The Vivacious Vitara

Eat my Dirt

Watch out, Renault Captur, Nissan Juke, Ford EcoSport! There’s a new Japanese kid in town, who’s set on making its competitors tremble in their rubber boots: It’s the new Suzuki Vitara. No, it doesn’t replace the Grand Vitara. The new Vitara is a new-from-the-ground-up compact SUV, whereas the Grand Vitara, as the name says, is its older, established sibling, much grander in size. So is the new Vitara the kind of car for trendy urban dwellers, then?

According to Yukio Sata, Suzuki’s Managing Director, 45 percent of SUV buyers don’t actually care what brand they’re buying, as long as the car looks the part and suits their image. So if compact SUV buyer’s aren’t loyal to a certain brand, and any cool-looking car will do, it leaves a perfect opportunity for any manufacturer who can offer style as well as substance.

Strangely familiar...

Local media flew to George in the Garden Route, to experience the Vitara’s versatility first hand. As the sheet was lifted, there were whispers among the journalists of a rather uncanny resemblance to select members of the Land Rover family. Upon posting a picture on Facebook, one user’s comment was “Oh look! It’s a baby Evoque!”

Dial-a-mode

Well, Evoque or not, the new Vitara has serious sex-appeal, and surprising off-road ability too. It is also priced right. Built on the platform of the Suzuki SX4, there are five, naturally aspirated 1.6 litre Vitaras to pick from, across three specification levels: GL, GL+ and GLX. There’s also a choice of two transmissions, as well as front-wheel or AllGrip all-wheel drive systems. The All-Grip system offers four driving modes via the Drive Mode Select rotary dial : Auto, Sport,Snow and Lock. (Lock mode makes use of a limited slip differential to transfer torque to the wheel with more grip.) Vitara AllGrip variants also have Hill Descent Control. In fact, every variant (even the GL) is as safe as Kanye West at a One Direction concert, and features stability control and 7 airbags, as well as a five-star EuroNCAPrating.

Plus-sized standard spec

We spent the day in the more budget-orientated, front-wheel driven (non-AllGrip) GL+ model, with a buttery five-speed manual gearbox. It is the second least expensive model, yet it offers great value. Its interior is cool, clean, modern, and built to last. Durable, child friendly material covers the comfy seats, and privacy glass in the rear keeps prying eyes (and UV rays) at bay. A nice touch is the trendy analogue clock in the upper part of the dash. A leather steering wheel with satellite controls is standard, and the GL+ has auto climate control. There is plenty of space up front for larger drivers or passengers, with a luggage compartment big enough to fit two golf bags into. (This variant also gains a 12V socket and boot light.) Front fog lights are standard, and so are 16 inch alloy wheels. Fender garnishes are finished in grey. You can also order the GL+ models with a contrasting roof colour.

Cute as well as capable

Technically,  the GL+ is a soft-roader, but boy, did we take it far off the beaten track, and it hardly skipped a beat. Our launch route comprised of quite a few dilapidated dirt roads, and a bumpy ride up to Spitzkop Viewpoint, the highest point above Knysna. On Tripadvisor, visitors all agree that you’d need a 4 x 4 to get up there. But we proved them wrong in our front-wheel driven Vitara GL+! The exact rugged route was done the previous day with another group of journalists, yet there was not a rattle or a squeak to be heard anywhere inside the stylish cabin.

The Vitara is great fun to drive, and its 88kW engine doesn’t feel underpowered, as long as you’re not afraid of shifting down a cog when you need to overtake, or upon traversing the stiff side of a hill. It’s also quite thrifty in the fuel department. We drove mostly in the lower gears and there was a lot of clutch-and-brake action. That said, our trip computer never went over the 7.5 litres per 100 km mark.

What didn’t we like?

Very little. But if we have to name something: The spare wheel is of the Marie Biscuit variety, aka a Space Saver. Not ideal if you’re serious about your off-roading. It does make for a nice large boot, though.

Should you buy one?

The Vitara is light on its feet, direct in its steering, secure in every corner and a magnificent multi-tasker.
It’s the perfect car for someone who is single, or married, lives in the city, on a farm, has kids, has no kids…in a nutshell, it will work for everyone. So the answer is yes! Do go onto the Suzuki website and check out the generous standard specification level on these new babies.

Pricing

1.6 GL 5MT	: R239 900
1.6 GL+ 5MT	: R269 900
1.6 GL+ 5MT AllGrip	: R291 900
1.6 GLX 5MT AllGrip	: R319 900
1.6 GLX 6AT	: R299 900

Retail price includes a 3 year / 60 000 km service plan.