The Suzuki APV, short for All Purpose Vehicle, is a minivan and light commercial vehicle designed by Suzuki in Japan and built in Indonesia by Suzuki Indomobil Motor. It went on sale in September 2004 with a choice of 1.5- or 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines.
Suzuki APV at a glance
| Production | from September 2004 |
|---|---|
| Maker | Suzuki Indomobil Motor, Indonesia |
| Name | All Purpose Vehicle |
| Engines | 1.5 or 1.6 litre, G series, 92–105 PS |
| Launch trims | A, L and X |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Rear suspension | live axle with leaf springs |
| Facelift | APV Arena, November 2007 |
| Luxury version | March 2009, facelifted September 2014 |
| Pickup | Mega Carry, from April 2005 |
| Exports | from April 2005 to more than 100 countries |
| Discontinued | February 2019, replaced by the Carry 1.5 |
History of the Suzuki APV
Launch
The APV was introduced in September 2004 in three trim levels, A, L and X, and was also offered as a blind van and in GA and GE trim. It came only with a five-speed manual gearbox, a live rear axle on leaf springs, 14-inch steel wheels and a black interior.
APV Arena
In November 2007 Suzuki released a facelifted version called the APV Arena, sold in some countries as the APV Type II. It brought better equipment, a captain-seat option in the top SGX trim, a revised interior, more power, a four-speed automatic alternative, 15-inch alloy wheels and a beige interior. The Arena Luxury arrived in March 2009, inspired by an AutoSpot show car, and was facelifted in September 2014 with a new grille, bumpers and 17-inch wheels.
Mega Carry and exports
A pickup version, the Mega Carry, was launched internationally in April 2005 and reached Indonesia in February 2011, sold alongside the smaller Carry in short-deck, long-deck and box-body forms. Exports from Indonesia began in April 2005 and reached more than 100 countries; Suzuki invested 11.5 billion yen to build up to 70,000 vehicles a year there.
The Mitsubishi Maven
From 2005 to 2009 Mitsubishi sold the APV in Indonesia as the Maven, with a redesigned front and a 1,468 cc Mitsubishi 4G15 engine of 87 hp, built in the same Suzuki plant. In February 2019 the APV, Mega Carry and Carry Futura were dropped in favour of the international Carry 1.5.
Design and features
- Two engines: a 1.5- or 1.6-litre G-series four-cylinder with 92–105 PS.
- Commercial basis: leaf-spring rear axle and a blind-van body make it a working vehicle as well as a family minivan.
- Arena facelift: coil springs, alloy wheels, an automatic gearbox and a more luxurious cabin from 2007.
- Safety step: dual airbags became standard on Indonesian cars from early 2017, though ABS was still absent.
Suzuki APV versions
- APV (2004): the original minivan in A, L and X trim.
- APV Arena (2007): facelifted model with GL, GX and SGX trims.
- APV Arena Luxury (2009): the show-car-inspired top version, facelifted in 2014.
- Mega Carry (2005): the pickup, with short, long and box bodies.
- Mitsubishi Maven (2005–2009): a rebadged version sold by Mitsubishi in Indonesia.
The APV was replaced in the range by the Suzuki Carry 1.5. Other Suzukis are in the Suzuki collection.
Video: Zoom TV on 7mate Ep.19 – Suzuki APV
Video by Imagination Group on YouTube.
Sources
- Suzuki APV, English Wikipedia: models, engines, dates, exports
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