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Head to Head: Toyota Veloz vs Suzuki XL7

Two family-ready and affordable 7-seaters that are ready to go at it.

Autodeal on Jun 15, 2022

It's no secret that the affordable MPV segment in the Philippines is a hot one. We have so many options to choose from that it becomes difficult to pick just the right one. Toyota Philippines has recently refreshed its entry into this segment with the arrival of the Toyota Veloz. While it can be considered a higher-spec variant of the new Avanza, the Japanese automaker has decided to separate it into a new model and market it more as an SUV.

With that in mind, we decided to pit it against another similar vehicle that also comes with the SUV design to match in the form of the Suzuki XL7. While it is a derivative of its MPV cousin the Suzuki Ertiga, it's a separate model thanks to a completely different front end and a new set of features. As these two vehicles are similar in what they are, we decided to put them against one another to see which one will come out on top.

Exterior

Design-wise these two vehicles take similar approaches to their design language. Both the Veloz and the XL7 sport a large grille in the center and come with sleek LED headlights. The Toyota MPV comes with more of an angular design with sharp angles at the front of the vehicle while the Suzuki comes with a few more curves but overall comes with the theme of being imposing at the same time. Where the two differ slightly is when it comes to wheel sizes, the XL7 has much smaller 16-inch alloys while the Veloz rocks 17s.

As designs are subjective and their exterior features are about the same we will give this category as a tie to both.

Winner: Tie

Interior

The interior design of these two vehicles takes different approaches. The Suzuki XL7 comes with a much taller design for its dashboard, while the Toyota Veloz has a sloping look to it. They both put heavy emphasis on their floating infotainment systems and both come with a decent amount of soft-touch materials. Where the Veloz has a slight advantage is when it comes to storage space and cup holders, the Toyota MPV has more of it compared to its Suzuki rival.

Both vehicles also use a combination of fabric and synthetic leather for their seating materials so choosing between the two becomes difficult as it will ultimately boil down to your personal level of comfort when it comes to the seats. That being said, we give this category a tie.

Winner: Tie

Tech

It's a matter of inches between these two vehicles as the Toyota Veloz comes with a 9-inch infotainment system, while the Suzuki XL7 has a much bigger 10-inch display. However, you don’t just gauge a vehicle based on the size of its infotainment system, there are other factors that you need to consider, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. The XL7 also has these capabilities available which puts them on even ground. However, the Veloz does come with the perk of having wireless charging which is a great feature to have and puts it slightly above its Suzuki rival. With that in mind we give the win to the Veloz.

Winner: Toyota Veloz

Safety

When searching for a family car, safety should always be a top priority, luckily both vehicles are well equipped in this regard. The Suzuki XL7 comes with dual front airbags, traction control, stability control, and ABS with EBD. It also comes with reverse sensors and a reverse camera as well.

The Toyota Veloz takes this up a notch as it comes with the brand’s Toyota Safety Sense technology. This gives it access to safety features such as a pre-collision system, automatic high beam, and lane departure alert. This is on top of other features such as a blind spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and access to six airbags. The Veloz also gets a reverse camera with a panoramic view monitor along with a back sonar.

As the Veloz comes with more safety technology it wins this category.

Winner: Toyota Veloz

Power

Under the hood, both of these MPVs are rocking a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine. The Toyota Veloz produces 105 hp and 138 Nm of torque, while the Suzuki XL7 makes 103 hp and 138 Nm of torque as well. The main difference between these two, aside from the Toyota making two more horsepower, is that the Veloz has a CVT and the XL7 comes with a traditional four-speed transmission.

All things considered, we will award the win for this category to the Toyota Veloz as it comes with a much newer transmission and a bit more power over its similarly equipped Japanese rival.

Winner: Toyota Veloz

Verdict and price

When it comes to the pricing between these two cars, the Suzuki XL7 has an edge as being the more affordable vehicle as it can be had for P1,138,000 for its sole variant. The Toyota Veloz, on the other hand, is the more expensive of the two as its top variant comes in at P1,225,000 without its special color option. There is a more affordable variant of the Veloz but it comes in at P1,185,000 which is still more expensive compared to its Suzuki rival.

All things considered, the Veloz is the newer of the two vehicles and offers you more technology and better safety despite being the more expensive model. It wins our head-to-head, but who knows Suzuki might give the XL7 an upgrade soon giving it more power and more advanced technology making it a serious contender once again.

Overall winner: Toyota Veloz