Suzuki Vitara is a front- or all-wheel drive crossover of the subcompact segment, in which expressive design, modern and practical interior, quite tolerable off-road capabilities and a good level of equipment "coexist" quite well ... The car does not have a clearly defined target audience - it will suit young people leading active lifestyle, and married couples, and even elderly people who pay special attention to comfort ...
In 2014, at the Paris Motor Show, Suzuki unveiled "a completely new model with a well-known name" - the Vitara subcompact SUV, which became the serial embodiment of the i-V4 concept presented at the 2013 Frankfurt Bridal Show.
In September 2015, in the same Frankfurt-am-Main, the "sporty" version of the five-door with the letter "S" in the name debuted, which, in addition to minor modifications to the exterior and interior, also received a turbo engine in the engine compartment.
In July 2018, the Japanese brought the "Vitara" to a common denominator, that is, they eliminated the division into basic and "sports" modifications. But the improvements were not limited only to this - the car slightly refreshed externally, having received a modified radiator grille, bumper and lighting equipment, acquired small improvements in the cabin, such as better finishing materials and a modified media center, and also replenished its functionality with new options. In addition, the car was "armed" with a new basic 1.0 Boosterjet turbo engine, which replaced the 1.6-liter "aspirated" engine (though not for Russia).
The world premiere of the restyled SUV took place in early October 2018 at the stands of the International Paris Auto Show, but its sales on the Russian market began only in February 2019.
The appearance of Suzuki Vitara turned out to be attractive, fashionable and not boring at all, and in its features there is some resemblance to the Range Rover Evoque. The lean and dynamic appearance of the car is characterized by a sloping roof, sloping bumpers, widened wheel arches that can accommodate 16-17 inch disks, chopped side lines and thin "blades" of the exterior mirrors.
Of course, the crossover has a nice and modern look, which is not alien to interesting design solutions - an inverted trapezoid of the radiator grill, strict and slightly squinted headlights (optionally with LED low beam), as well as stylish taillights of complex shape. In addition to this, the "trick" of the Suzuki Vitara is the ability to customize the exterior through two-tone body solutions.
The Vitara subcompact crossover is 4175 mm long, its width does not exceed 1775 mm, and its height is 1610 mm. The wheelbase of the car is 2500 mm, the maximum clearance under the bottom is set at 185 mm. This means that the main competitors of the "Japanese" are Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke.
The interior decoration of "New Vitara" meets the usual design - without unnecessary frills, but with excellent ergonomics.
In the center of the front panel is a 7-inch color "TV" in charge of multimedia activities, over which an analog clock gracefully towered between a pair of air ducts. In the lower part of the dashboard, an air conditioning unit with an individual monochrome display is located (in the available versions, a conventional air conditioner is installed). Behind the steering column with a multifunctional "steering wheel" are hidden large "circles" of the speedometer and tachometer, and with them the display of the on-board computer.
The salon of the new "Vitara" does not shine with luxury, although it does not give it away with frank cheapness, for which the merit belongs to good-quality plastics of various textures, which in expensive configurations are diluted with a small amount of leather. You can add “juiciness” to its design with the help of decorative inserts of various colors.
The front seats of the Suzuki Vitara have a comfortable profile, but they lack lateral support. The flat-shaped rear sofa is devoid of a center armrest, but provides the necessary amount of space on all fronts for three passengers.
The volume of the luggage compartment of the crossover in the stowed state is 375 liters, and when the rear seats are transformed with asymmetric parts, it increases to 1120 liters (this results in an almost flat cargo area). There is an additional niche under the raised floor, which gives way to an optional compact "dock".
In the Russian market, the restyled Suzuki Vitara is offered with two four-cylinder petrol engines:
- By default, the crossover is equipped with a 1.6-liter (1586 cubic centimeters) "aspirated" M16A with distributed fuel injection, 16-adaptive timing of the DOHC type and variable valve timing, which generates 120 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 151 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm / minute.
- More efficient versions relies on an aluminum Boosterjet engine with a displacement of 1.4 liters (1373 cm3) with a turbocharger, direct "feed", 16 valves, variable valve timing and a start / stop function, producing 140 hp. at 5500 rpm and 220 Nm of peak potential at 15000-4000 rpm.
Both power units can be combined with a 6-range "automatic", but the basic version is usually assigned a 5-speed "mechanics" in tandem.
Regardless of the installed motor, by default the car has drive wheels of the front axle, and as an option it is equipped with an all-wheel drive transmission AllGrip with an electromagnetic clutch in the drive of the rear wheels and four modes of operation - Auto, Snow, Sport and Lock (in limit values, it can be sent back up to 50% of torque).
From standstill to 100 km / h, the subcompact SUV accelerates in 9.5-13 seconds, and reaches a maximum of 180-200 km / h.
In the combined mode of movement, the five-door consumes from 5.8 to 6.3 liters of fuel for every "hundred" of the run, depending on the modification.
It should be noted that in Europe, instead of the 1.6-liter "four", the car is equipped with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder Boosterjet engine with a turbocharger, direct fuel injection and a 12-valve timing belt that develops 111 hp. and 170 Nm.
"New Vitara" is built on the same platform as the Suzuki New SX4, and due to the wide use of high-strength steels in the body structure, the car turned out to be one of the lightest in the class - its marching weight is from 1075 to 1235 kilograms.
The crossover suspension schemes are as follows: an independent part with MacPherson struts in front and a semi-independent beam in the back. The steering system uses an electric booster, and the brake package is expressed by four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated at the front) with ABS and EBD technologies.
In the Russian market, the restyled Suzuki Vitara is offered in three trim levels to choose from - "GL", "GL +" and "GLX".
An all-terrain vehicle in the basic version with a 1.6-liter engine, "mechanics" and front-wheel drive will cost from 1,179,000 rubles, and for the "automatic" will have to pay another 100,000 rubles. Nominally, the car is equipped with: seven airbags, air conditioning, front power windows, ABS, EBD, ESP, electric and heated mirrors, a four-speaker audio system, heated front seats, 16-inch alloy wheels and some other options.
An all-wheel drive version with a "junior" engine and a 5MKPP costs from 1,459,000 rubles, but you cannot buy it cheaper than 1,519,000 rubles with a 6АКПП (in both cases - the GL + grade). The cost of the "top-end" modification with a "turbo four" and a front-wheel drive transmission starts at 1,609,000 rubles, and with an all-wheel drive - 1,709,000 rubles.
At maximum speed, the crossover has to its credit: a media center with a color touchscreen, fog lights, a rear-view camera, a color screen of an onboard computer, rear power windows, cruise control, combined seat upholstery, light and rain sensors, LED headlights, parking sensors in front and rear, keyless entry and engine start; and 17-inch wheels.
