SHOULD the Suzuki Across look more than a little familiar that's because it's almost entirely based on the Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid, thanks to a new collaboration between the Japanese companies.

From the outside, there's just some tiny tweaks to the styling. Under the bonnet sits the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, a larger more powerful one mounted at the front axle and another, slightly smaller one, at the rear.

Prospective buyers will be pleased to hear the Across officially has a 46-mile electric range which should cover most commutes and daily trips without using a drop of fuel. Handy if you have a standard electric wallbox at home.

Suzuki suggests the Across is capable of a combined economy figure of 42.9mpg, so I was very chuffed with my 46.3mpg achieved over almost 240 miles of various driving roads.

And just look at that strong 0-62mph sprint time. That slightly unexpected performance - fed through a hard to like CVT auto gearbox - is a combination of the petrol and electric engines which together produce 306hp, vastly more than any Suzuki has ever offered before.

The Across has four powertrain settings. In EV Mode it is driven entirely by the power of the electric motor, even under full acceleration.

When in Auto EV/HV mode and HV mode, the engine contributes to power delivery when required, such as when the accelerator is pressed strongly. To store electricity for EV mode when the charge is low, the battery charger mode runs the engine to fully re-charge the battery.

The Across also comes with Toyota's 'E-Four' all-wheel-drive system so is grippy and confidence-inspiring. The system uses 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 per cent to the front axle, or split 20/80 front/rear if required.

The car's 'AWD Integrated Management System' 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. It is no ‘soft-roader'.

Inside, there's little to distinguish the Across from its Toyota cousin but quality is good with nice, soft-touch materials where you want them and it's obviously well built.

There is only one trim and for that hefty £45k-plus price tag you get part-leather seats with eight-way power adjustment on the driver's side and an easy-to-use nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There's also heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and dual zone automatic air conditioning.

Other key features include sophisticated LED headlamps with a bi-beam projector - combining low and high beams - LED driving lights and black gloss polished 19-inch alloy wheels.

It's spacious too. It's a family five-seater but there's plenty of space for a couple of adults in the back should the need arise. There's a decent 490-litre boot with a powered tailgate and flat floor and the rear seats fold down to grow the boot space to 1,198 litres. There's also plenty of useful storage spots around the interior making it a very practical car.

For added versatility, the right-hand side of the luggage compartment is equipped with a mains voltage (220V) electrical outlet and 12V accessory socket.

To sooth minds, there's lots of safety kit too including an emergency autonomous braking system, lane keep assist, an automatic adaptive cruise control system, blind spot monitor, road sign identification and a rear cross traffic alert.

All that is an added bonus because, as hinted at earlier, it handles well for a large plug-in hybrid SUV, it's refined and built to last.