Suzuki eVitara review

Just Suzuki’s first ever electric car, no biggie. The Japanese carmaker has been a little slow off the mark, meaning it’s now forced to play catch-up.

But wait, because with Suzuki now in bed with Toyota, there’s lots of parts sharing going on between the two. And if you’re thinking the eVitara looks familiar, that’s because Toyota is also launching its own version, called the Urban Cruiser.

Anyway, the eVitara’s name is of course familiar and from the outside it doesn’t deviate too much from what’s gone before it. It’s another compact SUV, with rugged looks, sharp creases, chunky wheelarches but nothing too outlandish. Only underneath it’s powered by electric motors and batteries.

It rivals the like of the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq, Ford Puma, Hyundai Kona, Volvo EX30, Kia Niro, Mini Countryman, Renault 4 and Jeep Avenger.

Hit me with some specifics…

Suzuki has deliberately made this as simple as possible, so off the bat the first thing to know is there are two battery options: 49kWh or 61kWh (useable). The smaller battery is two-wheel drive only, with power sent to the front wheels courtesy of a 142bhp motor. Claimed range is up to 213 miles.

The bigger battery is available in two- or four-wheel drive. The former gets a slightly more powerful 172bhp motor, with Suzuki reckoning on up to 264 miles of range. 

The latter gets an additional 64bhp motor on the rear axle, for a combined total of 181bhp, while you’re looking at up to 245 miles e-range.

Not a lot wrong with that, and the steering, accelerator and brakes all feel nicely judged too, though it’s let down somewhat by its poor ride. Off-road it’s a fairly accomplished little thing however, complete with Suzuki’s Allgrip-e 4WD system and a dedicated Trail mode. See the Driving tab for more.

Is the cabin all rufty tufty too?

Suzuki has tried to add a little bit of flair on here, but it lags behind the polish of some rivals and there are questionable design decisions – click through to the Interior tab for the full lowdown. We’d also wholeheartedly recommend the tan interior, which improves an otherwise rather dull aesthetic.

All versions get dual 10in driver/infotainment displays – the former works well, the latter feels a bit tired – and as ever there’s minimal proper physical switchgear. But it’s comfortable and there’s a good amount of flexibility, including sliding rear seats, though in their rearmost position boot space falls dramatically.

How much is it going to cost me?

Suzuki launched its own self-funded discount scheme in response to the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG), meaning you’re looking at a starting figure of £26,249 – including a £3,750 price cut – for the smaller batteried 2WD version.

Want the bigger battery? That’ll be an extra £3k please. Four-wheel drive is another £2k on top, though Suzuki has some tempting lease offers, including a free home wall box for early buyers. Full details through on the Buying tab.

The eVitara is a difficult one to sum up. It taps into Suzuki’s heritage, with a recognisable name badge and all its off-road knowhow, and it’s one of very few dedicated off-road electric compact SUVs out there.

But it lacks the on-road polish of rivals, and there are some very curious design decisions. And while at face value it’s priced well, the only really recommendable version is the four-wheel drive variant, which itself will likely only appeal to a niche audience of buyers, particularly as it costs a fair whack more.

Otherwise there are few reasons to attract buyers over any of the more desirable, established compact SUVs already out there – of which there are plenty.