New SUV vehicles seem to be the order of the day, and it seems the extra flush seems to be coming from the compact SUV niche of vehicles.  Even though, over the last decade, you have been able to get yourself a small compact SUV, the offerings have been somewhat tame and a little cheap to drive.  The current new offerings have had a lift in their quality and presentation, so Suzuki has had to keep things modern and stylish to keep its new Vitara at the head of the pack.  The 2015 Suzuki Vitara now has to compete with Mazda’s very good CX-3, Honda’s new HR-V and, of course, Toyota’s ever present RAV4.

Incredibly, Suzuki provides the new compact SUV with a price tag well below other manufacturer varieties.  At around $23-26k, you have yourself a small SUV with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a 1.6-litre petrol engine with VVT, multimedia satellite navigation, a reverse camera, seven airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD and BA, 5.8 litres/10 km fuel efficiency, digital climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels and daytime running lights.  That’s quite a lot of useful features for the price, making it a very competitive option.  So what’s the 2015 Suzuki Vitara like to live with?  Let’s take a closer look.

Sharp new styling and a brand new unibody design does create a few talking points for the new Vitara.  It actually shares a platform with the S-Cross but actually is around 100 mm less in length and wheelbase, so we really are talking compact in terms of an SUV. One of the other noticeable features for the new model Vitara over the outgoing Vitara is that the roof line is also lower.  A nicely beefed up nose gives a solid look to the Vitara, and minimal overhangs ensure that when you head off the beaten track, you’ll still have some capable traction.  A handy feature for the latest Vitara is that it is capable of towing a 1200 kg braked trailer.  The 2015 Vitara boasts on-demand AWD, similar to the S-Cross, where this system sends the power through to the rear wheels when further traction is required.

Inside you’ll find good space in the rear seats for two adults, though Honda’s capable design team do manage to create a little more in the HR-V.  The boot can hold 375 litres of luggage with the rear seats in place.  Move these into a folded position, and the carrying capacity gets a whole lot larger (710 litres max).   LED running lights, privacy glass, cruise control with speed limitation, a 7-inch touch screen for infotainment, sat nav, Bluetooth and even voice control are all standard features on the base Vitara RT-S model.  When things get a little tight in the car park, a reversing camera makes things a whole lot easier.  ESP and seven airbags are standard, while the folks at EURO NCAP have awarded the new Vitara with five-star safety.

I know there’ll be those of you reading this who will still want more, and Suzuki cater for this in the 2015 Suzuki Vitara RT-X.  Parking sensors, LED headlights, leather trim, smart key entry and a panoramic sunroof keep thing nice and cushy for their owners.

You don’t buy one of these for drag racing, but for everyday running the 86 kW and 156 Nm is more than adequate for trooping about.  Steering is accurate, well weighted and assisted for all occasions.

It’s hard to overlook the fantastic new Vitara pricing and the 5 year/100,000 km warranty, perhaps aided by the fact that it is using the S-Cross as a platform.  Suzuki have done well in providing the compact SUV buyer with a nice stylish little runner that’s as happy cruising about town as it is on the open road and gravel tracks.

The current Suzuki Vitara model series includes the:

Suzuki Vitara RT-S

Suzuki Vitara RT-X

For any more information on the Suzuki Vitara, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Suzuki dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!