Stepping out around town can often be fraught with danger. What to wear very much depends on where you are headed and of course the company you are in. Most of the business world appears to have turned its back on the three piece suit or power dress in favour of a more casual and more modern approach. The majority of the City Bars and Restaurants have relaxed their dress code and even a night out at the Theatre or Opera (when in town) has detuned its Pomp. Times have changed and it would appear that the Suzuki Vitara had changed with it.
The Vitara has always been a popular vehicle, following its inception in the late ‘80’s this spirited town and recreation vehicle literally created the Compact SUV category and has remained in high demand ever since. Now after four generations; the all new Vitara has a lot of experience to draw upon and it has used it wisely.
I got to review the Turbo 2WD Two Tone (Bright red with Cosmic Black roof) and it certainly ticked all the modern attire boxes. The contrasting paintwork craves attention especially when sitting up high (185mm ground clearance) on its 17” Gloss Black Alloys. Wraparound LED lamps and dominant (yet styley) grille make up the visage while strong shoulder lines and silver wing mirrors strike a profile pose. It looks clean and refreshed and ready to hit the town.
Under the hood sits a Boosterjet 1.4L Turbo engine that is as spritely as its looks and generates 103kW/220Nm (from as low as 1,500 rpm) while obtaining a reported 5.9L/100k’s efficiency when strapped to the 6 stage Automatic gearbox. It’s front wheel drive so nimble and agile on the tarmac but also has a strong ‘pull’ when you’re in a hurry – something that may take a little getting used to.
The interior is just as chic as the shell. The surrounds of the air vents and analogue clock (something that I couldn’t set for some reason) on top of the dash are colour coded to the paintwork. The infotainment screen is easy to navigate around and has the likes of Apple Carplay, Sat Nav, reverse camera and controls the 6 speaker sounds. Seats are Leather and suede style fabric with contrast stitching and the rear seats 60/40 split offering versatility and 710 Litres of luggage capacity (with all seats down). There is also a ‘secret’ storage compartment under the rear luggage space – a good place to hide your tablet. The Leather steering wheel has plenty of buttons to keep you occupied (the likes of cruise and audio controls) and it even has paddles.
I had the pleasure of the Vitara’s company for most of the working week. It commuted well and handled the city streets with aplomb. Hill hold control cut in when negotiating Auckland’s uneven terrain and just the right amount of sensors kept me away from neighbouring cars and walls when parking. The ride height and visibility was great and so was the turning circle, it’s a good all round townie that has plenty of pep. It comes with heaps of dash and trim colour options for you to make it your own and style accordingly. Although I didn’t get chance to stretch its legs on a long country trip, I can say for sure that the All New Suzuki Vitara is real two tone townie.
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