Suzuki APV 2012 Review

As the humble white van grows increasingly more complicated – and well equipped – it’s good to know at least one option exists that’ll do the job without breaking the bank.

That option is Suzuki’s diminutive APV: a no-frills commercial carrier featuring simple mechanicals (in a familiar layout), capacious load capacity and a barebones interior, all aimed at getting the job done with a minimum of fuss.

Measuring just over four metres in length, and little over 1.5 metres wide, Suzuki’s APV makes the most of its pocket-sized exterior by stretching nearly vertical at every side to create an open, box-like interior. The recompense is a cargo area of 3.4 cubic metres offering a flat floor, accessibility via a door at each side and a large, top-hinged rear hatch. It’s worth noting, however, that the side doors are hinged, not sliding like most vans, which can make unloading in tight spots a tad difficult.

Best thought of as a light-duty lugger, APV would ideally suit inner-urban parcel carriers, franchisee handymen, gardeners, or any small business owner for whom highway travel is an occasional requirement. Though official payload numbers are hard to come by, the APV, with a couple of passengers on board, is capable of hauling around 600kg (total payload including passengers is 810kg).

The interior is barebones basic, and greets both driver and passenger with sufficient accommodation and excellent visibility, but little else. A non-adjustable urethane steering wheel and thinly padded vinyl seats mean finding the right driving position is a compromise, while the combination of an intrusive wheel well, low door aperture and lack of driver’s side grab handle make clambering in a touch gymnastic. Shorter drivers will also find their shin strikes the dashboard when depressing the clutch.

Engine heat, too, is transferred into the cabin with little resistance, but is countered by an adequate HVAC system with manually-operated air conditioning. A vinyl curtain behind the driver’s compartment would greatly assist in keeping the cabin cooler. Road noise is also an issue with 86db recorded at 100km/h. Couple this with the lightweight (1140kg), slab-sided van’s susceptibility to cross winds and it’s easy to see why it is best thought of as an urban proposition.

Feature wise, APV offers an after-market (Clarion) CD/tuner with two speakers, 3.5mm and USB input and removable face (but no Bluetooth), engine immobiliser, 12V power outlet, rear demister and rudimentary instrumentation with analogue temperature, fuel, odometer and speed displays (no tachometer).

Storage is again minimal with a small oddments tray fore of the gearshift and a glovebox the only options. There are no cup holders to speak of.

Windows and mirrors and adjusted manually, as is the central locking, which we should note failed to operate the rear left-hand door. APV offers one interior light which illuminates the driver’s cabin but not the cargo area, a shame considering the car’s commercial orientation.

Safety comes by way of three-point inertia reel seatbelts with pretensioners, driver and passenger head restraints and dual front airbags. The seatbelts are not adjustable for shoulder height. APV is not offered with anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, cruise control, side or curtain airbags. It achieved a three-star ANCAP safety rating scoring 7.54 out of a possible 16 points in the standard frontal offset collision test and an overall result of 23.54 from a possible 37 points.

On the plus side, the APV is a cinch to drive and easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces. The hydraulically-assisted rack and pinion steering is light, but not devoid of feel, and offers a turning circle of 9.8 metres.

Clutch feel, too, is both well weighted and suitably assisted, the gear linkages also clatter-free through five forward ratios. The spread of cogs is matched well to APV’s naturally aspirated 1590cc four-cylinder (68kW/127Nm) G16A engine which, all things considered, is reasonably torquey.

Fuel consumption is claimed to average 8.9L/100km. On test we achieved 10.5L/100km.

APV is stopped by disc/drum brakes, rides on 14-inch steel wheels (with full-size matching spare) and is suspended by rather firm strut (front) / leaf (rear) suspension. In spite of its skinny, tall stance, it’s worth noting the APV actually handles reasonably well, tending to understeer only when pushed.

Despite its shortcomings, Suzuki APV has its place in the burgeoning commercial van segment. At $18,990 (adding $475 if metallic paint is optioned) it’s a cheap – cheaper than all of its rivals -- reliable workhorse ideally suited to the inner-urban grind. Though we can't help feel given its lack of options and safety equipment, it could be even cheaper. 

An easy-to-drive package that manages much from its meagre mechanicals, APV is as light on its feet as it is on the hip pocket.

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