Used car check: Suzuki Vitara - little guy, big at the TÜV

In Germany, Suzuki is a rather small car supplier.

Used car check: Suzuki Vitara - little guy, big at the TÜV

In Germany, Suzuki is a rather small car supplier. But the vehicles have it all, as the small Vitara shows. And the TÜV inspectors are also satisfied.

Anyone looking for a small SUV can choose from a wide range of used models. However, if the desired model has all-wheel drive, the selection is significantly smaller. If you still want an automatic, things will get tight. Those interested in used cars will then end up, among other things, with the Suzuki Vitara.

body and interior

The Suzuki Vitara is not the little brother of the Grand Vitara (2005 to 2015), which was a real off-roader with a ladder frame, permanent four-wheel drive and reduction gear. With the Vitara, which has been available since 2015, there was and still is the option of ordering all-wheel drive (Allgrip). All-wheel drive has four modes - from "Auto" to "Sport" to "Snow" and "Lock". With "Auto" only the front wheels are initially driven, only when there is a lack of grip is up to 50 percent of the power sent to the rear axle. However, the ground clearance of 18.5 centimeters and the angle of departure of 18 degrees prevent demanding off-road rides.

The Vitara stretches to a length of 4.17 meters. The five-door offers five seats, but in most cases only two people should ride in the rear. The trunk volume is decent at 375 to 1,120 liters. In the summer of 2018, the Vitara received a facelift, externally recognizable by the radiator grille struts in a vertical instead of horizontal orientation and by a modified light graphic of the taillights. In addition, plastics with soft-touch surfaces and a color display in the instrument cluster are used in the interior, which enhance the interior ambience.

engines and propulsion

At the market launch in 2015, the Vitara was available with an 88 kW/120 hp 1.6 liter petrol engine, which was soon joined by a 1.4 liter turbo with 103 kW/140 hp. The sucker needs almost 12 seconds for the sprint to country road speed and approves an average of 5.5 liters. With the turbo, you can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and consume around 0.2 liters less on average than with the naturally aspirated engine. A 1.6-liter diesel, also with 120 hp, completed the range of engines. Its acceleration values ​​were at the level of the naturally aspirated petrol engine, its standard consumption was 4 liters.

The entry-level petrol engine was retired with the facelift, and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo with 111 hp was introduced instead, which boasted standard fuel consumption of 5.3 to 5.7 liters. The diesel fell out of the program. As an alternative to the manual switch, the units could be combined with a six-speed automatic transmission or with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (diesel).

At the beginning of 2020, Suzuki cleaned up the engines again. That meant the end for the three-cylinder turbo, the 1.4-liter turbo has been revised and has since achieved 129 hp. It is only available in conjunction with a manual six-speed gearbox. A 1.5-liter full hybrid with 102 hp and an automated six-speed gearbox has been available since early 2022.

equipment and security

The Vitara was and is offered in the well-known Suzuki equipment lines Club, Comfort and Comfort. The base level was reserved for the small petrol engine, but included comfort features such as side airbags and knee pads for the driver as well as air conditioning, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors and electric windows and height-adjustable front seats. It was awarded five stars in the 2015 Euro NCAP crash test. At the highest level, automatic climate control, reversing camera, 17-inch aluminum, navigation system and a panoramic glass sunroof were part of the delivery program. Since the facelift there has been a safety upgrade in the form of traffic sign recognition, cross traffic and blind spot warning and lane departure warning. However, these assistants are not all available in the basic version.

quality

Vitara owners need not fear the TÜV inspection. The small SUV usually masters the main inspection (HU) without any problems. 93 percent of the examined vehicles aged up to three years pass the main inspection without any problems, for the 4 to 5 year old vehicles the rate is 90 percent and thus still higher than the average of all vehicles examined (92.5 and 87.6 percent ). According to the TÜV report, the Vitara performs well when it comes to chassis, rust, brakes and the exhaust system. However, the lighting is often unpleasant. Those interested in used cars should also pay attention to possible oil loss.

Conclusion: The Suzuki Vitara is an alternative to the small SUVs such as the Opel Mokka, Renault Captur, Kia Stonic or VW C-Cross. In addition to his good performance at TÜV, he scores with all-wheel drive and automatic. This is not a matter of course in this class. As a result, it is not a bargain even as a used vehicle. You have to put down around 12,000 euros for older used ones with the 120 hp petrol engine and mileage of around 150,000 kilometers.