Suzuki e Vitara, electric motors arrive at the legendary Japanese 4x4

This past summer the Suzuki Vitara, along with the S-Cross, received a restyle and a month later began sales with an offer in which hybrids were the stars, being the only ones available for this already legendary SUV. In fact, we could almost consider it mythical, because little or nothing remains of the 4×4 that made a name for itself in this world, and even less will remain now after the presentation of its first fully electric version, the e Vitara.

Until now, hybrid engines were the highest level of electrification you could choose if you wanted a Suzuki, something that has come to an end with the arrival of the e Vitara, the first global electric model from Suzuki. Based on the eVX prototype that the brand presented at the Auto Expo held in India and at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, the e Vitara arrives with an image of its own personality that distances it from the hybrid model.

The features are there, but as you can see the Suzuki e Vitara shows a different front end, divided into two distinct zones: on one hand the upper part with a closed grille painted like the rest of the bodywork and the LED light unit joined by a black strip with the brand logo in the centre; while on the other hand we have a lower part with a bumper in black with aggressive lines and the fog lights housed in its lowest part.

From the side we can see that the Suzuki e Vitara grows in size compared to the hybrid Vitara, not too much, going from 4,185 mm in length to 4,275 mm, and with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, which also grows. This view also lets us see how the SUV image is reinforced with black wheel arches that link up with the protections on the lower part of the doors, while the roofline extends its drop with a new spoiler with side trims. At the rear everything is new too: the tailgate, the design of the light unit and the bumper, all with a more restrained look than the front.

If we look at the interior of the new Suzuki e Vitara we also find a cabin different from the hybrid Vitara; in fact it presents a more refined and technological look that gives a sense of higher quality. For now the brand has not offered more specific data, but we can see a digital dashboard and a new screen for the infotainment system joined under a single glass; on the central console most of the buttons have disappeared and in the central tunnel are the buttons for the parking brake, various safety or assistance systems and the gear “lever”.

As regards the mechanical part, the Suzuki e Vitara will initially be offered with a single electric motor with outputs of 106 kW (144 CV) and 189 Nm or 128 kW (175 CV) and 189 Nm. In both cases the drive will be 4×2 or what Suzuki calls eAxle, in which the motor and inverter are integrated together with the lithium iron phosphate battery, which by the way will be 49 kWh for the first option. The second option will be linked to a higher-capacity battery, specifically 61 kWh.

There will be a third option that also uses the 61 kWh battery, but in this case it will be 4×4 thanks to the AllGrip-e electric traction system, which uses a 128 kW (175 CV) electric motor on the front axle and a 48 kW (66 CV) motor on the rear axle, achieving a combined power of 135 kW (185 CV) and a torque of 300 Nm.

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadSuzuki Vitara11 versions · from 27,925 €