The 2016 Suzuki Vitara
While most cars grow in size from generation to generation Suzuki has actually made its Vitara slightly smaller than before. We find out if size really matters!
The old Vitara used to be a rival for the Honda CR-V. However, this new smaller version is more of a rival for Honda’s HR-V.
If we start off at the boot we discover that it’s not actually as big as the Honda’s but it does have some useful features such as cubby spaces where you can keep your knick-knacks. There’s some good underfloor storage too along with various tethering points. There’s no load lift to have to navigate your shopping bags over and if you fold down the rear seats you get a relatively flat floor so you can slide things right to the back.
As for the back seats, although the rear doors do open at quite a wide angle, the large wheel rear arch mean that it’s quite easy to bang your knee on it while getting in. Once you’re seated you’ll find that there’s actually lots of head room due to the fact that it’s quite a tall vehicle. The knee room is ok too but the foot-wells aren’t the biggest and you do get a rather large hump in the floor. However, out of the small SUV / Crossover type cars this is probably the best car for carrying three passengers at the back at once.
When you compare this car to something like a Peugeot 2008 when you climb in you’ll actually feel as though it’s not a really nice place to be. The reason for this isn’t necessarily the design but more the quality of the materials used around the cabin. They’ve used what can only be described as horrible hard brittle plastics everywhere and it’s the same case range topping versions! We can’t fault practicality though and this is exemplified by the large cubby holes in the doors. Equipment is generous right across the range too where you get DAB radio, air conditioning, Bluetooth and cruise control. However, if you step up to the SZT model then you get satellite navigation. The infotainment system itself is pretty easy to use and really not bad at all considering the price of this car. It can be a bit laggy but on the whole we were rather impressed by it.
So, what’s the Vitara like on the road? Well, firstly you can get the Vitara with petrol or diesel power. The diesel is certainly a good option if you are going to be doing lots of mileage. If not, then you should really opt for one of the petrol engines. The 1.6 litre petrol is more than adequate, it’s nippy while returning decent enough economy. However whatever you do, do not drive then 1.4 litre petrol turbo because you’re going to end up wanting it! That’s because 0-60 takes less than ten seconds which is generally pretty fast and with regards to economy Suzuki claims that it will return an impressive 52 mpg. The problem is that this engine is only available in the top spec car which makes the car a little bit too expensive for its own good. So, don’t drive the 1.4 litre and you’ll be none the wiser!
Regardless of what engine you go for the Suzuki Vitara is actually surprisingly good fun to drive. The steering is sharp, the gearbox is responsive and there’s hardly any body-roll at all when you’re challenging corners. You really do expect it to roll because it’s a tall car but it just doesn’t, instead it grips brilliantly. Although driving the Vitara will generally put a smile on your face there are some things that aren’t so good about it. For example, the suspension can feel a little bumpy at low speeds but the faster you go the better it gets. The only problem with this is that the faster you go the more road and wind noise you get through the cabin. We love the fact that the car feels like a miniature SUV rather than a pumped up hatchback like so many other cross-over cars. All round visibility is good at both front and back and there are hardly any blind spots.
The Vitara isn’t perfect and there are a few annoying things about it, here’s a couple of them:
1. The car looks rugged but the plastics used around the car simply aren’t.
2. The car has a cheap feel when you shut the doors.
3. You can only get Automatic City Breaking on the SZ5. It’s not available as an option on other models.
4. The guide on the parking camera doesn’t actually move when you turn the steering wheel and they look like they’ve been drawn on by Microsoft Paint!
5. The keyless boot mechanism looks like a weird mole.
Thankfully to make up for these annoying thing there are also some cool things about this Suzuki:
1. The car comes with a hill descent control button to manage steep slopes.
2. This is one of the lightest cars in its class.
3. If you get the Vitara with all-wheel drive then it has a lock mode for really slippery surfaces.
4. You can fit the parcel shelf under the false boot floor.
5. The 1.4 litre petrol engine has more horse power per litre than the lightly Dodge Viper, it’s just that the Viper has a lot more litres of course!
So, overall what do we think of the Suzuki Vitara? Well some of the plastics in the cabin are pretty horrible and it’s quite noisy at speed. However, it’s extremely practical for such a small car and it’s surprisingly good fun to drive. To find great deals on used Suzuki Vitara cars for sale, please feel free to search today with DesperateSeller.co.uk!
