New Suzuki Vitara Hybrid Review

[@PlanetautoUK]

What do you think of the Suzuki Full Hybrid Vitara? Can you see yourself in one? Annabelle

[@mattsbeamer]

It’s great seeing the latest vitara. I really loved the original, in bright red with wide arches. I like that it has some of the styling design. It’s good to see that Suzuki are still improving their range. Cheers

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes, this just builds on the previous gen and all the extras especially heritage tweaks really add to it, thank you Matt

[@rogercantwell3622]

The best engine and geatbox combo is the 1.4 mild hybrid and manual. Almost identical mpg to the full hybrid, and no clunky AGS gearbox. The handling is very good in Sport mode - better than most FWD hatchbacks.

[@PlanetautoUK]

We love the BoosterJet with a manual Roger. Nothing beats the Swift Sport setup 🛞

[@gwright5471]

I do like the Vitara it's got a nice look and the Allgrip option gives some flexibility to the car I am coming up on the time 4 a car change and the Vitara is one for consideration as I have already test driven one. Looking to go for a fuel efficient vehicle next either hybrid or electric drive train only thing that's worrying is cost on AP is climbing a lot atm which can mean given current cost of living issues that vehicles like this might be pushed out my price bracket. Hopefully fingers crossed things don't get worse.

[@gwright5471]

Enjoying your reviews on KZbin very good

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you G - yes challenging times, this is what surprised us with Suzuki and theirs price reductions, clever idea -

[@leswall3061]

Could have explained the manual automatic gearbox a bit more, is it driven just like an automatic?

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s an automated manual, it’s works in conjunction with the ECUand as long as you’re not going for fast driving it’s not bad, apart from that it’s pretty self explanatory unlike CVT.

[@leswall3061]

@@PlanetautoUK Cheer's for the feed back

[@PlanetautoUK]

You’re welcome Les

[@TheMisterB2u]

Good review (as normal).Looked at Suzuki to replace my car but- 1. I'm tall and with sunroof not enough headroom unless you lower seat,but i prefer to sit high up! 2.Very dated inside with dials 3.Dont like rear lights which stick out pround of body. Have you tested a Dacia Duster auto yet or MG HS 1.5 auto ,as im looking at these now?

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes, the sunroof can be a challenge, I always sit as low as possible, meaning it barely affects me, I’ve never thought these are outdated inside, however I love classic analogue dials. The rear lenses is a trend that will likely change - we have driven 2 HS models one a PHEV and a Duster, power train setups I can’t quite remember, if you’d like the links just shout, thank you Mister B for the kind words

[@davidmarshall5596]

Well Annabelle I'm not sure i can see myself in the Suzuki but it's certainly a decent looking car. Like the colour & 2 tone👌Ben certainly knows his cars & goes very in depth on everything which provides lots of information especially for someone who is in the market for a particular model. The roads around Silverdale are pretty much like the roads in general..but the way the finances situation is going don't expect much improvement any time soon 🤔 except review as always 👍😁

[@PlanetautoUK]

Glad you can see the value of the review, even if this isn't the car for you, David. *A

[@attilathehun1778]

Hi there …can you please tell me about the sound system in the car ? Is it any good ? I have been searching online and can’t find any details of it not on the Suzuki website ..nor elsewhere…what brand is it ? Thanks in Advance. Attila

[@PlanetautoUK]

Astral, used for virtually every manufacturer unless limited ed Bose, Naim, B&O etc - sounds pretty good, enough mid, bass etc - you could always upgrade if need be, thank you Attila

[@attilathehun1778]

@@PlanetautoUK thanks for your response much appreciated 🙏🏼

[@juliapollitt8291]

Great video thank you 🙏 😊

[@PlanetautoUK]

You’re very welcome Julia

[@jdmguy44]

How did you find the gearbox? Was it smooth enough. Was thinking about test driving the S Cross with the same drivetrain. Thing is automated manuals never had a great reputation.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It does what it says on the tin. If you are driving it for economy, it handles it well, but under load it does become a wee bit indecisive to be honest. We've experienced this in the new S-Cross as well. In time it should be ironed out. Best best - drive it for yourself and see what you think of it. We did still manage to get a few good launches, but it does suit economy driving more. *A

[@gtz101]

Good review. From my test drive, the car is very much a no nonsense car and its good to see that Vitara have built this themselves rather than use Toyota. Main issue I found is the gearbox. AMT's are obsolete and not many car manufacturers use them anymore due to its weaknesses. It is far too jerky and slow clunky gear changes which is why Dual clutch transmissions were introduced which overcomes the issues of AMTs. I have no idea why Suzuki would use technology that no one wants anymore (other than cost reasons) and I suspect Suzuki won't sell many of these however thats not to say people shouldn't buy them. I believe this car is aimed at a particular segment group one where patience is required and believe in the brands values. I don't think its suited to regular town city driving, rather more long distance dual carriage / motorway where you are just cruising along but for me it just doesn't quite cut it where other hybrids offer so much more for the money. In all fairness it is quite under powdered to be considered a hybrid.

