When it first arrived in local Suzuki dealerships, the Vitara was the preserve of farmers who appreciated its small footprint, go anywhere ability, and straightforward engineering.
It remains a popular choice for those with ties to the agriculture sector, which should not come as a surprise given the manufacturer’s been building 4x4s for nearly 50 years. Times have changed, however, and to keep pace with rivals, the current generation Vitara has had to up its game to go wheel-to-wheel with everything from the budget friendly Dacia Duster to Ford’s high-selling Puma, not to mention Skoda’s Kamiq and Vauxhall’s Mokka.
Now ten-years-old, Suzuki is trying to eke out a few more miles from this generation Vitara in light of a full fat battery-powered equivalent called ‘e Vitara’ hitting the market. Offered alongside its ICE sibling, it promises 214-miles from a full charge of its 49kWh battery or 243-miles if powered by the 61kWh pack nestled between the front and rear wheels.
The visual changes of note for the 2025-specification Vitara amount to a new grille and front bumper design, and an extended roof spoiler at the rear that, according to WLTP lab results, increases the vehicle’s efficiency rating anywhere between six and nine per cent. A fresh, 17-inch wheel profile and two new colour shades – the dual-tone ‘Sphere Blue Pearl Metallic / ‘Cosmic Black’, or single tone ‘Dark Grey Metallic’ – complete the look. Our test car, for the record, was finished in ‘Ice Greyish Blue’ with a black contrast roof – an £835 option should you have the cash to spare and crave a little extra individuality.
Jump inside and the one noticeable up-date concerns the Vitara’s infotainment system – a 9-inch multimedia screen with smartphone mirroring. At best, the system is adequate and nowhere as intuitive nor as appealing as the software currently found in rival cars – just as well then that you can switch to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay easily. The rest is unchanged, meaning plenty of physical buttons and switches that make every day driving choices simpler, although the feel of these – and other aspects of the cabin’s dark, dreary trim – while rock solid, is poor on quality and lacking even a little sophistication.
In ‘Ultra’ grade, owners benefit from keyless start/stop, front and rear parking sensors and a rear parking camera, automatic lights, and seats that are finished in a suede upholstery. The safety checklist is comprehensive as well, with Suzuki adding an arsenal of now-mandatory driver assist systems, from lane departure warning to a speed control limiter. Tweaks to the autonomous emergency braking system now work by combining camera and radar data to help detect cars on top of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Once powered by heavy fuel, the Vitara now relies on mild hybrid (48-volt lithium-ion battery) and full hybrid (140-volt lithium-ion battery) systems to trim exhaust emissions. In either case, a 1.4-litre turbo petrol nestles under the bonnet and as far as the mild set-up goes, with the extra 39lb ft of torque from the electrical hardware, it develops 173lb ft of torque. Combined with a well-spaced six-speed manual, forward progress is brisk and even when the unit is worked hard it remains steadfastly smooth, if a little tinny sounding. Still, averaging in the high forties to early fifty miles-per-gallon is not to be sniffed at, with this helped by a low kerb weight which also pays dividends on the ride and handling front.
Despite its raised ride height, the Vitara’s equally at home on a winding road or in an urban environment, the light steering making it easy to place on the road, helped by eager front end grip and a commanding view of what is ahead thanks to an easy-to-adjust seating position. The suspension, while not overly soft, does struggle when faced with bumps and coarser surfaces; the latter exposes the need for more sound deadening in the cabin. Body control, meanwhile, is respectable, although those who prioritise confident – and predictable – handling in all weathers should opt for the four-wheel-drive AllGrip Vitara that has three modes (Automatic, Sport, Snow) that can be chosen via a small dial near the handbrake to adjust throttle response and how power is divvied to each corner.
