Introduction
What Car? says...
There are plenty of very sensible things to say about the Suzuki Vitara: it’s designed to be affordable, practical, easy to live with and so on. We know that doesn’t sound all that exciting, but the Vitara is no boring box on wheels
It’s a cracking small SUV with a big boot, low running costs and generous standard equipment, plus competitive savings available off the list price and on finance deals. What’s more, to keep up with ever-improving competition, the Vitara now comes with two or four-wheel drive and either a manual or automatic gearbox.
Read on over the next few pages of this Suzuki Vitara review for everything you need to know, including what the handling is like, how comfortable your passengers will be, how much you can fit in the boot and how much it will cost to run. We'll also tell you which trim we think is best and, of course, how it compares with those rivals.
Remember, when you buy a new vehicle of any make and model, you can potentially save thousands of pounds by checking out the free What Car? New Car Buying pages, which have lots of impressive savings and a tempting selection of Suzuki Vitara deals.
FAQs
Yes. The Suzuki Vitara finished in the top half of the table for small SUVs in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey with a respectable 97.1% rating. It was in ninth place, ahead of the Mini Countryman and Volkswagen T-Roc but behind the Honda HR-V and Citroën C3 Aircross. As a brand, Suzuki finished joint third (with Hyundai) out of 30 car makers, also scoring 97.1%. Read more here
The Suzuki Vitara is not available as an electric car but it is available as a mild hybrid (MHEV) or regular hybrid (HEV). The MHEV has a petrol engine and a small electric motor, delivering a combined 127bhp, but cannot run on electric power alone. The HEV also has an engine and electric motor, and can travel short distances on the motor alone, although it has less power overall (113bhp). Read more here
One of the main strengths of the Suzuki Vitara is its excellent value for money, so it follows that we recommend the cheapest engine and trim. The 127bhp 1.4-litre mild hybrid (MHEV) is surprisingly zippy around town and officially returns up to 49.7mpg, while entry-level SZ-T versions come with all the amenities you need. Read more here
The Suzuki Vitara in SZ-5 trim costs more than the SZ-T version. For your money, you get a variety of upmarket touches, including suede upholstery, an analogue clock, front and rear parking sensors, and keyless entry. We don’t think the SZ-5 is worth the extra cost, and it also has a panoramic sunroof that restricts rear passenger head room. Read more here
The Suzuki Vitara was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating by the independent experts at Euro NCAP when it was tested in 2015, but the rating has since expired. The Vitara comes with lots of safety equipment as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring. Read more here
The Suzuki Vitara has 362 litres of boot space – enough for five carry-on suitcases in our tests – if you go for the mild hybrid engine. The regular hybrid version has a smaller boot, with 289 litres, because the larger battery steals some of the storage space. For a bigger boot, try the Citroën C3 Aircross, the Ford Puma and the Skoda Kamiq. Read more here
| RRP price range | £23,249 - £30,399 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 4 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 2 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | petrol, hybrid |
| MPG range across all versions | 47.8 - 54.3 |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £1,288 / £1,809 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £2,575 / £3,617 |
| Available colours |
