NEW Suzuki Vitara review – the best value small SUV? | What Car?

Uh oh. The Suzuki Vitara has ALWAYS been a bargain choice, but a price hike means that it isn't anymore. BUT, can it still look like great value compared to its rivals? And does a new mild hybrid engine choice make the car better than ever? Watch to find out.




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Video chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:52 The new Vitara and rivals
1:38 Interior design and quality
3:40 Technology
5:15 Rear seats
6:02 Boot space
7:21 Engines
8:31 Ride comfort and handling
9:23 Vitara trims and options
10:53 Drive modes and performance
11:50 Verdict and outro

[grobbler]

Suzuki Vitara - 5 Star safety rating, bullet proof reliability and excellent fuel economy. Anything else deemed necessary is just fluff.

[sunilayya]

Perceptions aside, the vitara's reliability and longevity will be the best this side of a Toyota. Suzuki was ranked 3rd in your recent reliability survey, way ahead of VW group ranked 20th. Fancy Soft plastics will not help when your car breaks down and you have to take the bus.

[holmie]

I have owned a few Suzuki's and they have been brilliant. I test drove the Vitara turbo All Grip yesterday and it was fantastic. Yes its not as flashy as a few of its competitors but just read some actual owner reviews and people just rave about the Vitara. The way the all wheel drive works makes this car much safer in all weather (this wasn't mentioned) and the power is only delivered to the wheels if they start slipping, which saves fuel and makes it far more economical than most constant all wheel drives and it was a joy to drive, its a hoot!! As part of my research I have been stopping and talking to owners wherever I go and its the same story, a reliable vehicle they love. I can't see how soft touch fabrics and digital displays make a good car? and to be honest a lot of people said the finishes are great for a family car, e.g. tough and hard wearing. I suggest that you do your own research because I feel that often certain vehicles are highly rated because these companies pay for the reviews.

[JjaysYoutube]

I have a family member that has one of these in sz5 and its been a great family car, interior although maybe cheaper is solid and takes all that the family (kids) throw at it! Been super reliable and actually is capable of pretty decent off road driving.

[bondjamesbond]

I have a non hybrid version of this with the 1.4 boosterjet engine in sz5 trim. It is an awesome car. In my opinion it has the best engine of all the small SUV's in this price range. It is a 1.4 4 cylinder turbocharged chain driven engine unlike most of it's rivals which are overstressed 1 litre 3 cylinder turbos. The Suzuki engine is very gutsy and is very quiet and effortless on a motorway. A lot of car for the money.

[BorysMadrawski]

Thanks for the review. I was sitting in Skoda Kamiq, Ford Puma and just today in Suzuki Vitara. In my opinion the interior of Suzuki Vitara is much better that the other cars and most of the cars on the market and the only I know that is a better one is Subaru Forester. I'm talking about the general feeling and space when you are inside of the car. Regarding to other aspects Suzuki makes more reliable cars than VW for sure, a the option with only one engine only tells me that this engine is a better designed one (since all the efforts was put in only one engine) and it will be also easier to find a parts for it and repair it.

[gadgeteer]

The boot takes a full size MTB without removing the front wheel. Sport mode really makes the car fly and it does 45mpg on a half decent run. The infotainment system manages Apple CarPlay and Android functionality which isn’t available on several competitors and it’s a mature system that works well - I have the 2019 SZ5 model.

[臺灣是國家臺灣是國家]

As much as everyone hates a/c controls on a screen (not on this car, amen) a screen is just cheaper than individual buttons hey. Good on Suzuki for not putting mini screens on the steering wheel.

[nioxic]

sliding rear seats would put them up higher, leaving even less headroom on those seats.
Anyways, a lot of your "complaints" are plusses in my book. The less electric stuff in the car (electrically adjusted seats for example) the less there is to go wrong

[yettsoman]

In 2023 Allgrip is no longer available on the SZ-T. So if you want 4WD you have to get the range topping SZ5 version. The manual SZ5 Allgrip Boosterjet MHEV is the one to go for... VERY good value.

