The Vitara went through a transformation when its fourth generation was launched back in 2017. Suzuki dropped the “Grand” from its name and ditched the 4×4 capability. It was tamed to be a subcompact crossover — and it was good, implementing a balance of style, performance, and practical amenities for a good price.
Facing a market transformation, this time from the China car brands onslaught, can the Vitara’s fundamentals and updates be enough to sway you in signing the paperwork, or should you take your money elsewhere? I took the top of the line GLX variant for a ride and to see if it can keep up with the competition.
Exterior
The Vitara maintained its subtle aggressive look, with the updates only making it more premium, especially in this gold and black theme. Suzuki removed the one clump of chrome on the front grille and divided it nicely between the new vertical slats on the grille, front bumper cladding, and fog light housing, giving it a more upscale allure.
The backside is still not as good-looking as the front, but they made revisions to make it keep up. The taillights are now dark-tinted and they put the reverse light to the previously empty slot on the low-center side of the rear bumper. The placement might be too low but it does its job well and provides good illumination when backing up at night.
Interior
Inside is where most of the updates can be found. The suede on the seats now have a stitch design so you won’t be irritated once lines and circles appear on it after someone sits or runs their hand on it. They also put a center console for the Vitara in this updated version. Might be a trivial thing but having something to rest my right arm during traffic is highly appreciated. It’s also adjustable so you can have it extending towards the shifter or not.
The previous, almost plain accent on the dash was also replaced with a very small diamond-shaped design that compliments the seats’ stitching. There’s also a new color LCD between the gauges as the multi-information screen while the touchscreen at the center of the dash lets go of its CD input and now has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Speaking of those mobile apps for auto, only Apple CarPlay worked fine, connecting to my iPhone 7 without a hitch. When I tried to plug my Android phone, it won’t connect because Auto Link, a smartphone mirroring app that’s the cheaper alternative to Android Auto, kept overriding the Android connection but also failing to connect with my phone. Suzuki should’ve just removed that when they put in Android Auto.
Back to the interior, I just wish they went all out and replaced the semi-transparent sunroof cover with a solid one and removed the analog clock at the center of the dash and made it another air vent for the rear passengers, since there are no vents at the back.
Technology and safety
In the tech department, the Vitara covers almost all the new standards. It has a push-start button, cruise control with speed limiter, automatic LED headlights with auto levelling, power adjust and fold side mirrors, and a single-zone climate control.
It also has quite a haul in the safety department having side and curtain airbags, Hill Hold Control, front and rear sensors, and reverse camera on top of standard features like ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Program, front airbags, and ISOFIX tethers. It’s just weird that after having an almost complete package, there’s no speed-sensing door locks here. Might be trivial to some, but it sure helps especially when you’re forgetful (like me) or in a rush.
Driving and handling
The Vitara is a pleasure to drive once you get used to its nuances. The brakes are a bit too soft for my taste. The light steering is not numb, making even the tightest maneuvers easy. Reaching 60kph is also quick with the Vitara, and it tends to give you that feeling that it wants more. The paddle shifters allow you to get more torque when you need it, overriding the automatic when you click on it, making overtakes a bit easier. Its six-speed automatic transmission is also commendable, shifting smoothly from stop and doesn’t shuffle when you’re in a low-speed erratic traffic situation.
Fuel consumption
In the city during this pandemic traffic, I managed to get 7.9km/l going through EDSA from Makati to QC during rush hour. Lighter traffic yielded up to 11km/l while on the highway it’s able to get 16 km/l. Impressive figures for a 1.6 engine hauling this size and three people onboard, except on the highway run.
Verdict
The Vitara GLX comes in at P1,158,000 putting it on the higher end of its category after other brands brought in offerings from China that are mostly under a million. On paper, it’s easy to see that these new models have most, if not all, the amenities that the Vitara has making them more attractive. That’s nothing new for the Vitara though, it has always been an underdog in its segment, and is more than happy to be one.
Beyond its sharp looks, the Suzuki Vitara has an almost complete set of tech amenities to make daily driving easier, combining it with good interior and great driving dynamics which is its ace, something that cannot be put on paper. Price and brochure won’t tell the whole story of this crossover, the Vitara certainly needs to be driven to be appreciated.
