Rhino charge
Suzuki’s new Vitara aims for crossover success
nclude its Grand iterations, and the Vitara nameplate has been with us for over 25 years, making it an SUV with a legacy longer than almost all others. Thing is, it was always biased more towards the rugged outdoors and, as years passed, became largely outdated and ignored.
So this is the Vitara playing catch-up. Four-wheel drive is optional, but it’s otherwise shorn of tough pretensions and wades straight into the boisterous crossover brawl.
Sitting between a Juke and Qashqai in size, it’s priced to rival the former. And it’s promising. Based on the rather underrated S-Cross, it’s 100mm shorter but looks more substantial. Set to start at £14,000 – a grand shy of its more staid sibling – the Vitara’s case looks increasingly strong.
Old Vitara soft-tops with naf spare-wheel covers might yield an image far from ballsy, but the new car’s styling is in a diferent realm to its predecessors. There’s more than a whif of Evoque about its design, and it’s borrowed the Captur’s homework for colour options, but those are hardly bad sources of infuence.
IRENAULT CAPTUR Similarly appealing crossover, though smaller and with no 4x4 option.
And it drives very well. A Suzuki boss told us the aim was “to bring Swift dynamics to a small SUV”. It’s not quite as thrilling, but it’s composed, agile and impressively short of body roll. It’s the end result of getting the basics right and not imposing needless sportiness or haphazard premium aspirations on something where they’re not necessary.
The same is true of the uncomplicated engine range: one N/A petrol (a 1.6-litre with 118bhp and 115lb ft) and one turbodiesel (1.6-litre, 118bhp and 236lb ft), with 4WD optional on either. The former is pleasant to rev and ought to be around £2k cheaper when prices are confrmed, but it just moves the Vitara with enough vigour. If you cover enough miles to justify its premium, the pokier diesel is our pick. Until the Vitara Sport arrives, sharing a turbo petrol with the next Swift Sport.
There are numerous big-car features at the upper echelons of the range such as active cruise control, a trick touchscreen and a huge panoramic sunroof. But with crossover competition approaching saturation point, your best bet is probably keeping things simple at the cheaper end of the range, where the Vitara is priced similarly to a well-trimmed supermini. It’s easy to see its appeal there.
•
•
•
•