The latest addition to the numerous off-road Suzuki family is the Vitara, following on from the original model introduced in 1988. However, unlike the model of that time, the new Vitara is a pure SUV , competing with the Nissan Juke or the Citroën C4 Cactus .
The Vitara 's main trump card is supposed to be a high degree of individualization , including a total of 15 body lacquers, including three newcomers – Atlantis turquoise pearl metallic, Horizon orange metallic and Savannah ivory metallic. The roof, radiator grille (white or black) and fender edges (white or black) can get a contrasting color , you can also go for the Urban package , which adds chrome elements or a roof spoiler, or the Rugged package , which adds a more off-road look with front and rear skid plates bumper or protecting the space around the trunk lid. The wheels are 16 or 17 inches. As a whole, the design feels quite unbalanced, as while the front end with daytime running lights is quite attractive, the rear takes inspiration from the SX4 S-Cross and feels quite stocky.
Unfortunately, the interior looks quite cheap in the first photos, but there remains a large degree of customization . The frames of the ventilation outlets and the decor of the dashboard can be orange, turquoise, white or piano black, the base of the central clock can be black or carbon. The multimedia system with a seven-inch touch screen equipped with a 3D map background, an audio system and connectivity with smartphones is completely new. The panoramic roof , used for the first time in the SX4 S-Cross, consists of two parts. When closed, it is 1000 mm long, when open, this part is 560 mm.
With a length of 4175 mm , a width of 1775 mm, a height of 1610 mm and a wheelbase of 2500 mm, the Vitara can accommodate five passengers and 375 liters of cargo . The chassis has MacPherson struts at the front, while at the back we find a torsion bar from the SX4 S-Cross model. Modified arms and improved struts bring higher stiffness and better driving stability. Despite the significant reduction in off-road requirements, the Vitara has maintained a ground clearance of 185 mm , a front approach angle of 18.2 degrees and a rear approach angle of 28.2 degrees.
Under the hood we can find two 16-horsepower engines – a petrol engine with a power of 120 hp at 6000 rpm with a torque of 156 Nm at 4400 rpm, or a diesel engine with a power of 120 hp at 3750 rpm with a torque of 320 Nm at 1750 rpm. / min. While the petrol engine will be available with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, the diesel will only get a six-speed manual transmission. In addition to the drive of the front axle only, the Vitara will also get AllGrip all-wheel drive with an electromagnetic inter-axle clutch, which comes from the already mentioned SX4 S-Cross. There are four driving modes to choose from – Auto , which primarily uses front-wheel drive and only when conditions worsen, the rear one is automatically engaged, Sport , which maximizes the use of all-wheel drive, Snow , which primarily uses all-wheel drive and thus provides greater grip on a harder-to-drive surface , and finally Lock , using only four-wheel drive including a limited-slip differential.
The most interesting element of the safety equipment is the radar brake assistant , which helps especially at higher speeds, in the dark or in bad weather, working in three modes – warning , when it detects a car in front at speeds above 5 km/h and warns the driver to brake in the event of an imminent accident, brake assistant , improving braking power during sudden braking when a problem is detected, and automatic braking , working when an unavoidable accident is detected and the system slows down the consequences of the accident. In addition to this system, the Vitara will also receive ESP, adaptive cruise control and tire pressure monitoring, as part of passive safety, the Vitara will receive 7 airbags , seat belt pretensioners and a mechanism that prevents the pedals from moving into the cabin in the event of an accident.
Source: Suzuki
