“That looks slick.” This is the typical greeting anyone would have upon seeing the 2018 Suzuki Vitara. Of course, for people old enough to remember, they would remember the badge as having been affixed on a model that pioneered the small, no-nonsense 4x4. With the Jimny now handling that duty within the Suzuki line-up, the Vitara’s been transformed into their new sub-compact crossover offering, and like what everyone else would say, it does look slick.

The 2018 Vitara plays an entirely new tune and this is communicated well with the styling. There are nods to previous Vitara styling cues, but whether you remember them or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it looks handsome. Compared to its market rivals which is either odd or ugly, this upright, square-cornered crossover is cute, approachable, muscular, and chiseled all at the same time. An even bigger bonus is the amount of stuff that comes standard in the GLX model: automatic LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, the two-tone roof motif, a panoramic sunroof, and 17-inch polished wheels.



The Vitara’s pleasantness continues inside. Though the doors themselves feel hollow and tinny (the door panel would actually budge every time the window would go up and down), at least the entire cabin is habitable. The plastics could be plusher for sure, but everything feels solid and well-assembled. The controls are all laid out in a logical manner, and plus, there are some cute cues too such as the center analog clock.

Finding a comfortable driving position is fairly easy with the Vitara’s tilt/telescopic steering column and a driver’s seat that moves 6 ways. The seat width itself is on the narrow side, but at least they don’t end up being uncomfortable even after long drives. The leather/suede combination don’t just look good too, they actually keep you in place during cornering. Towards the back, the Vitara’s rear accommodations will struggle to fit three adults, but two will have livable shoulder and leg room. That said, the panoramic sunroof could be a problem for taller passengers. Not only does it rob a big chunk of headroom, but the translucent cover allows heat to permeate through. Global warming is most certainly felt in here even with the climate control at full blast.



Another not-so-good thing is the Vitara’s infotainment system. While the tablet-sized Android-based system does play all sorts of audio and video formats (it also allows the installation of apps such as Google Maps and Waze), the lack of physical controls make the simplest things like changing radio stations or muting James Reid difficult. It’s got steering wheel controls and that helps things a bit, but it’s not a complete solution; there are no shortcuts to simple commands like the Bluetooth hands-free, for example.

In terms of storage, there’s plenty of it aboard the Vitara. Not only is the glovebox lit (a rarity in this class), but mobile phones and media players can fit perfectly in the bin located in front of the shifter. There’s no center armrest or center console to speak of here, but honestly, it’s not missed. The cargo hold itself is squarish and upright so fitting duffel bags and some groceries is fine, but it will struggle to fit two full-sized suitcases side-by-side.



In a flash of brilliance, Suzuki opted to recycle the SX4’s platform to engineer the Vitara. As such, it’s more hatchback than SUV in terms of on-road performance, and that’s actually a good thing. Toss it around and it obliges. It does feel portly around the edges with more body roll and understeer, but it’s never wieldy. For a small car though, the electric power steering is on the weightier side and the turning circle is wide. Once adjusted for though, it’s all good.

If there’s a chink in the Vitara’s armor, it has to do with NVH isolation or the lack of it. On billiard smooth surfaces, it performs impeccably—soaking up kilometers effortlessly. Show it a slight imperfection, such as those road corrugations, and the chassis will hop nervously across them. It’s a common problem with short wheelbase cars, and the Vitara certainly falls victim to that. What’s more, these undulations enter the cabin almost unfiltered and together with the countless shimmies and rattles in the cabin equates to a less than refined ride. Those countless steering corrections and unfiltered crashes actually make the Vitara tiring to drive during the daily commute than it is on long drives.



Under the hood, the Vitara relies on a 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 115 horsepower and 156 Nm of torque. It takes some poking to get this 1,120-kilogram SUV going but once it does, it settles into a nice, balanced rhythm. It pulls strongly but does feel coarse and boomy at higher revs. The accompanying 6-speed automatic is equally good, but there’s a hint of slippage when coming from a standstill. Nonetheless, it does promote pretty good fuel economy figures: 9.52 km/L at 17 km/h and up to 18.87 km/L at 52 km/h. The steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters can override gears at any time and with both cruise control and speed limiter functions, it makes highway driving much easier.

While the Vitara’s on-road performance does end up being a bit of a mixed bag, there’s no denying that it scores very high in the value-for-money department. Aside from the aforementioned features, it gets everything and the kitchen sink: push-button engine start/stop, power folding mirrors, 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, front and rear proximity sensors, rear parking camera—all of this for just P 1,098,000 post-TRAIN prices. This car is definitely an amazing steal.



Overall though, the 2018 Suzuki Vitara is a solid bet in the burgeoning sub-compact SUV market. Not only does it look sleek, but a drive reveals that that beauty is more than skin deep. While it’s still not the perfect driving machine some would expect it to be, a lot of its imperfections are forgivable given it drives reasonably well and is kitted excellently. Suzuki may be known for modest small cars, but the Vitara shows that its specialization can extend to slightly bigger cars. The likes of the Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke, SsangYong Tivoli better watch out, it’s the best among the sub-compact SUV crowd.