Family car review: Suzuki Vitara

Compact SUV’s like the Nissan Juke or Renault Captur offer Mums a car similar in price to a traditional small family hatchback, but with a high up driving position, more space, and heaps more style and fun. Suzuki has just launched its Vitara compact SUV in Ireland, and as you can see it looks super-duper cool! Prices start at just €19,995, it has cheap road tax and fuel efficient engines. We took one for a week long test drive in April 2015 to see if it meets the needs of Irish parents.

Inside the Vitara strikes a nice balance between simple-to-use controls and a modern, funky dashboard design with lots of cool, modern touches like the analogue clock between the air vents which is standard on the top spec GLX model we tested. The front seats feel like they could be from a bigger car; they are large, and comfortable on a long journey. Despite the long list of modern technologies on board, the main buttons and switches for the air, indicators, wiper, windows and the radio are big and easy to use. Driver visibility is excellent, and the bonnet is quite high up making it easy to judge gaps in city traffic. In the back taller teenagers will appreciate the high-up bench seat which has lots of legroom, while a smaller child fits comfortably in the middle.

There’s a full colour touch screen which displays information for the satellite navigation, your smart phone, and the radio. The air con buttons and settings have been kept separate from the screen which we think is a smart move. The screen itself is broken into four squares and is reasonably simple to understand. There’s a handy double shelf in front of the gear lever which is a perfect fit for your smart phone, and located right beside the USB connection point if you want to play your music or charge your phone up.

Personalisation is the buzz word in the compact SUV sector at the moment and the Vitara is no different. You can choose many exterior chrome embellishments for your Vitara, although we were more interested in the so called ‘rugged’ options like the rubber boot floor, door skirts and boot lip cover, all of which protect the car from damage which busy family life could cause. You can also personalise the colour of parts of the interior – in our test car some attractive red panels were added. If you are doing this make sure you choose a colour you won’t get sick of!

There are two engine options, a 1.6 petrol and a 1.6 diesel. The petrol one is €2,000 cheaper in the two higher specification grades, GL+ and GLX, while the base model GL comes in petrol only and costs just €19,995. If you are a low mileage city driver the petrol model which costs €270 to tax, has engine stop-start fuel saving technology and will do around 350 miles on €50 petrol is the model for you. The diesel model is more powerful and fuel efficient, and perfect for families who drive longer distances on faster roads. There’s a four wheel drive model too with a snow and mud setting, which will suit families living on higher grounds or in agricultural areas.

Is there loads of storage space?

The Vitara has a slightly bigger boot than most family hatchbacks the size of a Volkswagen Golf. Getting things in and out with a child in one hand is easier than in lower cars due to the higher boot floor and the flat loading lip. There’s a false boot floor too which hides some extra storage space, and the shelf hiding the extra space has a hard, wipeable surface on one side so mucky gear does not stain the boot carpet. In the cabin the armrest and glovebox storage spaces are reasonably big for this size of car, and there’s a cleverly designed shelf under the air con controls which does a good job of keeping your smart phone in place when it is charging from the USB or power ports.

Is it baby friendly?

Many Mums will find life with a baby on board easier with the Vitara than with similarly priced hatch backs like the Ford Focus. It’s high up rear seats and wide opening doors make loading children and baby seats easier, while the high roof means you are less likely to bang your head doing so. The boot is at quite a high level also, so unloading buggies and baby bags requires sliding rather than lifting. The hidden storage in the boot which is perfect for small bits of shopping, so delicate items won’t get damaged if you do have a large buggy. Keyless entry means that once you have the key in your bag or pocket the doors can be opened without having to root for it and click the button.

Is parking easy?

The Vitara is not that long at all, and with its large wing mirrors, deep rear window and tall stance it is quite easy to manoeuvre. There is a bit of length in the bonnet, you will need to get used to swinging it front first into parking spaces. Unless you buy the base model you won’t have to pay extra for parking aids. All other models have a full colour reversing camera in the touchscreen, while top spec cars get front and rear parking sensors. Sorted!

What about safety?

A five star Euro NCAP safety rating with an 89% adult and 85% child protection scores put the Vitara at the top of its class for family safety. Mum’s will also be happy to see lots of safety equipment fitted as standard, including side and drivers knee airbags and hill hold assistance on all models. Higher grades also have adaptive cruise control which maintains a constant distance to the car in front automatically, city emergency braking which stops the car if it detects an imminent accident, and four wheel drive models feature settings which increase grip and control on hills, and when driving over mud, grass and snow.

Verdict:

Thumbs Up:

Cool looking family car which is practical and easy to drive

Strong safety features

Comfortable for passengers on a long journey

Easy to get a baby seat and buggy in and out of

Thumbs down

Small number of radio pre-sets available

Mummypages Ratings:

Baby friendliness: 4/5

Safety: 5/5

Cool rating: 4/5