2024 Suzuki Vitara overview | CarExpert

The fourth-generation Suzuki Vitara has been with us now for nearly 10 years, and it doesn’t look like going anyplace anytime quickly.

This small SUV is now among the many likes of the Mitsubishi ASX because the oldest autos in its phase, although the Hungarian-sourced Suzuki nonetheless has loads to supply.

The Suzuki Vitara Turbo, as examined right here, is fitted with the model’s Boosterjet engine which is obtainable within the likes of the Swift Sport and bigger S-Cross. With 103kW and 220Nm it has loads of grunt to get this 1.2-tonne SUV transferring.

Inside there haven’t been many modifications all through the present Vitara’s time on sale, although most lately Suzuki reverted to utilizing the factory-fitted Bosch-supplied 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It was beforehand becoming a bigger 9.0-inch unit regionally on account of semiconductor shortages.

Abroad there was yet one more facelifted model of the Vitara revealed, and Suzuki Australia has beforehand confirmed it is going to arrived right here within the early phases of 2025. It would additionally regionally debut a hybrid powertrain that has been out there in different markets for years now.

Is the Vitara Turbo nonetheless value contemplating in 2024? Learn alongside to seek out out.

How does the Suzuki Vitara evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Suzuki Vitara in opposition to equally sized autos.

Suzuki

Vitara

How a lot does the Suzuki Vitara value?

On check right here is probably the most inexpensive Vitara variant with the extra highly effective Boosterjet turbocharged engine.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability software.

What’s the Suzuki Vitara like on the within?

When you’re anticipating drastic modifications contained in the Vitara’s cabin for 2024, suppose once more…

This virtually 10-year-old small crossover hasn’t had any main modifications to the inside because it debuted regionally in 2015. Solely minor tweaks that happened with the facelift in 2019 included a brand new color instrument cluster show and the deletion of the cool-looking central analogue clock.

With the present asking value of the Turbo variant on check right here, extra expertise and better high quality supplies are anticipated. Chinese language opponents provide newer and higher-tech interiors for much less.

Positive Suzuki gives the S-Cross, which has a more recent inside and a few plusher touches, nevertheless it’s much more costly than the Vitara. Regardless of this there’s nonetheless nothing objectively fallacious with the Vitara’s inside, it simply is what’s – budget-oriented. It additionally appears and feels old-school now amongst brisker rivals.

Hopping into the Vitara is simple because it has a raised experience peak synonymous with crossover SUVs. That is significantly helpful for these with restricted mobility and don’t need to step down or up too far right into a car.

You get a primary whiff of the Vitara’s budget-oriented finishes because the doorways are tremendous mild to open and shut. It doesn’t really feel like there’s a lot padding within the doorways, which is one thing I’ll develop upon additional within the driving part.

When you’re within the Vitara has a reasonably bare-bones inside for a model new automobile in 2024. Nearly each floor is tough plastic, which doesn’t sit fairly proper with me in a small automobile that prices over $36k drive-away.

In all equity there are squidgy soft-touch textile sections on the door armrests and centre armrest, in addition to a small felt-feeling panel on the entrance doorways.

The motive force’s seat within the Vitara Turbo is mounted excessive which supplies you a perched really feel. It pairs properly with the big home windows and skinny pillars that present glorious all-round visibility. The seat itself is snug for shorter journeys, offering sufficient aspect bolstering and thigh assist to maintain me locked in.

On longer journeys nevertheless my higher again felt unsupported, making me tense my shoulders. As a result of minimal attain adjustment for the steering wheel as properly, I felt I wanted to lean ahead to correctly grasp the wheel.

Talking of the steering wheel, it’s a typical Suzuki unit that hasn’t modified for the lifetime of the current-generation Vitara. Its leather-based wrapping, just like the seat bolsters, doesn’t really really feel like actual leather-based, which is widespread for the phase.

All of the buttons on the steering wheel are logically laid out, although it nonetheless feels just like the voice assistant and name buttons mounted on the left-hand aspect of the steering column are an afterthought.