[@PlanetautoUK]

The thing is Suzuki know this and that’s why they offer manual too, this box does what it says on the tin in both S Cross and this - it’s the same with using Jimny engine with a CVT - the thing is it’s economical and works, and generally Suzuki owners are happy with that and it keeps prices down. PS drive the new Swift with a manual 😀 Thank you GTZ

[@gtz101]

@@PlanetautoUK According to my local Suzuki dealer in East London, they have struggled to sell the Vitara Hybrid since its launch. I would choose CVT over the AMT but neither would be my main preferred choice as torque convertor gearboxes which Suzuki used in the previous models were far more superior and better suited to this vehicle especially as its an off roader as well. Moving forward its unlikely Suzuki will use the AMT, next year the Suzuki evx should be launched, Suzuki's first EV car. Can't wait to see this. Hopefully you will be able to review it if you manage to get hold of one :)

[@PlanetautoUK]

@gtz101 ah yes, the AMT is a strange how do you do, it’s alright with leisurely driving anything remotely non and it struggles to decide what to do. Their manuals are great and CVT better than AMT in my experience - the new ev looks great, we’ll have a chat with Suzuki and see, we enjoyed attending the new Swift launch, manual 😀 thank you gtz

[@davidbray6515]

Had my across ultra almost a year one thing I don't like is the price of the tax for a so called hybrid considering my son has a old 2litre diesel and it's only 30 pound this is 3times as much but still really good car the across ultra has everything you could wish for

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes, VED is very strange one especially on classics, EVs and hybrids have kind of confused it all 😆😀 , fantastic vehicles. Thank you David

[@yuwaipun]

No rear armrest ,,¡ n power boots open ¿😢

[@PlanetautoUK]

Pretty well spec’d though Pun

[@HarvinderSinghRai-w6i]

We looked into this full hybrid and test it but it wasn't for us. The ride quality is hampered by the clunky gear changes which isn't very nice. The bit that worried me is junctions. It does hesitate when moving forward quickly. On busy junctions this can be dangerous as it leeps forward suddenly and out of control and so you will need a lot of patience. If you live in the main cities like London, Birmingham or Manchester this car isn't suited as it can be very annoying and frustrating as the system doesn't like to be hurried on busy roads. Probably more suited to quieter places like Devon Cornwall or North of England like Lancashire where its usually less traffic and quieter then main cities.

[@PlanetautoUK]

This sounds like the AMT we had in the S Cross, great for economy but launches, sporty driving it lacks. This was great.

[@Commodore_heavywave]

Ice blue gray color ❤

[@PlanetautoUK]

It really pops!

[@rogercantwell3622]

I have one coming in that colour. They have tweaked the styling a bit since the video, so the separate foglamps have gone (separate foglamps seem to be going out of fashion everywhere) and the hard-to-read grey dials have been replaced with normal white-on-black ones.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Ah some welcome improvements excellent thank you Roger

[@MandipJass]

I sold this car after three months of owning it. I was sold on the hybrid technology and the Suzuki brand that I admire but this was a frustrating and annoying car to own. Quite often it registered the wrong gear and would not do what you wanted the car to do. I have no idea what Suzuki were thinking when they manufactured and launched this vehicle. It just struggles to do what you want it to do. It doesn't like to be rushed either pushing it off its limits and causing an uncomfortable driving experience. I'm glad I sold it in good time. Very hard to live with this car.

[@PlanetautoUK]

We didn’t experience this in the Vitara but we did in the S Cross to a point. The AMT wasn’t great.

