To me, the Suzuki Vitara has always been a fun in the sun kind of SUV. When I was much younger, it was a go to rental in the Spanish islands and offered a joyous mix of effervescence and freedom. Well now, not only has the latest version been modernised inside and out, but it’s also taken a giant and necessary step towards electrification – we take a closer look.
The Suzuki Vitara had been on the motoring market since the late ‘80s and over the subsequent four-ish decades has changed its style, it’s heart and even its name (in some markets), however, it has always put a smile on those that get behind the wheel.
Times have changed and the Vitara has changed with them, so it came as no surprise that Suzuki’s popular SUV has embraced the new battery-keen world – but it’s not quite ‘all in’ as yet.
As with the Swift, Suzuki are all about easing their customers into the move to EVs, choosing to offer steps rather than leaps both in electric technology and in turn retail pricing, meaning that Suzuki-fans (Suzuki-ites?) aren’t seeing their next Vitara come with an all-electric powertrain and $20k increase in cost – in fact, my range topping 4WD JLX review model was priced at a very acceptable $44,990 (+$4k over the ICE model).
In terms of looks, the Hybrid Vitara is the same as the un-hybridised (yes I know that’s not a word – yet) models. So it still has a compact footprint, stylish curves and contemporary chicness about it. Being as my model was the JLX, it came with an ample amount of chrome bling around the nose and a black roof (I had the two-tone option too). In fact, the only visual differentiator on the exterior is a blue Hybrid badge on the tailgate!
The interior is pretty much the same too – at least when not switched on – it’s just that the indicator stalk is on the opposite side of the steering column due to where it’s manufactured. Don’t panic, although the interior and exterior aesthetics are the same, the Hybrid Vitara has plenty going on behind the scenes.
Unlike many other car-makers hybrid’s, the Suzuki Vitara’s hybrid system doesn’t actually send any power to the wheels, (that is still handled by an ICE engine), but it does generate power from the wheels in the form of regenerative braking.
In simplistic terms (mainly for my benefit), the Vitara’s hybrid system comprises of a 48v 8Ah lithium-ion battery which is fed by a 48v ISG (Integrated Starter Generator), this in turn does clever things like handles the start/stop functions and tops up power to the engine so you don’t have to – basically all you need to know is that the whole system is more efficient than just gulping down petrol to power the Vitara’s movement and electrics and therefore better on your wallet or purse. And simpler too, you don’t have to charge it!
As luck would have it, I had a trip to Hamilton scheduled during my review and that meant testing the Vitara’s claimed 6L/100km fuel efficiency – game on.
The Vitara Hybrid’s 1400cc engine offers up less kWs than its ICE-only sibling 95kW vs 103, however, it does have an extra 15Nm (now 235Nm) which in turn means that you can tow an extra 300kgs – now 1,500kgs. The big drop’s come in terms of economy 6 vs 6.9L/100km and gases 136g vs 161 – and yet it’s still nippy, boasting a sub 10 second 0-100km/h which feels quicker than how I remember the bigger turbo and surprising since it weighs 50kg’s more.
My road trip to the ‘Tron had the Hybrid SUV loaded up with three adults, one youth and a fair amount of football gear. We left early on Sunday morning, ensuring that the trip from Albany wouldn’t get caught up in any city traffic, we didn’t.
The Vitara is actually quite roomy for something that fits so well into mall parks. Head and shoulder room was spacious enough as to not create any friction (although there was a fair amount on the way back – nothing to do with the Suzuki).
Visibility was good, but for me, the SUV’s EPAS steering is a little bit funky, it feels a bit removed from what’s going on below, a bit playstation wheel-ish. Anyway, on the regular SH1 tarmac the Vitara is quiet and well-mannered but the open pore tarmac does generate a lot of road noise.
The infotainment and instrument clusters are clear and easy to navigate around, with the latter offering up a real-time energy flow image that lets you know what is powering what and how charged the battery is – it’s fun to watch for a geek like me.
There are numerous driving aids and with the humdrum drive south I opted for the adaptive cruise function and let the Hybrid Vitara do its own thing, it all works really well.
We made Swift (get it) work of the drive, in fact it would have been well under 2 hours had we not stopped for a bacon sarnie at Pokeno (mandatory).
Around the city, the Hybrid’s other party trick came into play, the start/stop function. Again this works well, however, I did get a kind of ‘hill hold’ sensation before pulling away each time, so much so that I thought I had that switched on!
Following a forgettable game of football we travelled back in a little more silence, actually with more of the stereo sounds on (again pretty good) and arrived back in Albany with the Vitara registering 6.6L/100km. I admit that this is not the advertised 6L but at least two of us adults would make up an additional passenger, so in my book, it’s a pretty frugal SUV – and still below the Vitara Turbo AWD’s 6.9L/100km!
Like all car makers, ‘going electric’ is a vital part of Suzuki’s future, but I’m sure that their customers will appreciate the brand’s ‘one step at a time’ approach showcased with the Vitara Hybrid. And if that’s not enough to put a smile on their face, the ride itself surely will.