Forward of the motive force the instrument cluster feels correctly outdated within the age of absolutely digital instrument clusters. In saying that although the analogue dials to your velocity and revs are clear to learn and perceive at a look.

The 4.2-inch color instrument cluster show has various informative pages that may be cycled via. These are good to have however I do want there was one which confirmed a digital speedometer to enrich that correct bodily dial.

Additionally if you activate cruise management the graphic for this takes up a substantial quantity of treasured display actual property.

Transferring throughout Suzuki has reverted to becoming the Vitara vary with a Bosch-sourced and factory-fitted 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

I’ve loads of expertise with this specific infotainment system because it was fitted to my Jimny after I purchased it. After various points, together with intermittent Apple CarPlay connectivity, I lately determined to ditch it and set up an aftermarket Pioneer unit as a substitute and have been loving it ever since.

Regardless of my earlier expertise with my Jimny’s commonplace infotainment system, our Vitara Turbo tester didn’t show any infotainment glitches or smartphone mirroring dropouts in any respect throughout our (notably quick) time with it.

It does take some time for the system in addition up when beginning the automobile, although as soon as it’s on you may leap round from web page to web page simply. Be conscious nevertheless there isn’t an entire heap to the interface – it’s a quite low-tech implementation.

The Vitara solely comes with wired types of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Just like the booting up of the system, it takes some time for the infotainment system to enter the respective smartphone mirroring utility. This may be irritating if it is advisable shortly punch in navigation particulars, for instance, in a rush.

There’s additionally built-in satellite tv for pc navigation which is good to have simply in case it is advisable navigate house and don’t have any telephone service. It’s not probably the most intuitive system to make use of, nevertheless.

Wanting across the cabin there’s no correctly good place to stow my plus-sized telephone when plugged in. I ended up smooshing it forward of the gear lever which felt like the very best spot however virtually get in the way in which of shifting into ‘Park’.

There are additionally two cupholders behind the gear selector. These can maintain espresso cups superb, although bigger bottles battle to suit on account of their sq. form. There are additionally no tooth to securely maintain drinks.

Different storage choices embody a small centre console field for odds and ends, a decently sized glove field, in addition to door pockets with massive areas for bottles.

Transferring to the second row it appears like a fair additional step down when it comes to perceived high quality. There are not any soft-touch supplies in any respect which makes it grim house to spend time.

At a leggy 182cm I discovered leg- and shoulder room to be just a little on the tight aspect, however this isn’t unusual on this measurement of auto. Head- and toe room are okay although.

With the intention to get snug behind my very own driving place I needed to splay my legs on both aspect of the seat in entrance. That is superb for shorter journeys, although on longer journeys this could get very annoying.

Whereas it’s not a really broad automobile, two shorter adults ought to have the opportunity sit at the back of the Vitara comparatively fortunately, although pushing it to a few abreast would trigger for some sad passengers.

The centre seatbelt within the rear can be roof-mounted, that means when it’s in use it could impede rearward visibility.

By way of youngster seat functionality there are the requisite ISOFIX anchor factors on the outboard seats and high tethers on all three rear seats. It’d be very tight becoming a couple of youngster seat on this automobile although.

In addition to the big aspect home windows which assist make the small cabin really feel airier, there aren’t very many facilities within the second row. There are not any rear air vents, USB charging ports, nor centre armrest with cupholders.

You solely get bottle holders within the doorways and a singular map pocket on the rear of the entrance passenger seat.

Out again the tailgate feels very mild and skinny. It’s tremendous simple to shut with one hand which is a profit if you happen to don’t need to put your hand on the paint.

Whereas the second row is just a little on the cramped aspect, the Vitara packs a boot house that’s bigger than various its newer and extra trendy rivals.

There’s even a small hid house below the ground the place you may stow objects out of sight.

At 375 litres with the rear seats upright, it’s not what you’d name enormous, however for the phase it’s a sq. and usable house.

Folding down the 60/40 split-folding rear seats expands the boot house to 1120 litres. Whereas the rear seats don’t fold utterly flat there’s no awkward step up like among the Vitara’s rivals.

