Agreed, I didn't even want the mild hybrid so I bought one of the last non-hybrids and the full hybrid is a step backwards. I'm keeping my 2020 1.4T non hybrid vitara for a long time
I shall be keeping my 2018 allgrip. Great little car, the dealer I bought it from often texts me to trade it in for a new model but that will not be happening after watching this review. Fantastic in the snow with winter tyres and because it’s cheap I don’t mind where I take it.
I have driven the All Grip (which I own) and the 2WD and you will notice the difference between the two in normal driving. If pulling out of a roundabout or junction, the 2WD will scrabble with its front wheels, the All Grip will pull out like a legend. I love my All Grip.
About 10% according to suzuki, plus service costs will be higher. If you don't need AWD then Vitara wouldn't be at top of my list. NB love my 1.4t AWD.
Nice review, as always, Rebecca. Mild hybrid seems the way to go. God, how I dream of a new version of Top Gear with you, Mat Watson, Chris Harris and Rory Reid...
IIRC it's Suzuki K15C engine. Same one as they use in the Jimny, but with advanced fuel injection, 140V electrics for the hybrid and some other upgrades. Not refined or powerful, but pretty bulletproof. I believe the new SUV Suzuki are releasing next year (possibly alongside or possibly a replacement for the Vitara - not sure which) will be based on the Toyota hybrid drivetrain. Australia is meant to be getting the existing Vitara hybrid, and might also get a hybrid version of the Jimny too, which will prob use one of the existing Vitara systems, but hopefully keep the "real" automatic box and not one of those crappy automated manuals.
Just seems like Suzuki is trying too hard with this hybrid version. They should have given it a more powerful engine and that will negate most of the disadvantages.
I have the 2023 vitara mild hybrid and i really like it. It has a good engine really fast for me gets going with a light tap the hybrid has a small battery so the boot is spacious. It is not too luxurious but it has a lot of automation clima safety systems large responsive screen and good sound proofing . Overall it makes for a very comfortable ride and if you fit it with some good tires you can do a little bit of off roading without issue. I really like it and for the money 23000 euros approximately i cant think of something better new.
Low running costs until the hybrid battery fails, usually long after the warranty expired, and the cost of replacement exceeds the value of the vehicle.
You are confusing an EV battery with the hybrid battery which are in the Suzuki vehicles. An EV battery is indeed very expensive and currently can easily exceed the value of the vehicle they are in once the battery needs to be replaced, but that's not the case with this hybrid batteries which are actually tiny in comparison to an EV battery (closer to the size of a standard car battery) and thus they are also only a small fraction of the price of an EV battery. So even when the compact hybrid battery needs to be replaced, it will still be a low running cost and the reasonable cost of the replacement batter will not exceed the value of the vehicle, if anything it will increase the value of the vehicle by replacing the worn hybrid battery with a new one when that time comes.
I have a 2007 2.0 luxury edition Grand Vitara in perfect condition and I feel I have a better car than this one is. This is like a toy for kids next to the 2007 one. And also it seems to me they nowadays give you less car for the same money. In brief, it seems to me over the last decade car builders have gone to a less value for money standards. I guesss the political decisions made in the EU and USA about switching car industry to electric technology has meant bigger I&D expenses for the car builders and this has forced them to reduce the amount of car they can serve for the clients money. I recommend to buy a good car from early 2000s at the second hand market in good condition than to buy the "same" car in a new version. You will get a better car for much less money.
So, substantially less boot space than a non-SUV hatchback like the latest Skoda Fabia. And where do I put the spare wheel? As someone who would simply not drive a car without a spare wheel, that's a deal breaker.
@@bikeman123 Used mine a fortnight ago, literally only 2,000 miles on the car, out in the ****hole of nowhere, a bent 6" nail was the problem, embedded into the join between the tread and the sidewall, the company that fitted the replacement wouldn't try to repair it for that reason and said that the tinned gunk would have been useless. Previous car that I had for 3 years had a puncture that the tinned gunk wouldn't fix, I had to get the vehicle towed on a low loader, big expense. So I differ to your opinion.
