Suzuki Vitara

Overview

The Suzuki Vitara has been one of the most significant launches by the Japanese carmaker in recent times, for the fact that it is an all-new take on the brimming compact SUV segment from Suzuki in all these years. With a promise to have practicality and desirability at equal levels, the Suzuki Vitara is available in a single petrol engine option and five different variants.

Interior & Features

The Suzuki Vitara carries the sense of soberness on the inside as well, as it looks decent enough to make it look up to date, if not extraordinarily great.

The large three-spoke steering wheel has controls for audio, Bluetooth, and cruise, and it looks okay, which can be said for the normal-looking instrument console as well. The color-coded theme for the dashboard middle panel looks cool on the otherwise all-black cabin. The round-shaped analog clock placed in between the circular AC vents is a nice touch too.

The centre console has a clean design, with a 2-DIN music system and automatic climate control housing below it. While it looks smart, a touchscreen infotainment system would have been appreciated in this day and age.

Where the Suzuki Vitara clearly excels is the generous amount of space it offers. While the seats are incredibly supportive and comfortable, the seats have enough amount of legroom, knee room, head room and shoulder room for all five passengers. Even the boot space is class-leading, which makes it the most spacious SUV in its category.

Exterior

With clean lines and conventional design, Suzuki has followed a safe approach while crafting the exterior design of the Vitara. While it looks decent and smart, it does lack the road presence and modernity of a new age SUV, and it could have been a bit better in this perspective.

The Suzuki Vitara has a flat design when viewed upfront, with a simple trapezoidal grille that comes with two thick chrome slats there. The trapezoidal headlamps complete this wide looking front fascia, along with around fog lamps and vertical daytime running LEDs stacked beside them. The large hexagonal skid plate in the front bumper does give the Vitara an identity of its own, though.

The side profile, in our opinion, is a bit too simple and old school. While the boxy design, the large windows, and cladding around wheel arches and bottom portion of doors do give it an SUV-ish trait, the lack of any prominent character line or curve does make it look a bit bland.

At the rear too, the Suzuki Vitara looks safe and simple with a large windshield, kinked tail lamps and a clean design for the boot lid. However, like the front, the rear too has a smartly designed skid plate. 

Ride & Handling

For an SUV, the Suzuki Vitara handles really well, while the soft suspension setup makes up for a great ride quality in all the conditions. The monocoque frame makes minimal body roll, which makes it a dynamic SUV to drive. At the same time, the AllGrip all-wheel-drive system has the ability to take the Vitara out of any kind of harsh situation with ease.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Globally, the Suzuki Vitara is available with a host of engines. However, the sole engine for the UAE market is the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which in the Vitara, produces a maximum power output of 117 PS and a peak torque output of 156 Nm. The engine is available with both the options of a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter.

Braking & Safety

The Suzuki Vitara has all the important safety features onboard, which one expects from a midsize SUV of its price, such as front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, electronic stability program, hill hold assist, tire pressure monitoring system, brake assist, hill descent control, and front and rear parking sensors. 

Verdict

In terms of practicality, the Suzuki Vitara has great levels of excellence with a very spacious cabin, decent on-road manners and supple ride quality. However, with a slightly flashier design in and out and a slightly longer feature setlist would have made it much more desirable than it is now.