Lastly, below the boot ground is a space-saver spare wheel. Whereas this isn’t fairly as helpful as a full-size spare wheel, it’s nice to have if you happen to get a puncture and also you’re in the midst of nowhere.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability software.

What’s below the bonnet?

The Vitara Turbo is provided with the extra highly effective 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder ‘Boosterjet’ engine. Our tester is front-wheel drive, although there may be an all-wheel drive mannequin out there.

It’s value noting on a 80km drive loop together with heavy city, freeway and outer-urban windy roads, I achieved a median of 5.5L/100km, which is fairly nice for this type of automobile.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability software.

How does the Suzuki Vitara drive?

Beginning up the Boosterjet engine involves life quietly, even when it’s chilly. It has a crisp idle sound that isn’t as intrusive as some Mazda or Subaru automobiles, for instance.

Setting off this little crossover feels zippy and peppy. It surges away from a standstill with ease and is keen to stand up to the sign-posted velocity restrict in a good time.

The Vitara Turbo is certainly not a sizzling SUV, however the Boosterjet engine makes this small SUV really feel just a little hotter than you initially suppose. It’s a cracker of an engine and I can see why it’s additionally fitted to the S-Cross, in addition to because the Swift Sport.

As commonplace there’s a six-speed torque-converter computerized transmission that’s arguably fairly low-tech in 2024. It does the job although and doesn’t have a studying curve just like the dual-clutch transmissions which can be fitted to the Vitara’s newer rivals.

The six-speed auto does prefer to shift up gears quite shortly to maintain revs down and minimise gas use. Fortunately the 220Nm of peak torque comes on faucet from simply 1500rpm, that means it could lean into this reserve typically, making a fuss-free driving expertise.

The place this comes undone at factors nevertheless is the transmission can hold on to larger gears for just a little too lengthy, inflicting the automobile to really feel prefer it’s bogging down. After a second or two the transmission does ultimately types itself out and modifications down a gear or two that will help you speed up quicker.

Sadly there are not any sporty drive modes within the Vitara to assist make the revs flare just a little faster. There’s a handbook mode, however then it is advisable use the paddle shifters to vary gears your self.

Round city and within the metropolis the Vitara Turbo feels prefer it’s in its aspect. It’s very mild on its ft, making it a brilliant enjoyable automobile to chuck round in on a regular basis situations. It solely weights 1.2 tonnes so it’s a light-weight for the phase.

The Vitara Turbo’s dynamism is let down nevertheless by it’s steering because it doesn’t really feel like correctly related to what’s really occurring with the wheels. It feels awkwardly heavy on centre after which overly assisted when the wheel is turned a bit additional.

For such a lightweight automobile I additionally wasn’t anticipating the suspension to be so agency and brittle over bumps and pimply metropolitan roads. Many highway imperfections transmit into the cabin which might get tiring fairly shortly.

As I discussed within the inside part, the Vitara has acres of glass which gives loads of outward visibility. You’re additionally simply in a position to place every nook of the car which makes parking a breeze.

As commonplace the Vitara Turbo comes with entrance and rear parking sensors, in addition to a reversing digital camera. The latter doesn’t have the best decision and likewise makes an annoying singular beeping sound each time it’s activated.

Build up velocity the Boosterjet engine doesn’t really feel burdened in any respect. The automobile will fortunately sit alongside at freeway and freeway speeds with revs saved down low. It would additionally solely drop a gear if it actually must.

What turns into extra of a significant component at larger speeds within the Vitara nevertheless is the copious quantities of highway and tyre noise. Contained in the cabin it sounds very tinny, which is probably going a results of the sunshine doorways and minimal padding.

With the intention to negate the roaring highway and tyre noise you may flip the sound system quantity up, however in the end this doesn’t repair the issue.

At larger speeds the suspension additionally doesn’t actually settle, feeling busy virtually on a regular basis. Mid-corner bumps actually upset the automobile too. That is unlucky as a result of it makes longer drives fatiguing.

The Vitara Turbo could be a way more snug automobile to rack up kilometres on the freeway in if it had extra sound deadening and a barely extra compliant suspension tune, because the turbocharged powertrain can positively deal with the duty.