Totally agree. A tyre repair kit apparently is only good for 5km. If you drive further than that and get a puncher your only option is to get towed. Even a space saver spare is better than nothing, though here in Australia, any family holiday is going to involve a few hundred kms of 110km/hr driving and requires a full spare so as not to ruin the entire holiday.
Disappointing - shame as previous incarnations have been very good, especially the sport. Although confusing, I think that Suzuki's continuous improvement and softly approach is better than, Eg Honda's jump in both feet first EV strategy. The way EVs are being sold to us - even as someone who's championed the environment for nearly 40 years - makes me want to buy a 7 litre V8, please read on. New cars are deliberately over priced and the current economic climate, which is a recession/depression in all but name (PsyOp), may start to really struggle this year. EVs are certainly at debt inducing levels. Plus they don't work as advertised and I know of several who have returned theirs or sold them on quickly as they're not practical. Also no one ever mentions how unreliable EVs are or how dirty AND dangerous the lithium supply chain is, nor how few lithium batteries are and can be recycled. Then there's the explosions and fires, yes they're still happening (often not reported by the MSM). And when a battery is life expired (or dying a death, which is a real chore to live with) the vehicle, even if serviceable, economically, is the a write off when the battery is expired. No one ever mentions that out of over over 3500 academic papers on carbon climate change, there's no conclusion or consensus that this type of climate change is a reality! So why is data being skewed? Terraforoming of the planet for alien overlords to rise up? Maybe, but greed, profit and control are the key drivers for big business and certain super elites (you know the ones, they jet everywhere, places like Davos et al). True there is climate change and we need cleaner air. But there's a lot more that could be done with exhaust filtration if manufacturers were of a mind and hadnt lied about previous diesel ranges (I'm not including Suzuki in that category btw, but we know the big European and US culprits). Lithium and other rare earth materials are not the way to go and the headlong rush to such? The emperor's new clothes!
Do all you motor journalists come from the same school ? The buzz word from everyone is "Scratchy Plastics" and "doesn't drive like a Fiesta". Also the boot space is big enough for most people.
These are a no nonsense SUV that will long-term be more reliable than much of the competition. The non hybrid 1.4 boosterjet version was a better car though
Don't buy 1.6 with auto driven enough of them. Half throttle or slight hill and shifts down so engine is doing 4000rpm combined with noising engine not relaxing drive. Speed wise very relaxing drive. If you don't need AWD buy corolla 1.8 auto lot nicer drive. If you need AWD with auto 1.4t vitara far superior drive and still economcial.
Daewoo doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for years. GM Korea builds the new Trailblazer and Buick Encore for the US market. The Suzuki is built in Hungary and is a Suzuki design unrelated to the GM Korea models. At one time GM did supply Suzuki models produced in Korea and Suzuki provided GM with SUV's and cars produced in Japan and Canada.
Suzuki prooved to make a very good car worse. I owe a 1400 boosterjet allwheeldrive 6 speed auto of 2019. No hybrid just normal. Very fast, great on the road, quiet, very good economy and so on. I test drove the new one but could not believe how slow it was and with stupid AGS. I will keep my older Vitara. But i still Miss Rebecca her banana in testing.
The new AGS system is indeed in its infancy but on the other hand, even as the above video review indicates (as well as others), Suzuki has done the best job so far at a production AGS system, and considering that they've produced a better unit that anyone else on their first mass production car with it is quite impressive and you can be sure that it will receive continuous updates, improvements and refinements with each model refresh. As with any vehicle that introduces a rather newly implemented engine or transmission technology, it has to start somewhere. Remember how awful the early generation CVT's were? Yet now they are becoming mainstream and head over heals better than they were.