[@AdamRance-b8l]

Agree with most of the comments. I drove this full Hybrid yesterday which only comes in automatic which Suzuki call AGS which is an automated manual transmission. I have to say I was very disappointed with this car. The gear changes are so jerky and clumsy which hampers the overall ride quality. It tends to wheel spin or create a kangaroo effect if hurried in first gear at roundabouts which is somewhat dangerous. It needs time to work through the gears which for some like myself isn't particularly useful. However my main concern is off-roading and slow traffic driving. Suzuki have used the wrong gearbox. For off-roading crawl and creep features are important and unfortunately you cannot do that with an automated manual transmission, it will smoke the clutch very quickly in a short amount of time resulting in expensive damage. The previous Vitara’s with conventional Torque convertors were the right gearbox for off-roading. That’s why Land Rovers, earlier Vitara’s and other off roaders don’t use AMT’s and DCTs. Secondly for regular stop and go traffic, AMT's are the wrong choice. All in all disappointed with Suzuki's choice of gearbox however I can see the reasons for its selection, lower cost as AMT are cheap compared to other gearboxes and the need to meet EU emission regulations. The smaller boot space and the sluggish 0-60 figures are also disappointing. The car is more suited for long distance driving only from my experience.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Interesting, this didn’t have that however an S Cross at a launch did, it was fine low speeds, moderate acceleration etc - apply Sport or floor it and it was a different story.

[@AdamRance-b8l]

@@PlanetautoUK The S-Cross 2022 mild hybrid had torque convertor mated to a turbocharged engine (boosterjet). It was fine. I believe the newer edition of the S-Cross Suzuki got rid of the tubro engine and replaced with naturally aspirated engine like this Vitara and with AMT gearbox.

[@PlanetautoUK]

@AdamRance-b8l it did, it now uses the 1.5 Jimny engine with the AMT.

[@DeanPhilips-pr3hl]

My personal opinion having driven this car now, the seats are comfortable, the dashboard looks much more neater although its very similar to the previous models. For me this hybrid lacks substance and the wow factors that the earlier Vitara models from 2015 had. This model is too underpowered as a hybrid model and the gearbox is way too clumsy often registering the wrong gear selection when driving. It will do the job getting you from A to B but not a satisfying or pleasant feeling after getting to your destination especially on a long journey. The ride can be so annoying hampered by the clumsy and jerky gear changes. In my view a bad mistake by Suzuki, unfortunately I believe next year Suzuki will continue with this set up in the Vitara. They made one too many compromises. The reason why in my view the earlier Vitara's like the S model and SZ5 were so good, I would go as far as class leading is because everything worked so well and the driving dynamics of the vehicle were way beyond what I expected a car of this price range could do and it could do things that other cars within the sub compact segment could not do.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you Dean, the bottomline is the Boosterjet manual was exemplary, moving forward this is what will be the standard, CVT, auto manuals and hybrid systems.

[@DeanPhilips-pr3hl]

@@PlanetautoUK I agree although with electric cars there is no gearbox but with hybrids yes CVT and AMT I think Suzuki will stick with those. Only concern is and I am hoping I am wrong, I would hate to see Suzuki follow the foosteps of Mitsubishi Motors who left the UK simply because it simply could not innovate and make cars that were appealing to customers simply because others did the job better to customers. So far Suzuki's hybrid program is way behind its competitors, they will have to do a lot more than just offer mild hybrids each year and I am hoping at least next year when the EVX is launched the first electric car from Suzuki it will be able to offer something special.

[@PlanetautoUK]

No electric Suzuki yet though therefore MHEV or Hybrid

[@DeanPhilips-pr3hl]

@@PlanetautoUK There will be now. Suzuki just announced few days ago the Vitara EV (e-Vitara) due to be released next year :)

[@PlanetautoUK]

@DeanPhilips-pr3hl yes indeed, we’ve seen the press shots, looks pretty cool 😀 thank you Dean

[@shuttayerface503]

Needs a calendar not a speedo lol 🤣

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes, it’s not quite Boosterjet, mind you it’s not meant to be 😀

[@roviwoteap2375]

Buy a sports car then, if you must go racing around everywhere! This car isn’t supposed to be quick.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Very true 😀

[@rogercantwell3622]

Have you driven one? Suzuki understated the power and 0-60. The mild hybrid is more like 150bhp and the car doesn't weigh much.

[@indiana146]

Hope your both well its time to change my x cross i got the top range its been great good in snow but ive had bad luck 3 people have run in me is what it is if u have email ill show whst someone did other Sunday out side my house Im going for vitarA tĥis time its beautiful hope your both well Love your presentation Your both marvelous

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you for kind words @indiana146 - so glad you like what we do! Sorry to hear you’ve had such a run of back luck. Send your photos to planetautouk at gmail.com When do you take delivery of your Vitara? *A