Compact with stylish design

Suzuki says the arrival of the mild hybrid version of its Vitara broadens the appeal of what’s already a highly successful global compact car.

The three-door first-generation Vitara hatchback in 1988 heralded a new breed of small, affordable SUVs. It soon became popular with its body design and four-wheel-drive functionality.

Today’s more advanced fourth generation still embodies the marque’s ideas for producing vehicles appropriate to market conditions. It follows the sho-sho-kei-tan-bi philosophy, which is Japanese for smaller, fewer, lighter, shorter and neater.

In New Zealand, Suzuki hit the number-one spot for new car and SUV sales in February. While rivals may be bigger, have more tech and may cost more, the brand is cornering much of the small car market.

The new Vitara Turbo Hybrid strikes the middle ground rather than an expensive leap into pure electric vehicles (EVs). Yet Suzuki is still spending billions of dollars on a five-year “electrification” based research and development programme, which will result in several inexpensive and value-for-money pure EVs.

Gary Collins, general manager of automobile for Suzuki NZ, says: “Right from launch, the current Vitara has earned acclaim for being a stylish design with compact, easy-to-manage dimensions, comfortable on-road performance and competent off-road capability.

“The Vitara Hybrid reflects Suzuki’s desire to offer a compact, affordable SUV that’s well-suited to the lifestyles and demands of the times. The move to a self-charging hybrid enhances all the aspects of the vehicle that has made it so popular while also reducing emissions and fuel consumption.”

The hybrid boasts a solid body design with rugged looks. Its grille lines up perfectly with the headlights and the “clamshell” bonnet – a hallmark of previous Vitaras – has been retained.

Then there’s the sharp shoulder line and angular bulge over the rear-wheel arch, gently sloping roof line and good all-round visibility. 

Kicked-up body side character lines and bonnet-side air outlets form motifs from the first iteration, while shoulder lines run the full length of the body. Optimally designed bumper openings, flat underbody surfaces aid aerodynamics, and the shaping of the door mirrors and front bumper edges have been based on airflow analysis.

Suzuki has widened the model’s market by offering two-wheel drive as well as the all-wheel-drive ALLGRIP version with four selectable modes consisting of auto, snow, sport and lock. 

The SUV boasts a high-body configuration and good ground clearance. In the case of the ALLGRIP, there are generous 18.2-degree approach and a 28.2-degree departure angles. 

The Vitara’s CO2 emissions levels are low thanks to clever engineering, including the use of high-tensile steel and other weight-saving measures in the body. It’s one of the lightest SUVs in its class, although the hybrid weighs around 100kg more than equivalent non-hybrid variants.

New Zealand market Vitaras are built at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary where more than 3.6 million Suzukis have been made since 1991.