THE ALL NEW SUZUKI VITARA - PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS ANNOUNCED

◾All new 5-door Compact SUV – on sale in the UK from April.

◾Available with 1.6-litre petrol or 1.6-litre DDiS engines, both with 120PS.

◾Available in SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 grades, priced from £13,999 for 1.6 petrol SZ4 with two wheel drive up to £21,299 for 1.6 DDiS SZ5 ALLGRIP.

◾Urban and Rugged option packs available at £500.

◾Seven airbags fitted as standard including Drivers Knee Airbag.

◾Bluetooth and DAB Radio fitted as standard.

◾Smartphone link audio and navigation fitted as standard on SZ-T and SZ5 models.

◾Radar Brake Support and Adaptive Cruise Control available on SZ5 models.

◾Suzuki ALLGRIP intelligent four-wheel drive available as an option on SZ5 models.

◾CO2 emissions of 106g/km for 1.6-litre DDiS with two wheel drive and 70.6mpg on the EC Combined cycle.

◾CO2 emissions of 123 g/km for 1.6-litre petrol with two wheel drive.

◾Six speed automatic transmission for SZ5 petrol models available in Summer 2015.

Ever since its market launch in 1988, the Suzuki Vitara series has earned high acclaim for stylish, city oriented designs, compact and easy to manage dimensions, good on-road performance and genuine off-road capability. The series has evolved through changes in body size and powertrain.

Now, more than 25 years after the original model's debut, the Vitara heritage is embodied in a fresh sport utility vehicle incarnation. The all-new Vitara has smaller dimensions to meet contemporary needs and incorporates Suzuki's cutting-edge ALLGRIP four wheel drive system as an option. Advanced safety and connectivity equipment is available and Vitara also enables owners to express themselves through various personalisation options.

Specification Highlights and Pricing

A full standard equipment specification table is listed on the last pages of this release; highlights for SZ4 include seven airbags, 16-inch alloy wheels, DAB Radio with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, Cruise control with speed limiter, auto air conditioning, front and rear electric windows and projector headlamps.

SZ-T adds 17-inch silver painted alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, Smartphone link audio and navigation system.

Moving up to SZ5 adds LED Projector headlights, 17-inch polished alloy wheels, suede seat fabric, keyless entry with start button, Adaptive Cruise Control, Radar Brake Support and Panaoramic sunroof.

Model Vehicle OTR Price

1.6 SZ4 £13,999

1.6 SZ-T £15,499

1.6 SZ5 £17,999

1.6 SZ5 ALLGRIP £19,799

1.6 DDiS SZ-T £16,999

1.6 DDiS SZ5 £19,499

1.6 DDiS SZ5 ALLGRIP £21,299

Urban Pack (for SZ-T & SZ5) £500

Rugged Pack (for SZ-T & SZ5) £500

Metallic Paint (for all models) £430

Dual-tone Paint (for SZ-T & SZ5) £800

Personalisation

From the initial development stage, Vitara was designed with personalisation in mind. Diverse exterior colours and a range of design details enable owners to specify their Vitara to their individual tastes. Customers can choose from 10 body colour possibilities that include two new colours as well as five two tone combinations. The two new colours are Atlantis Turquoise Pearl Metallic and Horizon Orange Metallic.

Several other items are available to further personalise Vitara interior and exterior trim detailing. These are:

◾Instrument panel trim (turquoise, orange, white, or piano black)

◾Ventilation louvre rings (turquoise, orange, white, or piano black)

◾Centrally located clock (CARBON or KANJI)

Available as a £500 option, owners can also further emphasise their new Vitara's on or off-road credentials by choosing from two packages:

◾Urban package adds sophistication and consists of fog lamp bezels (chrome-plated), body-side mouldings, and a roof spoiler.

◾Rugged package emphasises SUV toughness. It consists of front and rear skid plates, fog lamp bezels, body-side mouldings, and loading edge protection.

