Suzuki e Vitara Review 2024

With evermore stringent emissions regulations demanding that car manufacturers sell increasing proportions of electric vehicles each year, even those which have a wide range of hybrid models are starting to ditch combustion engines. One such brand has recently revealed its first purpose-designed EV — what do we know so far about the Suzuki e Vitara?

Suzuki has partnered with Toyota on its route through hybridisation, with the Suzuki Swace and Suzuki Across being near facsimiles of the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports and Toyota RAV4, respectively.

No surprise then that the Suzuki e Vitara is also a joint venture with its dedicated EV Heartect-e underpinnings also being used by the forthcoming Toyota compact electric SUV. What’s different here is that Suzuki will be handling the manufacture of both versions from its Gujarat plant in India.

Size-wise, the Suzuki e Vitara is at the larger end of the small SUV scale at 4275mm, making it usefully roomier than the popular Vauxhall Mokka Electric, evidenced in particular by its carrying capacity. In five-seater mode, the Suzuki’s boot is 360 litres, compared with the Vauxhall’s modest 310-litre capacity.

Larger still is another well-regarded choice in this arena — the Hyundai Kona Electric. Its boot is positively cavernous at 466 litres, although its starting price is some £3000 more than the e Vitara’s expected £32,000 cost for an entry-level model.

Other popular models the Suzuki will be toe-to-toe with include the Jeep Avenger, which shares the Mokka’s electrical platform, and the forthcoming Ford Puma Gen-E.

From a styling perspective, the Suzuki e Vitara has the key, chunky visuals that small SUV buyers crave, including rugged, unpainted plastic wheelarch extensions and lower body cladding and large wheels — it won’t come with anything smaller than 18-inch diameter alloys.

It’s a similar story from what we can see of the interior, which appears to tick the boxes for a dual-screen dashboard arrangement, which should mean Apple CarPlay and Android Auto convenience.

Whether it looks nothing like the existing Suzuki Vitara, a model it will sell alongside for a while, matters at all is unlikely. While the brand’s clientele tends to be very loyal, the e Vitara is a car with which Suzuki needs to attract customers new to the marque.

Nevertheless, it hasn’t lost sight of its compact SUV legacy, with top-end e Vitaras set to be equipped with AllGrip-e four-wheel drive — how capable it actually is off-road won’t be known for several months, although its 180mm of ground clearance hints that it’s not all show.

Suzuki e Vitara AllGrip-e models feature a second electric motor powering the rear wheels, which when working with the front one, produce 184PS. Most e Vitaras will be front-wheel drive only, with a choice of 144PS and 174PS power outputs.

While the lower-powered e Vitara has a 49kWh battery, the punchier version — together with the AllGrip-e model — is fitted with a 61kWh alternative. It’s too soon for any version to have been tested but Suzuki expects the 144PS e Vitara to have a driving range of just below 200 miles and the front-wheel drive 174PS version to be closer to 250.

Expect more details of the Suzuki e Vitara to become available well in advance of its summer 2025 on sale date.