Overview

The Suzuki Vitara has been around for over three decades now, but down the years it’s morphed from a rough-and-ready miniature 4x4 into a softer-edged family SUV. It still retains much of the same character as its predecessors, though, maintaining Suzuki’s trademark lightweight construction and a range of clever touches that distance it from the rest of its class and lend it a bit of desirability.

Eye-catching looks, a reasonably roomy interior and a well-earned reputation for reliability and longevity means the Vitara has plenty of feathers in its cap to begin with. That it’s available with optional four-wheel drive for a bit of genuine off-road capability is another plus point, and sets it aside from exclusively front-wheel drive rivals such as the Peugeot 2008, Ford Puma, SEAT Arona and Skoda Kamiq.

In fact, the Vitara’s closest rival would seem to be the S-Cross, Suzuki’s other compact SUV, which trades a little style for a better engine lineup and greater practicality.

The current version of the Vitara has been on sale since 2015, replacing the larger Grand Vitara which was more of a Honda CR-V rival. That car was belatedly replaced by the Suzuki Across, a rebadged Toyota RAV4. We’ve tested loads of Vitaras over the years, including a six-month long-term test in 2020. Read about how we test cars at Parkers and come to the conclusions presented here.

Our Suzuki Vitara specs page shows that six trim levels have been available since it was launched, but there are currently just two to choose from – SZ-T and SZ5. Both are extremely well-equipped, especially for cars with a relatively low price tag. SZ-T spec comes with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and adaptive cruise control. SZ5 adds keyless entry and an opening panoramic roof, among other things.

Similarly, the Vitara has been fitted with a broad range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines, but there’s currently just a single option – the 130hp, mild-hybrid 1.4 Boosterjet petrol engine. It comes with a manual gearbox (an automatic was previously available) and either front- or four-wheel-drive.

Underlining Suzuki’s faith in its product, the standard warranty was recently extended to seven years. But the Vitara falls down in a few key areas and that means it has a tough task competing against its mostly European rivals. Apparent interior quality, on-road handling and the strength of some of the powertrains are all factors at play here.

Over the next few pages, we’ll go into detail on the Vitara’s practicality, interior, running costs and engines before scoring them final verdict on the car.