Each year, motoring scribes are usually offered a vehicle to use during the festive period. I have been privileged to have celebrated seven festive seasons with a press vehicle as my companion and during my eighth I have a Suzuki Vitara helping me bring 2021 in on a positive note.
The vehicles chosen for the December period are usually for a specific purpose or to satisfy a specific need. My requirements this year were simple, an automatic gearbox, something that is light on fuel and relatively spacious. Enter the Vitara, which aside from its rather polarising colour, ticks the above boxes.
The crossover segment is booming at the moment as many consumers trade their sedans and hatchbacks in for the promise of raised ride height and the perception of more usable space. The Vitara is the right vehicle type for current automotive trends but it was in dire need of an update, which it received in 2019 with the long-awaited-introduction of the BoosterJet engine.
Styling
Updates made to the Vitara from a cosmetic perspective include a trapezoidal-shaped lower front intake, new LED headlamps and taillights, LED daytime running lights and two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels. Overall, the Vitara’s looks appear to be well accepted. I surmised this after I conducted an admittedly anecdotal vox populi with regards to its styling at a recent trip to my local shopping centre.
The updated styling aside, the press car is finished in a new colour called Solar Yellow and features a contrasting black roof which is not my favourite combination. Luckily, this is one of eight exterior colours available on a Vitara, six of which feature the contrasting black roof.
Interior and space
The interior is where the Vitara is perhaps less appealing and is showing its age. There is liberal use of cheap-looking plastics which in more budget-friendly products is acceptable, however, the Vitara is not exactly cheap. The addition of a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system shared with the likes of the Jimny adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality and a reverse camera to the package. The infotainment system does liven up the interior quite a bit, as do the seats, which have a leather outer and a suede inner.
Interior space, while not class-leading, is respectable, with taller occupants reporting a good deal of head and legroom when seated in the second row. There is a relatively large boot too, with a flat loading bay, making the loading of heavier items easier while the standard 375-litres of boot space can increase to 1 120-litres with the rear seats folded flat.
Related: Suzuki Vitara GL+
Performance and driving impression
The most important update within the Vitara range has been the introduction of the brand’s 1.4-litre turbocharged BoosterJet engine. I once had a Vitara for three months as a long-termer. That model was equipped with a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, which allows me to say with confidence that the new engine has transformed this product.
The new turbocharged unit produces 103 kW and 220 Nm of torque and is available with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox. The press car is fitted with the latter, which works well with the turbocharged engine, allowing for a sub-10-second 0-100km/h and impressive in-gear acceleration. I am surprised at how well the car performs, with the torque easily overwhelming the front tyres if you are too liberal with your right foot. There are steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles, but I found that leaving the car to its own devices works best.
I found that the Vitara feels most at home in an urban environment, cruising at low speeds with very little effort. Out on the open road, it provides enough poke but could provide better levels of refinement and sound insulation considering its price tag. From a handling perspective, despite sharing its powertrain with a Swift Sport, the Vitara is a rather blunt device, which is to be expected from a compact crossover aimed at young families, not a budding boy or girl racer.
Despite featuring a respectable 185mm of ground clearance, there is no four-wheel drive model equipped with the turbocharged engine available. There is an AllGrip variant in the range, but it comes with an asthmatic 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine. This means that the turbo model is best used for road driving with the occasional gravel or dirt road thrown in.
Safety
In 2015, the Vitara range was subjected to the new car assessment programme run by EuroNCAP. It performed well during its crash test, scoring a 5-star rating which included 89% for adult occupant safety, 85% for child occupants, 76% for pedestrian safety and 75% for its safety assist systems.
Fuel economy
At the time of writing, I had spent a couple of weeks with the Vitara, exposing it to a mixed cycle in terms of driving environments. My fuel consumption after two tanks of fuel read 7.0 L/100km, which is not too far from the 5.9L/100km claim and is sure to go down with some more open road driving.
Pricing
Being the flagship within the range, the GLX auto certainly is not cheap at R426 900, however, it is rather well specified, and the addition of that engine has transformed the Vitara into something competitive within its segment.
Verdict
The Vitara has proven to be a charming companion to take on the busy festive period in. The 1.4-litre turbocharged engine has transformed this car, endowing it with good overtaking ability, respectable fuel consumption and general usability that makes it a pleasure to pilot daily.
There are certainly more modern entrants within this segment, but the Vitara's recent update at least brings it in line with key rivals from an infotainment and powertrain perspective. If you are shopping within this segment and all-wheel drive is not a requirement, the Vitara should certainly be on your list of scheduled test drives.
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