Suzuki Vitara review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Prices for the Suzuki Vitara start from around £17,000, which is par for the course in the small crossover class, while the most expensive version weighs in at around £25,750, which again is in the ballpark for other small crossovers with 4WD.

Because it weighs relatively little (around 1,700kg), the Vitara’s running costs should be among the lowest in the class. Under WLTP testing, CO2 emissions start at 121g/km for the 1.0 front-wheel drive model, and rise 129g/km if you add an auto or Allgrip 4WD (but you can't add both together).

The 1.4 Boosterjet petrol starts at 131g/km, and rises to 133g/km with the auto box. Add Allgrip to the manual, and emissions rise to 139g/km, while the Allgrip auto is the biggest polluter of the lot (although not that bad really) at 143g/km. These emissions will affect the first year of road tax as part of the Vitara's list price, but as all cars are well below the £40k road tax surcharge limit, it'll cost £140 a year in road tax from the first time you pay it.

Fuel economy ranges from 45-53mpg, with better economy from the models with lower emissions in the paragraph above.

Insurance groups

Insurance groups for the Vitara range from 12 to 21, depending on version.

Depreciation

By fitting even the entry-level models with air-conditioning, Bluetooth, DAB radio and alloys, Suzuki is working hard to improve residual values for when you sell the car on a few years down the line.

The Vitara’s new ‘crossover’ style is more desirable too, so you can expect the car to hold on to more of its original value than the old-school Grand Vitara over the course of three years. Values are in the region of 39-46 per cent, with the entry level car the best of the bunch.