Small SUV, big value
The Suzuki Vitara is a popular choice in the small SUV segment and it has just been given a refresh for 2019, writes Damien O'carroll.
Both Suzuki Vitaras turned 30 years old last year. Wait, both? Yeah, the current Vitara and the Grand Vitara sort of split off from the same line in a messy way. The Grand Vitara carries on with the ladder chassis history of the original and the vehicle we now call the Vitara shares a monocoque platform with the S-cross.
But it was only the latter that got a facelift for its birthday that included a new front and a whole load of new safety gear for good measure.
So this isn’t really a proper Vitara is it?
It depends what you consider ‘‘proper’’ – is it a rugged ladder chassis part-time 4WD? No. Does it have the associated crude ride and poor on-road handling properties? Thankfully, also no.
Nope, this is a modern, comfortable small crossover SUV, which was a direction Suzuki always had to take the Vitara if the company ever hoped to sell any.
This particular example will enrage hardcore purists even further by not even being AWD, truly surrendering everything the Vitara used to stand for in favour of fashion over function.
Well, guess what? It’s way better for it, too.
It says that the engine is only 1.4-litres. Surely that is a typo?
Nope – the Vitara Turbo is powered by Suzuki’s thoroughly excellent, but stupidly-named 1373cc Boosterjet turbo engine, and it does a brilliant job of hauling the little crossover around.
While 103kw of power isn’t massive, the Boosterjet’s secret lies at 1500rpm, which is where the little turbo engine’s full 220Nm of torque kicks in and then proceeds to hang around right up to 4000rpm, making the engine brilliantly flexible and well-suited to the Vitara.
This is also down to the fact that, even by its segment’s diminutive standards, the Vitara is a relative featherweight, with the 2WD Turbo tipping the scales at just 1120kg, putting it around 100 to 150kg lighter than others in its class (And, in a couple of cases, 200kg lighter).
Around town the Vitara is a superbly comfortable little commuter that is small enough to squeeze into the tightest parking space with ease.
The ride is impressively refined and it gets even better out on the open road.
The punchy mid-range of the engine is as suited to open road
cruising as it is to around-town duties and its handling also tells a tale of its low weight, being nicely responsive and accurate.
The steering is somewhat distant and uninvolving and it does quickly default to understeer when things get aggressive, but it is very predictable and capable.
Or, in other words, exactly what you would want from a small, tall car.
So, other than the face, what else is new with it?
The Vitara Turbo now gets Suzuki’s full suite of safety and driver assists, including lane departure warning, weaving alert, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a reversing camera and the company’s Dual Sensor Brake Support collision avoidance system with emergency autonomous braking.
It is a remarkably comprehensive and effective system, particularly from a small manufacturer, with the adaptive cruise control working particularly well.
The Turbo is also comprehensively jammed full of standard equipment, making it impressively well equipped for the money.
Seriously though: what’s up with that colour?
While the Vitara looks great in its two-tone colour option (that adds a black roof and $800 to the price), the unsettlingly bright metallic gold our test car came in was not something we would go for.
It’s not helped by the unnecessary amounts of chrome slathered around the nose of the Vitara – while we could live with the grille slats, the accents under the DRLS are a blingy bridge too far.
But Suzuki does offer a surprisingly wide range of customisation options for the Vitara, including colour and matt black alternatives for the grille and DRL accents, as well as a number of other exterior and interior accents, meaning your Vitara can be as restrained or wildly tasteless as you want and is one of the most customisable things in its segment.
Other cars to consider?
There is no shortage of competitors in the small SUV segment, with things like the Mazda3, Hyundai Kona, Holden Trax, Honda HR-V, Mitsubishi ASX and Toyota C-HR all fitting in there.
Then there are the Euro options like the excellent Seat Arona, Skoda Karoq and, if you want to spend an excitingly larger amount of money, the Volkswagen T-roc.
And, of course, the Citroen C3 Aircross has recently landed at roughly the same money as the Vitara and offers almost as many customisation options and those looks. Depending on whether you consider those looks brilliant or awful will make your choice for you there, of course.