Eastern promise and added vitality

Can a revised version of Suzuki’s crossover match the appeal of its cutesy little brother, asks Matt Allan

Most of the recent headlines around Suzuki have centred on the adorable new Jimny, but at the same time as launching the tough-as-boots micro 4x4 the Japanese brand also slipped a revised Vitara onto the market.

As is the way with mid-life updates, from the outside the differences are minor – a new grille, bumper and lights – but there are bigger changes under the surface. New engines and the addition of various systems that make the Vitara the most advanced Suzuki ever, according to the brand.

The biggest change for the updated Vitara are two new engines. The Vitara now uses the three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit from the Baleno, Swift and S-Cross and the 1.4 four-cylinder previously only available in the Vitara S.

Suzuki say the 1.0 offers the performance of a far larger unit with the economy of smaller one – 53mpg. However, even if that’s the case, the 110bhp 1.0-litre is not the one to go for, especially when it’s paired to the six-speed automatic gearbox.

Out on the road, the engine feels overworked in a lot of everyday scenarios and it makes a hell of a racket while it’s doing it.

On the other hand, the 1.4 is a far better prospect. It is available in the two higher trims SZ-T and SZ5 and is better suited to the larger Vitara. With 138bhp and 162lb/ft, it feels punchy and responsive on the road and its 5mpg deficit over the 1.0 will probably vanish as you’ll have to work it less hard than the smaller engine.

Suzuki is a brand with a lot of heritage in making 4x4s and while the Vitara will mostly be used in urban environments it is available with a solid all-wheel-drive system feature a limited slip differential and selectable drive modes.

In the cabin there have been changes too, in an effort to bring the Vitara more up market. A new instrument cluster brings a digital information display and the top of the dashboard has been coated in new soft-touch materials.

The dash top might be soft touch but the rest of the interior confirms that this is still a car designed to deliver value rather than glitz and glamour. The switches and control look and feel cheap compared to rivals and the styling is function over form.

That’s not a problem at the lower end of the range but at £25,000, the top-ofthe-line SZ5 feels distinctly low-rent compared to other cars in that price bracket. Of course, the Suzuki offers proper four-wheel-drive, an auto transmission and lots of kit for the price so it comes down to buyers’ priorities.

That generous kit includes LED headlights, keyless entry, panoramic sunroof, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control, smartphone connectivity and sat nav as standard.

Even entry level SZ4 models, priced from £16,999, come with auto air con, cruise control, alloy wheels and seven airbags and it’s here the Vitara makes most sense thanks to decent equipment levels and Suzuki’s bomb-proof reputation for reliability.

Once you start heading towards the £25k mark, the classier interiors and more refined running of offerings from Skoda, Nissan and Kia start to make the Vitara a less convincing package.