[karljones]

These sites criticise Suzuki's about stupid things, I'm on my 3rd Vitara, my latest the 2023 1.5 automatic full hybrid and getting just under 50mpg, don't always listen to these reviews and they always forget to tell you how high up on the reliability scale Suzukis are.

[neillewis]

Bought an sz5 manual yesterday in Atlantic turquoise. Very well-mannered during the test drive across a range of road surfaces from back country lanes to dual carriage way. Excellent service from tj vickers in Shrewsbury 👍

[Jooeffoh]

I'm looking for a car with good reliability, comfort, good fuel economy, good looks and a reasonable price. If you are picking your car based on if it has soft materials and its door bottle holder size, then you are probably going to end up with a lemon.

[neffscape]

Great review. I have a previous generation Vitara, that shares pretty much the same look and features, but comes with a turbo diesel engine that's actually pretty amazing both in performances and in fuel economy (it is also pretty good for CO2 emissions, I wonder why Suzuki decided to stop offering it). I mostly agree with your impressions: my version of the Vitara is the flagship one (with all the infotainment goodies, driving assistance, sensors, camera and four wheel drive) and I have to say... it is very practical and sturdy... but it's full of hard plastics and in general, it doesn't feel premium at all. I confirm that the car is a beat noisy and that that the doors feel a bit too light. Rear seats are just ok for two kids and their baby seats (but they don't need yet a lot of leg room yet). The trunk however is amazing and its shape and double bottom is very clever. I use this car regularly as a family car, and when I go on long trips I can fit everything I need and more. I also need to talk about the amazing adaptive cruise control. It works like a charm and in general the car feels very safe and well balanced during long trips, even at high speeds. On the highway the cars drives almost by itself, and I never had an issue with its software. However, the steering wheel feels a bit too light at high speeds and I always fear to move it too much when overtaking a big truck on narrow lanes. If you plan to use it off road, remember that this is no more a grand vitara: it doesn't come with reduced gears so it's not a real offroader and can be difficult to drive on high slopes (expecially if you need to start uphill). Overall it is an excellent, sturdy and reliable middle sized family car, that could be more comfortable and refined, but that does its job flawlessy without attracting attention.

[davel]

Why is the Kamiq (and also maybe the Stonic, Kona and Bayon) considered as an SUV when you are sitting no higher than a normal Hatchback?

[skippytv]

As a motability customer I’m thinking of the allgrip vitara. Ok it may not be of the quality of its rivals but that doesn’t put me off & consumption isn’t a problem as I don’t do that many miles & 4 wheel drive may come in handy on Salisbury plain were I walk my dog. I like it.👍

[skyall]

I have new one. This model and it's awesome .

[daveyboy]

Hard plastics are more durable in the long run, so its a plus for a person who wants to keep a car like this for a long time.

[chanwtv]

The Best Reviews here, are those of the Owners. Reviewers would do well to understand the Motivations of the Owner and / purchaser. Hi Tec and soft touch materials arent always top priority. Sometimes lower tech and durable materials are. I would rather wipe down a durable and hard wearing easy clean Surface than a soft touch one. The Vitara has, thus far, stood the test, in that, it is still going, Will the Puma, the Kamiq etc still be around as long as the Vitara has? Theres a reason, the Vitara is still with us, and it has nothing to do with soft touch dashboards.

[DavitTsabadze]

I hate this trend of "oohhh luuuk at this cheap plastic nu soft tuuuuch ouuhhh"
Maybe you firts check well what type of car are you reviewing? Is it a affordable car which aims at high mpg and reliability? And some off-road? Do u think that when I go with a car in my countryside I will be concerned with "soft touch material on the door handle?"
Like are you sure that your viewers first concern is plastic Vs soft materials and we are checking the videos to find out if the car has plastic or soft material?
Fed up with this standard idiotic reviews like all off you were trained in some stupid "review making university"