The all-new Vitara is a very likeable left-field mid-size soft-roader with plenty of substance to back up the style.
The old Grand Vitara has been drawing its pension for years, so it’s no surprise that its replacement, the road-biased Vitara (no ‘Grand’ this time) is light years ahead. It gets a new chassis and is a similar size to Suzuki’s own SX4 S-Cross, but is shorter, wider and taller.
There’s also a new part-time four-wheel drive system, a whole bunch of luxury features including a reversing camera, a panoramic sliding sunroof and climate control, and it’s not set to be particularly expensive, either.
It’s style and chunkiness suit it to a tee. If you saw its silhouette alone you’d think it was a proper 4×4, but see it in full daylight and it’s clear there’s more ‘lifestyle’ than ‘life in the wilderness’ about the new Vitara.
Suzuki has an enduring image in the UK as a maker of off-roaders; a factor the firm wants to use to its advantage. Brits’ desire for cars with all-road ability, without being as fuel-thirsty as an old-school off-roader or as compromised on the road, is only getting stronger. Suzuki hopes the Vitara has arrived at the right time.
What’s more, the interior is for the first time customisable, with different coloured trim inserts and even an option to have the classy central analogue clock using Kanji Japanese symbols instead of nondescript dashes.
While it shares basic chassis components with the SX4 S-Cross, the Vitara has its own character. It sacrifices boot space and some rear legroom, but adds width, so three kids will fit more comfortably across the rear bench seat.
The front seats may as well have been ripped out of the VIP lounge on a flagship cruise liner. There’s so much space up front that you’d be mad to want more, although the longer-legged will find themselves pushing their seats back to a point that cuts rear legroom.
This is not a small SUV, but even so, it’s a pleasant surprise to slot in and find yourself so high up above the road. There’s loads of adjustment in the driving position, too – more than you’ll find almost anywhere else – so you can get instantly comfortable on your own terms.
The diesel engine is strong and linear, if a little coarse at times. It picks up well even from low revs and drags the Vitara’s modest weight out of corners with gusto. Its slightly squarer footprint next to the S-Cross makes it feel slightly nimbler, but the steering calibration on the pre-production car we drove seemed too light and vague.
Minimal wind noise afflicts the front end, although annoying road noise on rough surfaces is inescapable. Overall, though, the Vitara is a very pleasant thing to drive.
With final UK prices set to be confirmed exactly, all we know is that this will be about one trim level cheaper than the slightly larger S-Cross, or something like £1,000 less for a like-for-like trim grade. That seems like a truly mighty bargain, although you’ll have to factor in some money for metallic paint.
Suzuki’s mission is to launch two cars in the sub-small, small and compact categories, and the Vitara is the second of the latter. One of each market sector’s cars will be the practical choice and the other will appeal to the heart. Again, the Vitara is the latter.
People with less need for outright boot space and more desire for style and colour without sacrificing all-weather driving stability will love it.
Facts & figures
Model: Suzuki Vitara 1.6 DDiS SZ5
Price: From circa £20,000 (TBC)
Engine: 1.6-litre diesel producing 118bhp and 236lb/ft
Performance: Top speed circa 105mph, 0-62mph in circa 13 seconds (TBC)
Fuel economy: circa 68mpg (TBC)
Emissions: 106g/km (target)