Suzuki’s Vitara has been a steady seller, rather than sales-charts rocket ship, since its introduction here in 2015. But that has changed as Suzuki’s sales profile has taken off like a space shuttle in the past 12 months or so. Close to 3 000 units have been sold in South Africa to date, and those who have experienced the Vitara will know what a solid package it is.
The cross-over Suzuki model has excellent rough-road capability to go with its solid on-road feel. Performance from the base models’ 1,6-lite naturally-aspirated engine is in fact much more sprightly than its stated 86 kW would suggest. This is attributed to Suzuki’s recipe of keeping body weight well down. The Vitara 1.6 GL has an un-laden kerb weight of just 1 075 kg, which is light compared to its competitors.
Different transmissions for the 1.6 models
The entry-level 1.6 models, the GL and GL+, have 5-speed manual gearboxes driving the front wheels. The GL+ also comes with 6-speed automatic transmission. The 1.6 GLX AllGrip comes with all-wheel-drive and a 5-speed manual gearbox. And the top-trim 1.6 GLX model is only available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
Apart from the low body mass, another key to the Vitara’s relatively strong performance and excellent fuel economy, is that the gear ratios are very well matched to the engine’s power and torque figures.
Facelifted in early 2019
The early-2019 facelift introduced a big upgrade to the interior that saw the introduction of contemporary infotainment systems, as well as some really attractive exterior styling features such as a bold new grille, vertical LED daytime running lights and some funky new wheel designs.
Turbo model introduced in manual and automatic versions
A big boost for the overall Vitara image came later in 2019 with the introduction of the 1.4 T models, which feature a 103 kW turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. This model enjoys the GLX trim and is available in both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic models.
It is also interesting that Suzuki retained its 1.6 GLX AllGrip model in the line-up. This naturally-aspirated model features all-wheel-drive, while all the other models in the Vitara range are front-wheel-drive models.
Fuel economy winners
In November 2019, the Vitara range was given serious street-cred by its class-winning performances in the Wesbank SA Fuel Economy Tour. The Vitara 1.6 GL recorded an overall consumption figure for the 2 000 km tour of 5,8 litres/100 km, while the Vitara 1.4T beat this with a figure of 5,34 litres/100 km!
This performance merely confirmed our own impressions of Vitara economy gleaned through road tests over the years. And in fact all Suzukis (apart from the recently discontinued Grand Vitara, which was a bit of a guzzler) are noted for their excellent fuel economy in real-world driving, where easily-attained fuel figures come very close to matching the manufacturer’s claimed figures.
The range
The current Vitara range is as follows, with pricing included
| 1.6 GL 5-speed Manual | R302 900 |
| 1.6 GL + 5-speed Manual | R342 900 |
| 1.6 GL+ 6-speed Automatic | R362 900 |
| 1.6 GLX 6-speed Automatic | R392 900 |
| 1.4T GLX 6-speed Manual | R396 900 |
| 1.6 GLX AllGrip 5-speed Manual | R399 900 |
| 1.4T GLX 6-speed Automatic | R416 900 |
Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.
Which model retains its value best?
In calculating which model will retain its value best, we investigated which model derivative sells best off the new car floor. Suzuki reports that the most popular model by far is the Vitara 1.6 GL + 6-speed automatic.
Used car buying trends follow those of new cars, so the most pre-owned demand will be for the 1.6 GL+ Automatic. And this will be the model that retains its value best. Second best on the value retention list will be the 1.6 GL+ Manual, followed by the GLX Automatic. The entry-level 1.6 GL has so far only garnered a small percentage of overall Vitara sales, and the AllGrip model also has only a specialised appeal.
The 1.4 Turbo models are much more specialist buys and there haven’t been big sales volumes for these models. But they are likely to retain their values well, as they offer excellent performance and a great driving experience amongst a more performance-orientated group.
AutoTrader currently lists over 100 New and Used Suzuki Vitara models for sale.
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