Suzuki Vitara: A lot of car for your money – but this full hybrid is crying out for a bit of flair

Published on 14 January, 2023

Overview

Sometimes a car just eludes me. That was the case with the full-hybrid Suzuki Vitara compact crossover. I’d driven it briefly at its Irish launch but neglected to follow up, as promised, with a full road test. My apologies. I’m fulfilling that promise now.

Given that it is the start of the year maybe it is no bad thing to bring the good and the bad of the Vitara to your attention.

As I saw it back then and as I see it now, the car needed two core elements to get itself on to your shopping-list radar. Bear in mind that the list of alternative cars is bulging, with rivals pulling out all the stops on powertrains, design, price and performance.

Those rivals include the likes of the Renault Captur, the Hyundai Kona and, of course, the Dacia Duster.

How my delight at finding a parking spot turned to dismay

Yes, the Vitara name is synonymous with reliability and finely tuned tech. But that’s not necessarily enough these days.

The first must-do was to overhaul a frumpy interior. That was partly addressed quite some time back but it needs another spate of up-styling. It looks a bit better but that is damning it with faint praise.

My front-seat passenger on the way back from the airport the other night said it looked “tired”. He was correct. It is still a bit dated and not helped by the small 7in infotainment flat screen and its old graphics.

Materials (plastics) on the dash and around the lower regions of the cabin are not exactly endearing.

However, some rivals might take a lesson on how to make tactile buttons (in this case on the steering wheel) work so well.

The second major input needed was serious ‘electrification’ for this day and age. It now has a full hybrid – as opposed to a negligibly relevant mild hybrid that preceded it.

The full hybrid has a new 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 33hp electric motor fed by a 0.84kWh battery. And it uses a 6spd automatic transmission. So that’s the backdrop against which I’ll run the rule over some of the more critical bits and pieces.

It doesn’t stand out on looks though it is quite tall. Its height left it a bit prone to crosswinds on the M50. But I was glad of the height for the excellent view I had from my driver’s seat.

Not too many cars offer as much scope to adjust height and reach of the steering wheel.

That, and decent adjustment on the seat, gave me a perfect vantage point. It helped in parking too.

Whatever about the decor, there was plenty of space in the cabin, front and rear and there’s a reasonable enough boot (removable double-height). Even with a large sunroof, headroom at the rear was not noticeably restricted.

The hybrid system isn’t the most powerful of its kind because the battery is of such modest proportions.

But the little display on the info screen showed my car travelled moderate distances on electric power only, particularly when I lifted my foot off the accelerator. Nothing to write home about but central to the whole idea of saving on fuel.

I reckon I got around 6.3litres/km. The combined official figure is 5.9 – not bad at all. The engine responded well when pushed but was a little bit on the harsh side sometimes.

As I said, the new hybrid version uses a 6spd automatic transmission. It was all right in its own way but I noticed it was a bit clunky when it was changing up the gears, especially 2nd and 3rd. It’s an area that could certainly could do with improvement.

Given the wintry season that is in it, you might be interested in the AllGrip system which bestows the blessings of all-wheel-drive without the need to add mechanical weight.

It is a simple but hugely effective concept.

It works by quickly applying the brake to the slipping wheel while focusing drive power on the opposite wheel, and using traction control to limit the loss of engine pulling power.

It has been around a while but it was great to be reacquainted with it. The first time I used the system was way back with Peugeot. I think it’s worth having, if you can; for the sake of a few extra euro you get a lot of grip and stability.

Finally, what the Vitara trails on looks, dynamics and out-dated dash, it largely makes up for with a high level of equipment at a decent price.

My test car had adaptive cruise control, for example.

The one thing you can say about this Vitara – and indeed most Suzukis –  is how well engineered they are (all the more so given that some, such as the Swace estate, are rebadged Toyotas).

So all in all this car that eluded me is a bit of a mixed bag.

There is a lot of car there; it’s just crying out for a bit of flair and modernity to lift it.

Factfile

Suzuki Vitara hybrid, 1.5litre, 115PS, petrol, 132g/km, road tax €210. From €33,140. AllGrip 4-wheel drive system; Hill-hold control. ISOFIX child seat anchorages, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking camera, parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, electric windows, keyless entry, gear shift paddles, auto air con/headlamps, folding door mirrors, panoramic sunroof, removable double height luggage area floor, DAB digital radio, navigation system, 17in alloys, wheel arch extensions, roof rails

How my delight at finding a parking spot turned to dismay