Key Facts
Model tested: Suzuki Vitara SZ5 Allgrip + Rugged Pack
Price: Vitara range from £13,999; SZ5 Allgrip + Rugged Pack from £20,299; £21,099 as tested
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: all-wheel drive, five-speed manual
Body style: five-door SUV
CO2 emissions: 130g/km (Band D, £0 VED first 12 months, £110 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 50.4mpg
Top speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 12.0 seconds
Power: 120hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 156Nm at 4,400rpm
Our view:
If a carmaker wants to make cash, a compact crossover is the easiest way to do it. Seems like, at the moment, an automotive company could resurrect the Lada Niva Cossack, down to every last Soviet nut and bolt, and as long as it was funkily rebadged they'd do a roaring trade off it.
However, it's perhaps disingenuous to suggest that the motoring public is so easily hoodwinked, as making a product that can actually cut it in such a competitive marketplace is no easy task. Certain firms, without the safety net of a widely varied product offering (like Ford, Volkswagen or Nissan), have to get these small crossovers just right and Suzuki is one such brand. Aside from its ever-popular Swift Sport warm hatch and the SX4 S-Cross, there's really little of motoring interest in this niche Japanese brand outside of its excellent motorcycles; and, worthy as they are, don't say Celerio or Jimny, either.
The Vitara, though, could easily lay claim to being one of the longest-serving SUVs out there. It was first built in 1988 and has been around ever since, plugging away in the UK through three previous generations until we arrive at this, the MkIV. It has a range that starts from a quid less than £14,000, with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol or diesel engines, front- or four-wheel drive (the latter called Allgrip), and manual or automatic transmissions (on the petrol only; the diesel gets a six-speed manual and nothing else).
Trim lines run SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 (why they don't just go 4, 5, 6 is beyond us), with even basic cars getting cruise control, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, climate control, 16-inch alloys and LED daytime running lights among decent standard kit. Our car was a range-topping SZ5 Allgrip petrol manual (five-speed) with the Rugged Pack (skid plate enhancement, body side moulding, loading edge protection and bezels for the front fog lamps) and a two-tone exterior paintjob (£800)... bringing it to £21,099. Which hardly seems cheap for a 120hp/156Nm vehicle.
Approaching the Suzuki for a first appraisal, the exterior is attractive and cleverly designed, in that it's clearly a Suzuki Vitara without being the sort of vehicle that would look good in bright pink with a Fatboy body kit and a couple of copulating rhinos on a spare wheel cover. If that's still what you think of when you hear Vitara, think again. Despite its 1,610mm height and 185mm of ground clearance, it's actually not a huge car, as the Vitara is just 4,175mm long and 1,775mm wide. The signature theme of the Suzuki seems to be a bright body colour - like blue, red or burnished orange - with that black roof and it's a look the car pulls off well, thanks to some angular styling that's never too OTT. The Rugged Pack also gives it some real purpose and takes some weight out of the Vitara's flanks with a black strip along the lower edge of the doors.
And the interior is fine too, or at least it is before you start prodding and poking things. Suzuki has had a good go at making a visually appealing dashboard, although the silver surrounds for the analogue instrument cluster dials look a bit cheap and there's a simplicity to the design that speaks of building to a budget. But it's certainly not offensive... until you start testing for durability by pressing here and there, and then you watch in disbelief as the entire door cards bend, or the roof-lining bows alarmingly around the rear-view mirror. Indeed, on this high-spec model, there's a very flimsy black mesh blind for the panoramic roof. However, there's a lot of room inside, absolutely loads of toys - including adaptive cruise control - and a decent boot, and we just about approve of the cabin. We also like that panoramic roof, because it opens a long, long way back.
On the move, things don't start well for the Vitara. Offering a normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine is a brave move in these turbocharged days and as much as we admire a company for eschewing forced induction, we're not sure it works here. Its meagre 156Nm at 4,400rpm makes for a very busy driving experience if you want to keep up with the flow of traffic, which would be fine were this some sort of dinky hot hatch, but crossover buyers want easily accessible torque and the associated acceleration characteristics that reward the lazy. Therefore, the Suzuki's peaky nature won't easily win it fans.
Nor will the ride, which on first acquaintance seems fidgety and ill-resolved. Maybe it's the 17-inch wheels fitted to this all-singing, all-dancing Vitara but it's hardly what you'd call supple. And the steering is too light, as well, obviously geared towards urban users rather than people who are keen open-road drivers. Which is sensible, but also disappointingly predictable.
And yet, over the course of a week, the Suzuki wormed its way into our affections, without us ever really being able to say quite why. No, actually, we can say - and it's something you discover when digging around in the spec sheets. Despite being fully loaded and featuring all-wheel drive, this crossover registers just 1,160kg on the scales. That's incredible, as it makes it lighter than a Renaultsport Clio or a Ford Fiesta ST. Thus, with its light mass (which probably further accounts for the slightly bouncy ride) it proves to be a surprisingly adept vehicle in the corners, with excellent control of the body and masses of grip from the part-time Allgrip drivetrain. Rev it a little harder and it actually starts to feel quite a peppy little thing, and it's surprisingly fun to drive quickly - so that light steering becomes even more of a frustration.
The net outcome of all of this is that naturally, there are rivals that offer more polished products than the Vitara, not least the Nissan Juke, but the Suzuki is a likeable car that has an unusual USP (for an off-roader) of being a featherweight. You're probably better off opting for the torque-rich diesel model and trying to steer clear of expensive trim lines to keep the Vitara comfortably sub-£20k: something like the 1.6 DDiS SZ-T with Rugged Pack for £18,249, for example, would make a lot of sense. The Suzuki might not be on the class podium, but it's an interesting crossover alternative and the brand's strongest all-round product yet.
Alternatives:
Ford Kuga: not as pretty as its Mk1 forebear and as a more upmarket product than the Vitara is priced accordingly - the Kuga range starts at £20,995. Like any self-respecting Ford, has a great chassis.
Honda HR-V: new boy on the block and has a similar choice of engines to the Suzuki, although there's no four-wheel drive version of the HR-V available. Clever interior, but pricier proposition at £17,995 basic.
Mitsubishi ASX: the Mitsubishi, like the Suzuki, is a crossover that is all too often overlooked in favour of more fashionable machinery. Starts at £15,249 but can easily knock on the door of twenty-five grand, specified to match the Vitara.
