SA Media Reacts to the Suzuki Vitara Turbo

Suzuki has taken its tough yet elegant SUV to another level by boosting the Vitara with a powerful turbo engine. The local media were happy to Drive the Fun at its launch. Here’s a round-up of reviews from experienced motor journalists that test drove the Vitara Turbo for themselves.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA LOVES TO DRIVE THE FUN, AND SO WILL YOU!

IOL loves how Suzuki listened to their customers who wanted a more powerful engine option in the compact SUV range. Although the Vitara Turbo matches the Swift Sport's power output of 103kW at 5500rpm, IOL’s Jason Woosey was impressed that the turbo-charged SUV produced the 230 Nm of torque a good 1000 revolutions lower than the naturally aspirated engine, at 1500rpm and that, despite its size, they were almost able to get the Vitara Turbo from 0-100km/h in the nine-second bracket.

“Turbo buyers still get plenty of kit, including Suzuki’s 17.8cm touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reverse camera, automatic climate control, cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, auto lights and wipers, LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels.” - Jason Woosey, IOL

Wheels24 noticed the Vitara’s new look and are impressed with the new front design, new alloy wheel options, and revised rear style with new LED light clusters. “Vitara owners can customise their vehicles to their heart’s content thanks to a very comprehensive accessory catalogue. This catalogue offers over eighty optional extras, including roof racks, bicycle racks, tow bars, cargo partitions, special deodorised air conditioning filters, custom door sills and even an electric cooler box for the luggage compartment,” - Wheels24

Image from WomenOnWheels

WomenOnWheels loved how the new turbo-charged Vitara remains fuel-efficient

with the extra torque fuel consumption at 5.8 litres for the manual model and 5.9 litres for the auto. “We had the opportunity to drive over a fair amount of gravel road during our test drive and I found that the level of comfort when driving over bumps (and there were lots of unexpected and unavoidable ones) was outstanding,” Caira-Lee Du Rand, WomenOnWheels.

Jaco van der Merwe from The Citizen appreciated the attention to detail in the upgraded compact SUV with top-notch details like the dedicated key holder in front of the gear lever and how the new engine has given this compact SUV enough power to get you where you need to go while remaining comfortable.

“The cabin has enough leg and headroom, while the boot offers a generous 375 litres of space, which can be extended to 710 litres with rear seats folded down. Overall, our time in the Vitara was a pleasure. Anybody looking for a compact SUV will be foolish not to look at it,” - Jaco van der Merwe, The Citizen.

AutoTrader noticed how the new touchscreen infotainment system was similar to the one in the new Jimny but now features a rear-view camera, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto and how Suzuki listened to its customers and delivered newly - designed seat upholstery for the Alcantara/synthetic leather-trimmed GLX, and fresh, striking white stitching on the fabric seat upholstery in GL+ models.

Are you ready to get behind the wheel of this turbo-charged compact SUV? Book a test drive and experience the fun of the Vitara Turbo for yourself.

Ready to buy the new Vitara Turbo? Or maybe you have your eyes on another Suzuki? Our guide to buying a car will help you as you get all the admin done when buying and choosing a car.