Engines

The new Vitara is powered by the M16A 1.6-litre petrol engine or the D16AA 1.6-litre DDiS engine. With the petrol option, friction reductions combined with weight savings in the engine and related components help achieve excellent fuel economy together with high output and torque. For the diesel engine, a new EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system and an electronically controlled VGT (Variable Geometry Turbocharger) help achieve powerful, torquey performance together with low emissions and Euro 6. Respective engine output and torque figures are as follows:

M16A D16AA

Maximum output 120PS /6,000rpm 120PS /3,750rpm

Maximum torque 156Nm/4,400rpm 320Nm/1,750rpm

CO2 emissions

The new Vitara's CO2 emissions are low thanks to the use of high tensile steel and other weight saving measures in the body plus an Engine Auto Stop Start system which shuts down the engine when stationary. The CO2 emissions for the petrol engine with two wheel drive / manual transmission are 123g/km and 127g/km for the petrol engine with two-wheel drive / six-speed automatic transmission.

Four-wheel drive is typically seen as detrimental to fuel economy and emissions performance. By contrast, Suzuki's ALLGRIP system enables CO2 emissions that are remarkably low for a four-wheel drive SUV with figures of 130g/km with five-speed manual transmission and 131g/km with six-speed automatic transmission.

The new Vitara also has outstandingly low CO2 emissions with the DDiS engine, emitting just 106g/km with two-wheel drive / six-speed manual transmission and 111g/km with four-wheel drive / six-speed manual transmission.

Safety

◾Comprehensive list of active and passive safety equipment

◾Radar Brake Support system available on SZ5 models.

◾Light, impact absorbing body; speed limiter; ESP® * (Electronic Stability Programme), and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)

◾Adaptive Cruise Control for more relaxed driving available on SZ5 models.

*ESP is a registered trademark of Daimler AG.

by Suzuki

The Suzuki Sidekick, as it was known in North America, was produced under various names from 1989 through 2003. The Sidekick was known by many names; in Europe, it was the Vitara as well as in North America after 1999, and the Suzuki Escudo, which was produced from 1989 through 2004. The project was a joint venture between General Motors and Suzuki. GM's version was known as the Geo Tracker, after 1998, they were the Chevrolet Tracker. In Canada, they were the Pontiac Sunrunner, in Spain, it was the Santana 300 and 350. It even carried a Mazda badge in the Japanese market.

For the North American market, the Suzuki Sidekick was first introduced in 1989. It was offered in two body styles, including a two-door convertible or hardtop. The JA version was fitted with a 1.3-liter engine. The JX and JLX trim levels had a 1.6-liter engine rated at 80 horsepower and given a four-wheel drive system. The JLX version was removed from the line-up in 1990. A four-door version of the Sidekick was introduced in 1991, sitting on a larger wheelbase and greatly enhancing the versatility and appeal of the vehicle. A Sport version appeared in 1996, featuring a 1.8-liter engine that was good for 120 horsepower. The package included 16-inch alloy wheels, a two-tone paint scheme, and dual airbags for safety.

1996 was the same year Suzuki introduced their X-90, which was basically a Sidekick with two doors, seating for two, a trunk, a removable T-bar roof, and a much rounder body. Mechanically, they were identical. The X-90 never sold well as the public did not agree with the design. Production lasted for a short time, ending in 1998.

In 1999, the Sidekick/Escudo/Vitara was redesigned. For North America, the name 'Sidekick' was dropped in favor of Vitara. The four-seater vehicle could be purchased with a 1.3L, 1.6L, or 1.8L four-cylinder engine with carburetion or electronic fuel injection. Diesel engines were made available in Europe. A four-speed manual was standard, with a five-speed manual and automatic being offered as optional equipment. The Vitara came in two- or four-door models or soft-top 2-door models.

The Vitara remained in production in North America until 2003. Its twin, the Chevrolet Tracker, followed the same fortune the following year.

by Dan Vaughan