Photos: 2007 Suzuki XL7

The new XL7 checks off all the boxes for a large crossover. It has a V-6 engine, independent suspension, three rows of seating, and a navigation system.

The front is about the only interesting part of the XL7's exterior design. The headlights use an interesting shape, but we don't like the way the hood floats over the front of the car.

Bright halogen lights make for a very defined area of illumination in front of the car.

The curving window line is a design element we've seen a lot on the sides of SUVs and crossovers. The thick D-pillars end up obstructing rear visibility.

Except for the strong bumper, we would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the XL7 and a minivan from the back.

Wood accents and leather seats are a surprise in a car at this price level.

Third-row seats have become standard in large crossovers. But they're not always easily accessible.

The 3D perspective on the map display is a nice touch. It even draws a few notable buildings in to help you get oriented.

After entering a destination, the navigation system offers multiple routes to choose from.

The tabbed interface lets you easily choose an audio source, and the stereo in the XL7 offers a full range.

The music navigator is a particularly useful feature of this stereo, offering excellent organization for large MP3 CDs.

Although the audio settings interface is nice, we weren't really impressed by the XL7's speakers.

The buttons between the spokes of the XL7's steering wheel are straight out of the GM parts bin. The buttons on the left are for cruise control, while the right ones are for the stereo.

The buttons in front of the shifter also come from the GM parts bin, letting you cycle through trip computer settings.

The XL7's V-6 engine is powerful enough, it gets reasonable fuel economy, and its emission ratings aren't bad.