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All-new Suzuki e Vitara heralds electric era for Japanese brand

Suzuki pulls the covers off its first EV, a rugged small SUV with four-wheel drive

  • All-new small electric SUV
  • Range of up to 248 miles
  • On sale in summer 2025

With the electric car movement in full swing, Suzuki has finally decided it’s time to join the party with this – the new Suzuki e Vitara. It’s been designed from the ground up as the Japanese brand’s first EV, featuring small SUV proportions and optional four-wheel drive. It’ll go on sale in summer next year with an estimated starting price of around £30,000.

What are the important details about the Suzuki e Vitara?

Despite the name, the new Suzuki e Vitara has little in common with the petrol-powered Vitara that’s already on sale. This is an all-new model, utilising Suzuki’s new “Heartect-e” architecture designed exclusively for EVs. The e Vitara is longer, wider and heavier than the petrol Vitara, measuring 4,275mm long – about the same as a Peugeot E-2008 or a Smart #1.

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There will be three battery and motor configurations to pick from. Base models get a 49kWh battery and front-mounted motor, putting out 142bhp. A 61kWh battery will also be offered with a front-mounted motor, with power stepping up to 172bhp. Above this sits the 181bhp dual-motor four-wheel drive model, also using the 61kWh battery.

Suzuki calls the four-wheel drive system “Allgrip-e”, and claims that it “provides powerful performance but also allows for precise control with excellent responsiveness”. There’s even some off-road functionality with the ‘Trail’ mode. This can distribute power between the left and right wheels by applying the brakes, making it easier to escape from slippery terrain.

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So far, Suzuki has only confirmed the range of the larger battery pack, which stands at just 248 miles. That’s some way off the class leaders – the new Kia EV3 will manage up to 372 miles, while the Hyundai Kona tops out at 319 miles. The e Vitara can handle charging speeds of up to 150kW, but the quoted 15 to 70% recharge time of 30 minutes suggests that it charges a bit slower than this in practice.

We’re still waiting for official performance figures for the e Vitara, as well as a range figure for the smaller battery pack. We’d expect the latter to deliver around 200 miles of range.

What does the Suzuki e Vitara look like?

Suzuki hinted at the design of the e Vitara back in 2023 with the eVX concept, and the production model has largely stayed true to the source material. It sports the same small SUV profile, with squared-off wheelarches and plenty of black cladding around the bumpers and sills. The is mirrored by a black-painted contrasting roof, which gently slopes towards the rear.

Inside represents a significant leap forward compared to the petrol Vitara. A pair of digital displays sit above a simple dashboard, which features a set of metallic air vents and a bank of toggle switches. The floating centre console houses the rotary gear selector, which appears to have been pinched from the Toyota bZ4X, while there’s a large storage area underneath with several charging ports.

How much will the Suzuki e Vitara cost and when can I buy one?

Official pricing is still to be confirmed for the Suzuki e Vitara, but a starting price of around £30,000 would be in line with rivals. Production begins in India in early 2025, with European deliveries scheduled for summer 2025.

The Suzuki e Vitara will have plenty of rivals, including the new Renault 4 EV

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