NEW TECH AND A FACELIFT REJUVENATES OLD FAVOURITE
Renowned motoring writer: Gareth Butterfield, tests the latest version of the Suzuki Vitara.
It often feels like the technology behind modern cars is developing at an alarming pace. It's quite refreshing, then, to see a 10-year-old template being brought up to date, because it'll suit buyers who like a bit of familiarity, and don't fancy a gadget-laden Eurobox.
Cue the Suzuki Vitara. It's had a facelift, and there are some more up-to-date touches inside, but they're necessary upgrades rather than a revolution.
And I like that about it. In a world of bulky, heavy, electrified cars with barely any physical buttons and increasingly innocuous styling, here's a car that's stood the test of time and is still selling to loyal Suzuki fans.
While it might look a bit dated compared to its rivals, despite the latest nip and tuck, it's still got some features worth shouting about.
Unlike many small SUVs it's available with proper four-wheel-drive. It's no Land Rover Defender, but it has decent ride height and just the right amount of ruggedness in its light and capable chassis.
It has all the makings of a thoroughly decent, usable modern car too. Its best engine is a 48-volt hybrid system, underpinning a torquey turbocharged petrol engine.
It gives it plenty of shove for pootling around back lanes, and its six-speed manual gearbox is slick and easy to use.
Suzuki's knack of tuning a chassis well is evident in the Vitara, despite its lofty stance.
It drives better than it strictly needs to, and certainly better than some of its more sophisticated rivals. Its lightweight simplicity pays dividends out on the road.
That sophistication you can find in rivals like the Skoda Karoq and Lexus LBX is something to consider, but it's not as if the new Vitara is old hat.
You get a decent amount of equipment for your money, true to form, and all the latest safety tech is bundled in, including the mildly annoying stuff we're now forced to live with.
One of the biggest and most welcome upgrades is a nine-inch touchscreen multimedia system dominating the dashboard.
It's by no means the most modern or intuitive system out there, but it does have wireless smartphone mirroring, which is such a welcome addition. And its shortcomings as a standalone unit are barely worth mentioning, because most people will default to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto anyway.
It's uplifting to see lots of physical buttons, too.
The climate control is all based on a console in the dashboard, and it's all ergonomically sensible, if not exciting.
As with previous Vitaras there's plenty of space inside, visibility is good, and there's a decent 362-litre boot in the mild hybrid version. It's 289 litres in the conventional hybrid.
Running costs are likely to be a strong suit, too. It's easy to achieve and top 50mpg, and a doddle in the full hybrid version. Just bear in mind the Allgrip four-wheel-drive system will perform less well in terms of economy, but it's by no means catastrophic in practice.
Reliability will be excellent, as with all Suzukis, and there's a zero per cent personal finance deal available.
Prices start at a shade under £27,000 - but you do get a lot of standard kit in a Suzuki, which is useful, because you'll find rivals on much more modern platforms for similar money.
And I'd suggest the basic versions of the Vitara will be the better buy, largely for that reason.
As a top-of-the-range megaspec car costing north of £30,000 it makes less sense, but as a family workhorse, for people who might be keen on that off-road capability, it's going to tick a lot of boxes.
There's a refreshing honesty to the Vitara, and it's immensely likable despite and because of the fact it's so unpretentious.
It does feel a little dated now, alongside some of the newly-launched competition, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
It's a sensible choice for sensible people.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gareth Butterfield is a journalist, copywriter and content editor. He's been writing motoring and consumer tech reviews for 14 years, alongside his 18 years covering local and regional news. A contributor to The Mirror and his local Derby Telegraph, he hails from rural Derbyshire and spends the rest of his time on his cars and his dogs.
FACELIFT VITARA: LEARN MORE
"ABILITY BEYOND ITS PRICE" - AUTOCAR
All prices, specifications and offers correct at time of publication. Fuel economy & CO2 results for Mild Hybrid & Full Hybrid (HEV) Vitara range in mpg (l/100km): Combined 57.6 (4.9) to 64.2 (4.4). CO2 emissions: 110 to 99g/km. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load.
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