Fun for all the family

The S is a new rangetopping trim grade for Suzuki’s excellent little Vitara. Bigger than a small crossover and smaller than a big one, it sits in a real sweet spot in the size stakes. The company is positioning the S as a sportier-looking model with a new engine, which, for now, is exclusive to the model.

At just 1.4 litres, the new BoosterJet engine has, as you’ve probably already worked out, a turbo. No jets, though, sadly. It’s a small turbo for faster responses, which is better for real-world everyday driving. There’s far more torque at low and medium revs than you’ll find in the normally-aspirated petrol 1.6.

Look closely and you’ll see a different front grille, black alloy wheels, black detailing around the fog lights and a neat little roof spoiler.

The Vitara range is obviously getting something right, because it’s selling like hot cakes and anecdotal evidence suggests people are seeing lots of them around. The S is a model differentiated by its extra style – and its extra turn of pace.

A375-litre boot is smaller than the one at the back of the larger S-Cross, but in practice the difference is less significant than you might think, and the stacking height makes a big difference versus, say, an estate car. A chunky folding pushchair will go in easily, withroomontop for extras. There’s a neat twin-level boot floor, and every door can hold a large drinks bottle.

Climb i n, push t he starter button and pull away. You’ll notice several things in quick succession. First is how well-weighted the clutch is, allowing for precise control. Second is howthenewBoosterJetengine is clearly tuned to give most of its impressive thrust with only a light press of the accelerator. Give it a squeeze and off you’ll rocket. You’ll also notice that the gear lever moves with real precision through the six ratios, even if the motion is a touch heavier than average on this all-but new car.

The increase in torque makes a huge difference to the Vitara’s get-up-and-go. From around 3,000rpm it pulls like a ( miniature) train, but below that there’s still a marked improvement over the 1.6. The drawback is that this extra performance doesn’t come without a cost in petrol. Drive it gently (if you can) and it should at least match the 1.6.