Suzuki Vitara review: Gets you from A to B as cheaply as possible

HARD to believe, I know, but some people don’t like cars.

They don’t see them as entertainment.

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They don’t see an empty twisty road and get a spike of adrenaline.

They don’t realise God gave us a right foot for the accelerator pedal.

They just see cars as a tool.

As an appliance.

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As a way of getting from A to B, as cheaply as possible.

My advice to these people is: Buy a Suzuki Vitara.

I’m not knocking the Vitara here. Far from it.

I’m just saying this little SUV is a no-brainer for those who want a safe, hassle-free and efficient mode of transport . . . and who couldn’t care less about attacking apexes or designer brands.

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Put simply, Vitara does all the boring stuff brilliantly well.

Low CO2, high mpg, super-comfy, spacious and well-equipped, all at a sensible price.

Pay a bit extra for Allgrip 4WD and you’ve got a little tank that’ll run and run and run, in all conditions.

Which leads me nicely to the 2022 What Car? reliability survey (for six to 15-year-old cars).

Suzuki topped the table against 26 other brands, with a rating of 97 per cent.

If you think that’s impressive, Vitara scored 100 per cent reliability – one of only three models from 139 to do so.

Total peace of mind, then.

The Vitara you see here is the new 140v full hybrid with EV mode. No plug. It charges itself on the go.

And it dances between the 1.5-litre petrol and battery power without you even noticing.

The acceleration is nothing to get excited about but progress is smooth and easy and Vitara has lovely road manners.

Compared to the 48v mild hybrid Vitara, this 140v version adds around four mpg, which works out as a fuel saving of around £10 to £15 a month.

Our test car averaged 47mpg over 300 miles and that was a mix of motorway and B-road driving. So, not far off the official 53mpg.

As for looks, we all know Vitara isn’t going to increase your Tinder strike rate.

The old one? Yes.

My mate had a Vitara three-door soft-top in the early Nineties. Proper magnet.

This new one? No. But you can cheer it up with a dual-tone paint job and polished alloys.

Hop inside and the cabin is smart and straightforward.

The central screen talks to your phone and you’ll find all sorts of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, as standard.

This top-spec SZ5 trim has lovely suede seats and a panoramic sunroof which opens 56cm, the biggest in class.

There’s lots to admire about Suzuki right now, not least the tempting finance deals you’ll find across its full hybrid-only model range.

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Vitara full hybrid starts at £249 a month with zero per cent finance.

You don’t have to like cars to like that.

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