@@marketingmajor8126 My parents are considering buying this exact model, mainly because they need an auto and they like the idea of a brand new car for a cheap price. However I had a grand picasso with AGS back in 2014 and it was awful. Hopefully the suzuki version is better
@@mickmolloy6594 Citroen cars are not the most reliable. We don't have the Citroen brand anymore where I live but for reliability and overall satisfaction I would definitely choose Suzuki over Citroen who made the Grand Picasso. With Suzuki cars the most important thing is read the maintenance manual thoroughly and make sure the correct maintenance is being done. Personally I always stay ahead on the maintenance, I do it BEFORE the manual says to do it. I correctly have 2 Suzuki vehicles, both of which are over 15 years old and with zero need for any repairs the entire time I've owned them
@@JA-rn5qv The citroen wasn't unreliable, just awful to drive. Going up a steep hill it couldn't decide what was the best gear to be in, it would start off in 2nd,then change to 3rd,then back to 2nd again. The delay in changing between these gears meant the car almost came to a complete stop. There was nothing mechanically wrong with it, it was just a bad design.
@@CptSpears007 I don't agree, BMW has a big lineup you can call ugly just the X7,iX and the 7 series. The 4 series has just front grille ugly and the XM it's so expensive that it doesn't matter how it looks,same thing like Bentley Bentayga. Even if you want to call all these 4 models ugly you still have the other 23 models that are beautiful and great to drive. Suzuki on the other hand has 4 models ( I don't count the rebadged Toyota) and the only one decent enough to look at is the Swift
Suzuki are not ugly they are indifferent to most people. BMWs are now all ugly. It's our opinion and you can't change it just like we can't change yours
I want an automatic 4 wheel drive with a sunroof, and as an SUV., No other car maker can compete with Suzuki on price. It’s the best value by a country mile. Sure .. if you want all the bells and whistles buy a Volvo XC90 , but you will need a lot more money !!!! 😊
Tengo el de 140 caballos allgrip automático y he tenido unos cuantos coche y te puedo decir que esto es un GTI en cuanto a conducción los que opinan mal de eso lo entiendo porque ya no podrán tenerlo jajaja
What a horrible, dated, crampt and ugly little horror of a vehicle... The nasty colour and gloomy, plasticky interior only add to ownership misery.. Driving this would be such a chore with no driving pleasure and handling like a drunken sailor... A decent family hatchback would be a much better bet... Example Honda Jazz
This is not a hatchback- also my family has one and it’s really good, look at the safety! Also it’s not a huge deal, but yeah the Jazz (or Fit in other countries) is good too!
I have 1.4 mild hybrid allgrip. It is light, fun, fast and great in snow. I would not replace it with non awd car, ever. And I like design.
Have a full hybrid allgrip, use it full off road, and drivin in deep snow and its never stuck, I very happy with it
Agreed, I didn't even want the mild hybrid so I bought one of the last non-hybrids and the full hybrid is a step backwards. I'm keeping my 2020 1.4T non hybrid vitara for a long time
The joke is, the consumption is less than 10% better than the 1.4 Boosterjet
I shall be keeping my 2018 allgrip. Great little car, the dealer I bought it from often texts me to trade it in for a new model but that will not be happening after watching this review. Fantastic in the snow with winter tyres and because it’s cheap I don’t mind where I take it.
I think it’s attractive.
This is a car that looks especially good in black and at night.
I have driven the All Grip (which I own) and the 2WD and you will notice the difference between the two in normal driving. If pulling out of a roundabout or junction, the 2WD will scrabble with its front wheels, the All Grip will pull out like a legend. I love my All Grip.
Is the fuel consumption noticeably more thirsty?
About 10% according to suzuki, plus service costs will be higher. If you don't need AWD then Vitara wouldn't be at top of my list. NB love my 1.4t AWD.
Nice review, as always, Rebecca. Mild hybrid seems the way to go. God, how I dream of a new version of Top Gear with you, Mat Watson, Chris Harris and Rory Reid...
