Drivelife were invited to Boom Rock to check out the new Suzuki e VITARA.
The e VITARA is Suzuki’s first full battery-electric vehicle, and is built in India on their new HEARTECT-e platform. It features a 61kWh battery pack, using LFP blade batteries from BYD.
It’s a handsome design, with a chunky, angular look. The aero-design 18” wheels accentuate the effect and suit the overall design. I’m not 100% sold on the high-level hidden rear door handles. They’re kind of a Suzuki signature feature now, but you might need to get used to having to point out the door handles to passengers.
There’s only one high-spec trim level available, you get to choose the colour, and whether it’s 2WD or 4WD. Everything else comes as standard.
Power comes from a 128kW, 189Nm electric motor mounted in the front of the car, and if you spec the 4WD version, you get a second 48kW motor in the rear. Combined total output for the 4WD is 135kW of power and 400Nm of torque. Respectable figures for a medium SUV!
WLTP range is 426km for the 2WD, 395km for the 4WD.
DC fast charging speed is 65kW, 45 minutes from 10-80%, AC (normal home power socket) is 9 hours from 10-100%. There’s an LED light by the charge port so you can see what you’re plugging in at night.
Pricing is sharp, at $56,990 for the 2WD, $64,990 for 4WD, plus $1,000 for any colour other than white. Suzuki is offering a limited-time introductory discount of $2,000 off these prices. It’s anticipated that ¾ of sales will be the 2WD model, and Suzuki has set a sales goal for 2026 of 450 e VITARAS.
Colour options are White Pearl, or three metallic options, all with contrasting blue-black roof: Silver, Red or green. I love it that green cars have made a comeback!
The e VITARA is compact, at 4,275mm long and 1,800mm wide but its 2,700mm wheelbase means there’s a lot of room in the cabin.
Kerb weight is around 1,700kg for the 2WD and 1,900kg 4WD, with the warranty iat 3 years or 100,000km, followed by a further 5-year, max 160,000km drivetrain warranty. Battery warranty is 8 years, and 5 years of AA cover is included.
Standard spec includes safety features such as:
- Dual sensor brake support
- Lane keep assist
- Lane departure prevention
- Adaptive cruise control
- Adaptive high beams
- High bean assist
- Blind spot monitor
- Rear cross traffic alert
- 7 airbags
Total Effective Control Technology (TECT): a design that significantly improves passenger safety while also providing improvements to handling, fuel consumption and interior space.
The e VITARA scored 4 stars in the Euro-NCAP testing system and is expected to have the same score in the ANCAP system.
Standard features include:
- Full glass moon roof with shade
- 10.1” central touch screen
- 10.25” fully-digital driver display
- 10-way electrically adjustable driver seat
- 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats which can slide to create more leg room or boot storage, and are tilt adjustable.
- Wireless Apple Carplay and Wireless Android Auto
- Infinity premium sound system
- 360-degree camera
- Qi wireless charging
- Matrix LED headlights (where the high beam stays on but doesn’t dazzle oncoming drivers)
How does the Suzuki e VITARA drive?
Our first drive was along rough, slippery, steep gravel roads up to the Boom Rock track, and the 2WD e VITARA handled them like a boss, the ride wasn’t harsh, grip was fine, and the drivetrain was a barely audible whine.
This was followed by a couple of laps of the smooth, narrow twisty track in a dark blue e VITARA which was imported before the colour choices were finalised. On-track the 2WD e VITARA performed well, accelerating with enthusiasm, cornering well due to its low centre of gravity, and giving reasonable feedback through the steering and brakes, even delivering a couple of tyre screeches when really pushed around a corner.
Next up, a bit of light off-roading through the steep grassy Boom Rock hills. We put the e VITARA into Trail Mode and enabled Hill Descent. Suzuki says that Trail Mode enables more aggressive regen, but not enough to one-pedal drive, as well as increasing the effects of the e-LSD (electronic limited-slip differential).
This was more a test of the hill descent control than anything else, and it worked flawlessly, guiding the vehicle down steep, slippery slopes in a controlled and reassuring fashion. Most ascents were smooth grass, handled with zero drama, and a steep climb up a dusty, rutted section which prompted a bit of wheel spin while the 4WD system pulled us up. The instant torque from the electric motors made off-road driving easy and drama-free. It should be noted that the car was fitted with all-terrain tyres, as Suzuki had expected rain and mud.
I suspect most e VITARAs will only be used on the road and won’t experience anything like the above tests, but it shows that it does have the capability to handle more extreme situations.
Finally, the road drive, a chance to see what the e VITARA might be like in normal use. I grabbed the red 4WD model, which had the non-standard all-terrain tyres fitted.
The first thing I noted is that there are physical switches for climate control temperature, fan speed, AC, and stereo volume. This is much appreciated!
With the heat-pump AC set to keep me nice and comfortable, I set off along the gravel roads out of Boom Rock. Even on the gravel road, the quiet and refinement of the e VITARA was apparent. Because of the quiet drivetrain, Suzuki worked on extra insulation, more internal baffles in the body, and improved motor and suspension mounts. It has definitely helped, as the e VITARA is impressively quiet at all speeds and on all surfaces I tested.
Eco mode makes the throttle soft and squishy, Sport makes it sharp and darty. But normal mode was just fine, and the e VITARA is more than quick enough for normal use.
I drove for around an hour on highway, country and urban roads, and the e VITARA was just easy. Decent power, good brakes, decent steering, and great comfort and refinement. Road noise was notably low, even with the chunkier tyres fitted. And the best thing: it didn’t beep at me at all! I occasionally noticed a small nudge from the active lane assist, but that’s all. It’s so refreshing to get into a new car and have the safety systems just quietly do their jobs.
We’ll be able to give a full review when we have an e VITARA for a longer time, but first impressions are good. This is a perfect first EV for normal drivers, who aren’t so much interested in gimmicks or weird controls and just want to drive a normal, comfortable, familiar car that happens to be fully-electric.
