Bringing the ‘Boost’

Suzuki ushers in forced induction on the beloved Vitara. And it’s not a moment too soon, says Kyle Kock.

Can Suzuki do anything wrong at this point? The Japanese automaker, arguably more famous for its motorcycle and boat engines, is sitting on a pretty good wicket in terms of cars.

On the SUV front, it’s brought the eagerly anticipated Jimny to our market and is also hitting record sale highs in South Africa. To top it all off, the facelifted Vitara is now available with a turbocharged 1,4 ℓ four-cylinder engine that Suzuki calls “Boosterjet”.

The new engine isn’t here to replace the 1,6 ℓ normally aspirated engine that’s been doing service across the Suzuki lineup for a decade already, but more to supplement the range offering and show that Suzuki’s still pushing the edge on the technological front.

Touch up

The current, fourth-generation Vitara was introduced four years ago, but Suzuki refreshed the line-up earlier this year by adding new details including vertical slats on the grille that puts extra emphasis on the brand’s “S” logo, enlarged fog lamp recesses and a J-shaped moulding at both ends of the front bumper to house the LED daytime running lights.

Around the back, the bodywork and tailgate have also been fitted with new LED light clusters that mimic the DRLS upfront and, to top it all off, there’s also a set of new 17-inch alloy wheels available as an option.

What’s the deal with this engine?

It’s been available abroad for a number of years already, but Suzuki has only just brought the 1,4 ℓ turbocharged K14C motor to our shores. With our dodgy fuel quality, it makes sense that they keep the venerable M16 1,6 ℓ engine around, because of its proven reliability and robustness.

But rival brands have been keeping up to date with the downsizing trend and adding forced induction to not just make up for the lack of displacement, but also keep performance on par with bigger engines and yet maximise fuel efficiency – so the K14C could not have come too soon. It features direct fuel injection and a minimal overall weight of just 88,6 kg, and is also significantly more compact than the M16 so that the Suzuki engineers could mount it lower down in the engine bay – an improvement also for the Vitara Turbo’s centre of gravity.

The local launch route headed southeast from OR Tambo and swung east in the direction of Red Star Raceway in Mpumalanga, where Suzuki would also be introducing the Boosterjet motor in its Swift Sport hatchback.

Behind the wheel, it is immediately apparent that there’s quite a decent helping of grunt available low down the rev range – resulting in quick getaways from stops and merging with traffic with just a flex of the right foot.

The torque peak is at just 1 500 rpm and is available all the way to 4 000 rpm, which is plenty of room to keep the Vitara hustling along. The other noticeable aspect of the drivetrain that should be commended is the six-speed manual gearbox offering smooth and precise shifting and a clutch that’s easily modulated. Overall, the experience is so impressive that you have to wonder why the Boosterjet wasn’t made available earlier. It’s a pleasure to drive and after 50 km of mixed driving scenarios, including a stint on gravel roads, the Vitara’s computer was indicating an average of 6,5 ℓ/100 km.

Don’t forget the interior niceties

The Vitara’s cabin is a comfortable place to be, not least of all because of the climate control, cruise control system with speed limit function, front and rear park distance control and seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with integrated Android Auto and Apple Carplay, that doubles as a screen for the reverse camera. The soft-touch surfaces and modernised digital info screen between the analogue speedometer and tachometer that were part of the updates at the beginning of 2019 are also welcome additions.

The impressive safety specifications includes seven airbags, electronic stability control, and Abs-assisted brakes with EBD and BAS.

Unfortunately, the Allgrip moniker that denotes all-wheel drive eludes the Vitara Turbo in both manual and automatic guise and is still only available with the M16 motor with manual gearbox, but that might be remedied according to demand – especially given how well Suzuki has been performing in South Africa.