Skip advert
Advertisement

Suzuki Vitara - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Suzuki Vitara is practical enough, although there are more versatile small SUVs around

Overall Auto Express Rating

3.0 out of 5

Practicality, comfort and boot space Rating

3.9 out of 5

Price
£24,829 to £30,379
Find your Suzuki Vitara
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

As an all-seasons car, the four-wheel-drive version of the Vitara is a practical choice – it might not climb a mountain or cross a river like the Land Rover Defender, or even the old Vitara, but it’s perfectly capable of crossing a muddy field or finding traction on icy roads where two-wheel-drive cars would scrabble for grip.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The front-driven versions are less versatile, but as with other crossover models you get a commanding, SUV-style view of the road ahead, and for many drivers, the greater fuel efficiency the 2WD system offers will outweigh the frequency that four-wheel drive will be needed.

Unlike previous Vitara generations, there’s no three-door version, so all models are equally practical. It’s easy for drivers to get comfortable, thanks to the wide range of seat and steering wheel adjustments. The reasonably thin roof pillars and large door mirrors help with visibility, but if you need extra help, then the mid-range SZ-T adds a reversing camera, and the top-of-the-range SZ5 comes with front and rear parking sensors.

The front doors have large storage bins, although the glove box is a bit on the small side.

Size

Because it’s 125mm shorter overall (with a 100mm shorter wheelbase) than the Suzuki S-Cross, the Suzuki Vitara doesn’t have the same amount of interior space, but it's still a spacious family car.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

At 4,175mm long, 1,775mm wide and 1,610mm tall, the Vitara is slightly bigger than the Nissan Juke (4,135mm x 1,765mm x 1,565mm) in all directions.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The high-sided design means there’s lots of rear headroom. Legroom is generous enough for all but the tallest adults.

Advertisement - Article continues below

If you want to emphasise the feeling of space, you can opt for a panoramic roof with a large 560mm opening, although on our test car, it suffered an irritating rattle (early test cars sometimes have this issue). The sunroof impacts headroom in the rear seats – not an issue if you mainly carry children, but six-footers will find it a problem. 

As with most small SUVs, two ISOFIX child seat mounting points are provided on the rear seats' outer positions.

Boot

The boot space of 375 litres (increasing to 710 litres with the rear seats folded) is fairly small for a car of this size. Many rivals, such as the SEAT AronaRenault Captur, and Peugeot 2008 are all capable of hauling more luggage. You get an even smaller boot with the Full Hybrid; its 289-litre space is less than you get in a supermini. It’s a well-thought-out shape, though – square, with a wide opening and a moveable boot floor to bring the loading area level with the boot lip. It also provides an area to store items out of sight.

Towing

The Suzuki Vitara has a modest maximum braked trailer towing capacity compared to some small SUVs because all models are limited to 1,200kg. Dedicated caravan types must go for the four-wheel drive ‘4Motion’ VW T-Roc, which can tow up to 1,700kg in both 2.0-litre petrol and diesel forms.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.0 Boosterjet SZ4 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £17,150

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.5 Hybrid SZ-T 5dr AGS
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £25,870

Fastest

  • Name
    1.4 Boosterjet SZ-T 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £20,105
Online Reviews Editor

Max looks after the reviews on the Auto Express website. He’s been a motoring journalist since 2017 and has written for Autocar, What Car?, Piston Heads, DrivingElectric, Carbuyer, Electrifying, and Good Motoring Magazine.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024