Suzuki Vitara

Suzuki Vitara at a glance

The Vitara name has a long history at Suzuki, and the previous Suzuki Grand Vitara was a rugged compact SUV with a ladder frame. The LY generation changed course: it is a car-based crossover aimed at buyers of compact SUVs, with optional all-wheel drive rather than off-road hardware. Compared with the old Grand Vitara, it is 325 mm shorter, 85 mm lower and 35 mm narrower, with a 140 mm shorter wheelbase. Suzuki's story is told in the history of Suzuki, and the range, including the Suzuki Baleno, is in the Suzuki catalogue.

Design and exterior

The Vitara has an upright, solid-looking body that appears larger than its compact dimensions suggest. A panoramic roof with two sliding glass panels was available. The 2018 facelift revised the front bumper to house the radar for the collision-avoidance system, and the April 2024 update brought another new front bumper, two-tone wheels and a larger rear spoiler.

Interior and boot

The dashboard is simple, with round air vents at the top and an analogue clock between them; some testers found the hard plastics disappointing. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and height, and a touchscreen multimedia system offers phone connection, navigation and smartphone mirroring. Rear space is adequate for the car's size, though tall passengers find head, knee and shoulder room limited. The boot holds 375 litres with the seats up and 710 litres with the 60:40 split rear seats folded (VDA). In the full hybrid, the battery under the floor reduces this to 289 and 569 litres.

Engines and gearboxes

According to the old 1cars text, the 1.6 petrol reaches 100 km/h in about 11 seconds (12.5 with the automatic), tops out at 180 km/h and uses about 5.8–6.3 L/100 km. The 1.4 Boosterjet powers the sportier Vitara S. In Europe the 1.0 Boosterjet replaced the 1.6 petrol in 2018.

AllGrip all-wheel drive

AllGrip is Suzuki's electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system with selectable driving modes, offered with the petrol and diesel engines and an automatic or manual gearbox. A hill descent function doses braking on each wheel so that even inexperienced drivers can manage steep descents. Combined with 185 mm of ground clearance and a low weight, it gives the Vitara useful ability on snow and unmade roads, although the car has no low-range gearbox.

Dimensions

Safety

The Vitara has seven airbags, including a driver's knee airbag, electronic stability control and hill-start assistance. A radar-based brake support system warns the driver of an impending collision and brakes automatically if the driver does not react, and it works with adaptive cruise control to keep a set distance; the 2018 facelift introduced the DSBS collision-avoidance system and the 2024 update DSBS II. In its 2015 Euro NCAP test the Vitara scored 89% for adult occupants, 85% for children, 76% for pedestrians and 75% for safety assist.

Trims and equipment

Typical trim levels were GL, GL+ and GLX. Even the base car has front, side, curtain and driver's knee airbags, air conditioning, power steering, a trip computer and a steering column adjustable for height and reach. GL+ adds an automatic gearbox option with optional all-wheel drive, ESP, hill-start assistance, climate control, a reversing camera, cruise control, fog lights, heated electric mirrors, rear electric windows and 16-inch alloy wheels. The top GLX has the automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive as standard, front and rear parking sensors, automatically levelled LED headlights, 17-inch wheels and part-leather upholstery.

Sales

In Europe, Vitara sales rose from 43,247 in 2015 to 73,099 in 2016 and peaked at 81,860 in 2019, with 57,436 in 2021. In China, where Changan Suzuki built it until 2018, it sold 41,175 units in 2016. The Vitara name now also appears on the battery-electric e Vitara, a separate model.

Rivals: how the Vitara compares

The Vitara competes with compact SUVs such as the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Kona and Skoda Kamiq. Its strengths are low weight, efficient engines, the optional AllGrip system and a compact size; its weaknesses are hard interior plastics, limited rear space for tall passengers and a smaller boot than some rivals. More models from Japan are listed among Japanese SUVs.