Suzuki, who have a great reputation with mature Irish people like myself, and also with first-time buyers, held off for a long time before making the switch to full electric. But a few months back in Enniskerry, county Wicklow they unveiled their new e-Vitara to the Irish motor writers.
I will have the e-Vitara next week, but last week I drove the new Mild Hybrid version of the Vitara and I was impressed as it was very lively and it has a very frugal engine. The colour of my test car was Solar Yellow, so it certainly caught the attention of neighbours and some people in the local shopping centre.
Suzuki introduced their Vitara in 1988 and originally it was known in Japan as the Vitara Escudo. The second and third generations were known as the Suzuki Grand Vitara, the fourth generation dropped the ‘Grand’ prefix.
The choice of the name Vitara was inspired by the Latin word vita, as in the English word vitality and Escudo referred to the monetary unit of currency in Portugal before they switched to the Euro.
Now the Vitara gets a major facelift to coincide with the launch of Suzuki’s first electric version. It features a revised front bumper, new grille shaping, and updated aerodynamic wheel designs.
At the front you get the big ‘S’ which is signifies that it’s a Suzuki you are driving. The new car is manufactured at Suzuki’s Gujarat facility in India.
Inside, there are some nice retro touches. While you don’t get an actual key to start the car, there is good old-style handbrake and buttons for the air con. Also, plenty of slave controls on the steering wheel.
The boot is a decent size for a small car, and the rear seats fold down and also slide backwards and forwards by up to 160mm. So, it’s up to you the driver if you want more passenger space in the back seat or extra cargo space. As with most new cars no room for a spare wheel.
The seats are black and my version had a sunroof which certainly brightened the décor. But that sunroof would be an extra. It has all the modern technology and if you are looking drowsy you will get a warning to take a break. When reversing, the ‘rear cross’ traffic alert certainly makes reversing safer.
As with most new cars, the infotainment screen is the first item you will notice on the dash. In this case, it’s a nine-inch screen and you also get a neat screen for the reversing camera. There are cubby holes to hold your phone, pens and keys near the gear lever.
Apart from the Solar Yellow version that I drove, there are six main single-tone colours, four of which are used as the basis for a two-tone paint option. Colour is a personal thing, but I think the Solar Yellow with a black roof certainly gave the Vitara a bright, fresh look.
Suzuki has a loyal following in Ireland, with sales in 2025 of 2,370 units, which represented a 15% growth and 1.9% market share. Prices start at €28,995 while the price of the car I tested, with lots of extras, came to €39,485. Road tax is €210.
I liked the Hybrid version and now I am looking forward to more time in the electric version. As mentioned earlier, the Suzuki brand has a great reputation among mature drivers in Ireland. I think the Vitara would also be a good option for a young person starting to drive.
