Suzuki still shines on

Small SUV-style ‘Juke-genre’ Crossover models are all the rage just at present.

Every mainstream brand, it seems, must have one. Here’s Suzuki’s offering for customers in this sector, the surprisingly light, lithe and fashionable Vitara.

The Vitara is the kind of youthful, dynamic-looking product that buyers of compact Crossover models seem to want.

On paper, it certainly seems to tick all the ‘Juke-genre’ boxes, with lifestyle looks, trendy cabin technology and supermini-standards of efficiency. It even claims to be a rewarding steer on twisty tarmac, especially with the 1.4litre petrol turbo ‘Boosterjet’ engine that the Japanese brand has added since this car was originally launched.

There are familiar touches: value pricing, high specifications and a 4WD option - something actually relatively unusual in this segment.

The performance-orientated 1.4-litre petrol turbo engine is one of Suzuki’s newest units and gives this car a reasonable turn of speed, enabling it to make 62mph in 10.2s en route to 124mph.

The ‘Allgrip’ four-wheel-drive system is standard with the 1.4-litre petrol turbo and optional with the 1.6-litre variants. The set-up features an electronically controlled clutch pack, controlled by a four-position switch on the centre console. Choose ‘Auto’ and it’ll stick to driving the front wheels unless slip is detected, whereupon the rear wheels are pressed into action.

‘Sport’ diverts up to 20 per cent of torque to the rear wheels to give livelier handling. ‘Snow’ offers permanent fourwheel drive with the system choosing how much torque to split front and rear, while ‘Lock’ splits the torque equally between front and rear.

With tight proportions and a front end that has more than a hint of current Land Rover design about it, the Vitara is quite an assured piece of design work.

Prices start at around £14,000 for the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol version, but you’ll need a £20,000 budget for the petrol 4WD version. 1.6 DDiS diesel model pricing starts at around £17,000.

The Vitara’s CO2 emissions are low thanks to the use of high tensile steel and