On the protection entrance, the adaptive cruise management system is sweet however not nice. It’s a helpful function that helps cut back how fatiguing freeway driving will be, nevertheless it additionally likes to go away a beneficiant hole between the automobile forward.

There’s additionally a lane departure warning that solely enjoying a chime if you find yourself beginning to drift out of your lane. It doesn’t really present any help to steer you again within the lane like many more moderen rivals.

Additionally of observe, I had one second the place the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system went off falsely. It was on a slim city highway with automobiles parked on either side. This kind of factor occurs often and I’m glad there have been no different transferring automobiles round me.

Lastly, I would like to say the headlights. The Vitara Turbo has LED low beams that are implausible and vibrant, nevertheless the excessive beams are halogen. Sure, you learn that appropriately.

What do you get?

On check right here is the penultimate variant within the present vary, the Vitara Turbo.

Vitara highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• House-saver spare wheel
• Roof rails
• Privateness glass
• Halogen headlights
• Entrance fog lights
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster show
• 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 4-speaker sound system
• Local weather management
• Keyless entry and push-button begin
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Material upholstery

Vitara Beat provides:

• Beat decals
• Smoked bonnet protector
• Entrance and rear climate shields
• Carpet ground mat set

Vitara Shadow provides over the bottom mannequin:

• 17-inch black alloy wheels
• Black entrance bumper and grille inserts
• Black roof spoiler
• Black decals

Vitara Turbo provides over the bottom mannequin:

• 17-inch polished alloy wheels
• Automated LED headlights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Energy-folding aspect mirrors
• 6-speaker sound system
• Leather-based-accented upholstery
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-departure warning
• Adaptive cruise management
• Entrance and rear parking sensors

Is the Suzuki Vitara protected?

As of January 1 2023, the Suzuki Vitara vary is unrated in Australia. Automobiles constructed earlier than January 1 put on a five-star ANCAP security score, based mostly on 2015 exams in opposition to older standards.

It’s value noting that lively security assists weren’t a requirement to get a five-star score when the Vitara was initially examined, as the bottom grade at present does with out options like AEB and lane departure warning.

Normal security options embody:

• 7 airbags incl. driver’s knee
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Brake help
• Digital brake distribution (EBD)
• Digital stability management (ESC)
• Reversing digital camera

Vitara Turbo provides:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane departure warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise management
• Weaving Alert

How a lot does the Suzuki Vitara value to run?

The Suzuki Vitara, like the broader Suzuki vary, is roofed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.

To see how the Suzuki Vitara strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability software.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Suzuki Vitara

The Suzuki Vitara is now one of many oldest autos in its phase, however this small SUV nonetheless proves itself to be a fantastic fuss-free runabout for many who don’t need all of the frills.

The turbocharged Boosterjet engine is an absolute gem and is unquestionably the choose of the lineup. Whereas its outputs don’t appear to be a lot on paper, in follow they get the automobile transferring together with ease.

There’s an all-wheel drive model of the Vitara Turbo out there for an additional $5000, although I’d argue the additional weight doesn’t deliver any tangible added worth apart from safety in slippery conditions. The typical punter additionally probably gained’t actually use the system to its full benefit anyway.

The Vitara Turbo feels finest suited and most at house within the metropolis. Its mild kerb weight makes it a enjoyable automobile to throw round corners, plus the raised seating place and acres of all-round visibility makes it easy to park.

Though the Boosterjet engine can simply deal with freeway and freeway driving, the Vitara makes this tiring with its bumpy and fussy experience, and loud as a result of copious quantities of highway and tyre noise.

On the finish of the day you may have to remember this automobile has clearly been constructed to go well with tighter budgets. Positive there are a few gentle touches within the inside, however just about each different floor is tough plastic.

What isn’t low cost nevertheless concerning the Vitara Turbo is its asking value. At $36,490 drive-away this small SUV goes up in opposition to some actually powerful opponents which can be significantly newer, provide plusher interiors, and have extra refined infotainment and lively security applied sciences.

If that is one thing that doesn’t fear you although the Vitara Turbo is unquestionably an old-school enjoyable small SUV that it’s best to exit and expertise.

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