PARIS 2014: All-New 2014 Suzuki Vitara Revealed

 

Following a teaser image and some eager anticipation, here is the all-new 2015 Suzuki Vitara, launched in all its glory at the on-going Paris Motor Show. Produced at the company’s Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary and soon to be exported around the world, the new Suzuki Vitara looks like it will now slot into the Japanese carmaker’s range just under the SX4 S-Cross – something we spied in Malaysia recently.

With reports of the Grand Vitara nameplate facing the axe, the all-new Suzuki Vitara doesn’t grow much to replace its outgoing bigger brother. Instead, given the dimensions shared with us, the Suzuki Vitara stands only slightly taller and wider than the Ford EcoSport.

Key dimensions:

• Overall length: 4,175mm
• Overall width: 1,775mm
• Overall height: 1,610mm
• Wheelbase: 2,500mm

Suzuki also assures us that the car’s off-road toughness will go undeterred, while in keeping up with the times, the compact SUV also gains a bunch of new infotainment and connectivity tech, and some impressive safety features.

Powertrain and performance:

Two engine choices will be available for the Vitara: a 1.6-litre petrol with 118hp and 156Nm of torque, and a 1.6-litre diesel which makes 118hp and 320Nm of torque – both existing mills from Suzuki’s arsenal.

The petrol engine gets two transmission choices: a five-speed manual or a new six-speed torque converter automatic with manual shift control. The diesel on the other hand will have to settle for a solo six-speed manual.

Suzuki’s ALLGRIP all-wheel drive technology is available, and comes standard with four driving modes: Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. In short, the clever AWD system  can detect any wheelspin at the front, and instantaneously sends torque to the rear wheels to regain traction. The feature has been recently updated to better predict front wheel slip.

Exterior & Interior Styling:

From the outside, the recognisably rugged Suzuki image is easy to spot, but what’s also clear is the contemporary design and modern offerings such as the LED headlamps with blue projector covers.

More than anything, there are up to 15 different exterior colours to choose from, giving way to the Vitara’s newfound personalisation capabilities, inside and out.

A lot of it has to do with colours, which with the Vitara, you get to choose different colours not only for the main body paint, but also get to decide what colours you’d have things like the front grille to the body claddings and more in.

The colour personalisation continues inside the car, but in keeping up with the times, you do also get a seven-inch touchscreen display, which features a 3D navigational map, and updated connectivity equipment – think Bluetooth, USB and more.

Features & Equipment:

Engine start/stop technology is no stranger to the all-new Vitara, which also boasts a tyre pressure monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, ESP, and limited to higher grade variants, a Radar Brake Support system (RBS).

RBS works similarly to Honda’s Crash Mitigation Brake System, which uses miliwaves to prevent or mitigate collisions. Should the radar detect a potential collision, it will warn drivers with a buzzer. Should drivers react slowly to this, the RBS will prepare an increased brake pressure. Should drivers still not do anything, the car will automatic jam on the brakes.

Is it coming to Malaysia?

For now, all the specifications mentioned here are of the all-new Suzuki Vitara at its best, and we can’t say for sure if the spec sheet, or the car itself will be launched in Malaysia – at least until we hear something official from Suzuki Malaysia.

However, with cars like the Peugeot 2008, Ford EcoSport and the coming Honda HR-V all being launched one after the other, it wouldn’t make too poor sense for Suzuki Malaysia to consider this. It all depends on how the market reacts to it, in which case, we imagine a lot of favour in the way of the Honda HR-V.

What we do know is that Suzuki Malaysia are working on the SX4 S-Cross which we spied recently. The S-Cross is larger than the regular SX4 we know here, sized similarly to a Mitsubishi ASX. A Malaysian launch in 2015, maybe?