That version of TopGear would be just perfect
Paddles involve you more in the driving experience if you really enjoy cars. More paddles please.
i believe this is the toyota 1.5L right? Not a fan of the gearbox though, prefer the 6 speed torque converter auto...
IIRC it's Suzuki K15C engine. Same one as they use in the Jimny, but with advanced fuel injection, 140V electrics for the hybrid and some other upgrades. Not refined or powerful, but pretty bulletproof. I believe the new SUV Suzuki are releasing next year (possibly alongside or possibly a replacement for the Vitara - not sure which) will be based on the Toyota hybrid drivetrain. Australia is meant to be getting the existing Vitara hybrid, and might also get a hybrid version of the Jimny too, which will prob use one of the existing Vitara systems, but hopefully keep the "real" automatic box and not one of those crappy automated manuals.
Just like Subaru, also switching to Toyo hybrid system...but not until 2026.
Just seems like Suzuki is trying too hard with this hybrid version. They should have given it a more powerful engine and that will negate most of the disadvantages.
I have the 2023 vitara mild hybrid and i really like it. It has a good engine really fast for me gets going with a light tap the hybrid has a small battery so the boot is spacious. It is not too luxurious but it has a lot of automation clima safety systems large responsive screen and good sound proofing . Overall it makes for a very comfortable ride and if you fit it with some good tires you can do a little bit of off roading without issue. I really like it and for the money 23000 euros approximately i cant think of something better new.
At least they stopped calling it a strong hybrid
If you think that boot is not spacious enough, might be best to look for a truck 😅
Low running costs until the hybrid battery fails, usually long after the warranty expired, and the cost of replacement exceeds the value of the vehicle.
Incorrect the mild hybrid battery in the manual model costs 650euro.
You are confusing an EV battery with the hybrid battery which are in the Suzuki vehicles. An EV battery is indeed very expensive and currently can easily exceed the value of the vehicle they are in once the battery needs to be replaced, but that's not the case with this hybrid batteries which are actually tiny in comparison to an EV battery (closer to the size of a standard car battery) and thus they are also only a small fraction of the price of an EV battery. So even when the compact hybrid battery needs to be replaced, it will still be a low running cost and the reasonable cost of the replacement batter will not exceed the value of the vehicle, if anything it will increase the value of the vehicle by replacing the worn hybrid battery with a new one when that time comes.
The 2016 1.6 Allgrip beats the lot, ave 53 mpg manual, great car!.
Does the car roll back like the Citroen does? Because of the manual gearbox/auto gear changer?
I have a 2007 2.0 luxury edition Grand Vitara in perfect condition and I feel I have a better car than this one is. This is like a toy for kids next to the 2007 one. And also it seems to me they nowadays give you less car for the same money. In brief, it seems to me over the last decade car builders have gone to a less value for money standards. I guesss the political decisions made in the EU and USA about switching car industry to electric technology has meant bigger I&D expenses for the car builders and this has forced them to reduce the amount of car they can serve for the clients money. I recommend to buy a good car from early 2000s at the second hand market in good condition than to buy the "same" car in a new version. You will get a better car for much less money.
So, substantially less boot space than a non-SUV hatchback like the latest Skoda Fabia. And where do I put the spare wheel? As someone who would simply not drive a car without a spare wheel, that's a deal breaker.
I've been dragging around a spare wheel for over 40 years.. never had cause to use it.
@@bikeman123 Used mine a fortnight ago, literally only 2,000 miles on the car, out in the ****hole of nowhere, a bent 6" nail was the problem, embedded into the join between the tread and the sidewall, the company that fitted the replacement wouldn't try to repair it for that reason and said that the tinned gunk would have been useless. Previous car that I had for 3 years had a puncture that the tinned gunk wouldn't fix, I had to get the vehicle towed on a low loader, big expense. So I differ to your opinion.
Totally agree. A tyre repair kit apparently is only good for 5km. If you drive further than that and get a puncher your only option is to get towed. Even a space saver spare is better than nothing, though here in Australia, any family holiday is going to involve a few hundred kms of 110km/hr driving and requires a full spare so as not to ruin the entire holiday.
