In the default 'EV' mode, the car is driven purely by the electric motors, even under hard acceleration. Selecting 'Auto EV/HV' will allow the petrol engine to contribute to the drive such as when accelerating, or at higher speed when required. Moving into 'HV' mode offers the same, whilst in 'Battery Charge' mode the engine alone will run and fully recharge the battery through energy recuperated under braking.
The car's four wheel drive system, dubbed 'E-Four', utilises the independent rear electric motor to work alongside the front to split the drive depending on conditions. Power can be distributed from as much as 100% to the front axle, or split 20/80 front/rear if required. The car's 'AWD Integrated Management System' (AIM) not only controls this power flow, but also the throttle control, the gearbox, the amount of assistance given to the electronic power steering and also the brakes. This makes driving under slippery, or even just damp, conditions much more sure-footed and also enhances the handling depending on road surface. The car also offers a clever automatic limited slip differential control, 'Trail Mode', which will brake individual wheels that are losing grip, and redistribute the power to the remaining ones that aren't.