- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
86kW, 156Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2015)
2015 Suzuki Vitara first drive review
Suzuki claims to have re-invented the compact SUV with its fourth-generation Vitara.
That's a bold statement for the Japanese car maker to make in a segment that is one of the most popular – and prolific - in Australia among new car buyers and modern families with choices ranging from chic European city runabouts to genuinely rugged little off-roaders and from high-riding hot hatches to luxury soft roaders.
In reality, after driving the Vitara for the first time on a mix of urban and country roads around Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, it's a statement that is more marketing hyperbole than reality. What the Vitara does do though is re-invent Suzuki as a brand - one that has been under-rated and dismissed for too long in small car categories – and brings an element of fresh styling and personality to its showrooms while building on its foundations of solid engineering quality, reliability and flexible driving dynamics.
The two-model Vitara range starts at $22,990 driveaway for the base-model, front-drive RT-S with a five-speed manual, placing it at the affordable end of the city-sized SUV class. A six-speed automatic costs an additional $2000 on the RT-S but is standard on the range-topping RT-X that commands a sizeable premium at $31,990 (plus on-road costs) and comes equipped with a four-mode all-wheel drive transmission and extras such as a leather and suede interior trim, panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and push-button start and automatic headlights and wipers.
It's difficult to see the value in the RT-X – unless, of course, you need the all-paw traction – as the base-model comes with a decent level of standard equipment already, including seven airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, cruise and climate control and a new-generation 7.0-inch colour touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity, sat nav and a reverse camera.
In either guise, the Vitara looks more modern than other Suzuki models, particularly in the two-tone colour scheme available with its optional bold colour choices, even if it does look a bit awkward from some angles.
The Vitara is slightly smaller in most dimensions than the S-Cross hatch it is based upon with the exception of its increased 185mm ride height. Like the crossover hatch, it uses a monocoque construction rather than the off-road-biased body-on-frame method of its predecessor which allows it to make good use of its packaging by offering generous space within its five-seater cabin with plenty of headroom for all occupants (at least in the RT-S as the sunroof reduces it slightly in the RT-X), decent rear legroom and a generous 375L boot.
At first glance, the overall presentation of the cabin looks colourful and modern with its round air vents, interchangeable body-coloured plastic inserts in the dash and the smartphone-like operation of its multi-media system. Look past the splash of colour though and it's a fairly humble environment with hard plastics adorning most touch points, a simple set of instruments in the binnacle and basic air conditioning controls.
On the flipside, it does feel well built, the seats are comfortable with good lateral support, an assortment of cubby holes for small item storage, there's good adjustment to the driving position and decent vision through the glasshouse. And the touch screen operation is simple to use, has good voice activation control and the reverse camera is crystal clear.
Both models use the same 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder that generates a modest 86kW and 156Nm – numbers that are on-par with lower-end rivals in its class. In the RT-S, Suzuki claims it consumes an average of 5.8L/100km with the manual transmission and 6.0L/100km with the automatic. The extra equipment and all-wheel drive transmission lifts the RT-X's claimed consumption to 6.3L/100km. During our sometimes spirited drive, we recorded just over 7L in the RT-X, which is pretty good in the real world.
In any guise, considering its maximum outputs are produced relatively high in the rev range – with power at its strongest at 6000rpm and maximum torque arriving at 4400rpm - the engine needs to be worked hard to keep the Vitara on the boil, even at a leisurely pace.
The delivery is smooth and it revs cleanly all the way through, but it doesn't feel as zippy away from the lights or as effortless at highway speeds as some rivals, particularly more modern turbo charged or diesel alternatives. The engine is a little raspy under heavy acceleration beyond 3000rpm, but its exhaust note - and road noise - is otherwise well insulated from the cabin at cruising speeds.
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The manual transmission is light and easy to row through the cogs to maintain momentum, while the auto is busy hunting through the gears on inclines and isn't the most refined unit in the way it changes.
As for how it drives, the Vitara has a surprisingly broad depth of dynamic qualities. The suspension is well-sorted with the ability to soak up most bumps in the road without upsetting its occupants or sacrificing its stability at speed. Thanks to its premium European Continental tyres, it can also easily tackle a slippery dirt road with sure-footed security and sits flat through the bends when driven enthusiastically.
The steering is also light enough to manoeuvre around tight spaces in the city yet offers good weight and feedback out on the open road.
In reality, there's little separating the dynamic attributes between RT-S and the RT-X in most everyday environments, particularly considering the engine's lack of oomph hardly overpowers the front tyres in the first place. Suzuki claims the Vitara's all-wheel drive system still offers some genuine off-roading ability, with a permanent 50:50 torque split in its Snow mode, but we didn't get to experience its full capabilities during our preview drive, so will reserve final judgement until we can.
In the end, the Vitara is everything you expect from Suzuki; a competent, well-built, affordable and humble small SUV. And yet it is also everything you don't expect from the Japanese brand; fresh, feature packed and fun to drive.
2015 Suzuki Vitara Price and Specifications
Price: from $22,990 driveaway
On-sale: now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol
Power: 86kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 156Nm at 4400rpm
Transmission: 5-spd manual (RT-S), 6-spd automatic (RT-S and RT-X)
Fuel Use: 5.8L/100km-6.3L/100km