@@bikeman123
And I guess you don't believe in insurance either.
@@bikeman123 And the day you get writ of your spare wheel you need one.Sods law.
You think they would at least update the info system. It hasnt changed since 2015.
What is the production time like for one at the moment?
Disappointing - shame as previous incarnations have been very good, especially the sport.
Although confusing, I think that Suzuki's continuous improvement and softly approach is better than, Eg Honda's jump in both feet first EV strategy.
The way EVs are being sold to us - even as someone who's championed the environment for nearly 40 years - makes me want to buy a 7 litre V8, please read on.
New cars are deliberately over priced and the current economic climate, which is a recession/depression in all but name (PsyOp), may start to really struggle this year. EVs are certainly at debt inducing levels. Plus they don't work as advertised and I know of several who have returned theirs or sold them on quickly as they're not practical.
Also no one ever mentions how unreliable EVs are or how dirty AND dangerous the lithium supply chain is, nor how few lithium batteries are and can be recycled. Then there's the explosions and fires, yes they're still happening (often not reported by the MSM). And when a battery is life expired (or dying a death, which is a real chore to live with) the vehicle, even if serviceable, economically, is the a write off when the battery is expired.
No one ever mentions that out of over over 3500 academic papers on carbon climate change, there's no conclusion or consensus that this type of climate change is a reality! So why is data being skewed? Terraforoming of the planet for alien overlords to rise up? Maybe, but greed, profit and control are the key drivers for big business and certain super elites (you know the ones, they jet everywhere, places like Davos et al). True there is climate change and we need cleaner air. But there's a lot more that could be done with exhaust filtration if manufacturers were of a mind and hadnt lied about previous diesel ranges (I'm not including Suzuki in that category btw, but we know the big European and US culprits).
Lithium and other rare earth materials are not the way to go and the headlong rush to such? The emperor's new clothes!
The real reason for pushing EV so hard is just to drain us more and limit our mobility to fit their net zero reset agenda.
Do all you motor journalists come from the same school ? The buzz word from everyone is "Scratchy Plastics" and "doesn't drive like a Fiesta". Also the boot space is big enough for most people.
Right from the outset you seem to be on a downer for this car. I have driven this against a quashqai and suzuki all day
These are a no nonsense SUV that will long-term be more reliable than much of the competition. The non hybrid 1.4 boosterjet version was a better car though
Love this car!
Are you sure the full hybrid offers 4WD ?
This car needs a serious new generation
Looking to buy 2018 Suzuki Vitara 1.6 sz-t 120 automatic with 71K kms, is it a good car? Is there any issue with transmission?
Don't buy 1.6 with auto driven enough of them. Half throttle or slight hill and shifts down so engine is doing 4000rpm combined with noising engine not relaxing drive. Speed wise very relaxing drive. If you don't need AWD buy corolla 1.8 auto lot nicer drive. If you need AWD with auto 1.4t vitara far superior drive and still economcial.
Suzuki version of the GM chevy trailblazer , built by Daewoo.
Daewoo doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for years.
GM Korea builds the new Trailblazer and Buick Encore for the US market.
The Suzuki is built in Hungary and is a Suzuki design unrelated to the GM Korea models.
At one time GM did supply Suzuki models produced in Korea and Suzuki provided GM with SUV's and cars produced in Japan and Canada.
God bless two Angels : Ms.Rebecca & Ms.Vicky!! In Russia loves cars too:)
Nice jacket 👍😀
Has auto fold side mirror.?
Yes
Drivetrain comes from Toyota (Yaris)
It doesn’t
Suzuki prooved to make a very good car worse. I owe a 1400 boosterjet allwheeldrive 6 speed auto of 2019. No hybrid just normal. Very fast, great on the road, quiet, very good economy and so on. I test drove the new one but could not believe how slow it was and with stupid AGS. I will keep my older Vitara. But i still Miss Rebecca her banana in testing.
