NEW TAKE ON OLD FAVOURITE
That first impression comes from the paint job, making it look like a oversized curvy Fiat Panda. Weirdly, there’s matching (only it doesn’t) metallic paint inside – on the vents, and on the analogue clock which takes pride of place on the dash.
There’s a good oldfashioned handbrake too, and twiddly knobs for heating control, and similarly manual rearview mirror and seat adjustments – for a car with a pretty high-end spec these are not givens.
But the biggest surprise is the lack of a CD player. (No, there’s no cassette player, before you ask. Or 8-track.) Mind you, it’s three days before I notice, which says something about cars, music, or myself. Instead we have an infotainment system, with DAB radio or smartphone hookup via Bluetooth.
And there’s a comprehensive satnav – which, perhaps for good reason prevents you entering destination info while mobile – but then, neither can your navigator, which will stymie any rally driving potential.
Which might be a shame as the Vitara is built for sport – the ‘Sport’ setting sends power to the rear tyres for better cornering. Or twist the knob left for ‘Snow’ – your MPG will drop accordingly, though not as much on ‘Lock’ which engages all-wheel-drive fully to get you out of any muddy situations if you venture too far offroad.
The Vitara has, like many SUVs, a bit of an identity crisis. It’s probably happiest chugging along on the motorway, and handles fine, if a little fluid. Inside, it’s roomy enough, but there’s no particular impression of towering over the other traffic. The ride is comfortable and quiet – very quiet, in fact, idling it’s hard to tell if the engine auto stop/start has even kicked in.
The high-end stuff is mainly controlled by a row of switches to the right – adaptive cruise control, radar brake support, hill hold and descent control, all marking the Vitara’s pitch at the luxury end of the SUV market.
Features like parking assist are almost mundane nowadays but the Suzuki system is effective while the rear view camera with its handy guidelines makes reversing a breeze.
Of course, it’s the little details that count – so the doubleheightbootishandyforloading in flatpack furniture (that’s my Sunday).
Suzuki have your safety at heart – the Vitara has achieved a five-star NCAP rating, thanks to its seven airbags, stability control and tyre-pressure monitoring on all models as standard, as are DAB, Bluetooth, aircon and alloys.
The question is is it worth the £20K? With rivals ranging from the Dacia Duster (around half the price) to the top-end Toyota RAV 4, the Vitara could struggle to stand out in a very crowded marketplace.
Unlike its uglier ancestor however – which has to be a good thing...