The new AGS system is indeed in its infancy but on the other hand, even as the above video review indicates (as well as others), Suzuki has done the best job so far at a production AGS system, and considering that they've produced a better unit that anyone else on their first mass production car with it is quite impressive and you can be sure that it will receive continuous updates, improvements and refinements with each model refresh. As with any vehicle that introduces a rather newly implemented engine or transmission technology, it has to start somewhere. Remember how awful the early generation CVT's were? Yet now they are becoming mainstream and head over heals better than they were.
@@marketingmajor8126 My parents are considering buying this exact model, mainly because they need an auto and they like the idea of a brand new car for a cheap price. However I had a grand picasso with AGS back in 2014 and it was awful. Hopefully the suzuki version is better
@@mickmolloy6594 Citroen cars are not the most reliable. We don't have the Citroen brand anymore where I live but for reliability and overall satisfaction I would definitely choose Suzuki over Citroen who made the Grand Picasso. With Suzuki cars the most important thing is read the maintenance manual thoroughly and make sure the correct maintenance is being done. Personally I always stay ahead on the maintenance, I do it BEFORE the manual says to do it. I correctly have 2 Suzuki vehicles, both of which are over 15 years old and with zero need for any repairs the entire time I've owned them
@@JA-rn5qv The citroen wasn't unreliable, just awful to drive. Going up a steep hill it couldn't decide what was the best gear to be in, it would start off in 2nd,then change to 3rd,then back to 2nd again. The delay in changing between these gears meant the car almost came to a complete stop. There was nothing mechanically wrong with it, it was just a bad design.
Good.
Is it so hard for Suzuki to find a decent designer???
BMW have a similar problem
@@CptSpears007 I don't agree, BMW has a big lineup you can call ugly just the X7,iX and the 7 series. The 4 series has just front grille ugly and the XM it's so expensive that it doesn't matter how it looks,same thing like Bentley Bentayga. Even if you want to call all these 4 models ugly you still have the other 23 models that are beautiful and great to drive. Suzuki on the other hand has 4 models ( I don't count the rebadged Toyota) and the only one decent enough to look at is the Swift
@@andreiarama8745 I disagree
@@CptSpears007 with what? That Suzuki are not ugly?
Suzuki are not ugly they are indifferent to most people. BMWs are now all ugly. It's our opinion and you can't change it just like we can't change yours
I want an automatic 4 wheel drive with a sunroof, and as an SUV., No other car maker can compete with Suzuki on price. It’s the best value by a country mile. Sure .. if you want all the bells and whistles buy a Volvo XC90 , but you will need a lot more money !!!! 😊
Tengo el de 140 caballos allgrip automático y he tenido unos cuantos coche y te puedo decir que esto es un GTI en cuanto a conducción los que opinan mal de eso lo entiendo porque ya no podrán tenerlo jajaja
watch a suzuki vitara review > watch a bugatti chiron super sport review
If I won it i''d drive it no bother..😁👍
The video title is a real turn off.
The driver seat uncomfortable
No it is very comfortable.
It is uncomfortable. My vitara is 3 months old!
I want the car you’re driving in Rebecca
Not bothered what it is.
Yep Suzuki shot them selves in the boot or should that be the foot.
Gorgeous..... RJ!!! Not the Suzuki.
How to ruin a brilliant car
See post-2019 Suzuki Vitara for details
Saving the planet by boxy brick SUV UK 😂
Hybrids are pointless
What a horrible, dated, crampt and ugly little horror of a vehicle... The nasty colour and gloomy, plasticky interior only add to ownership misery.. Driving this would be such a chore with no driving pleasure and handling like a drunken sailor...
A decent family hatchback would be a much better bet... Example Honda Jazz
This is not a hatchback- also my family has one and it’s really good, look at the safety! Also it’s not a huge deal, but yeah the Jazz (or Fit in other countries) is good too!
Plandemic hahaahha @0:18
Scamdiddlydemic!