New Suzuki e Vitara revealed: Japanese brand’s first EV only offers 248-mile range

Suzuki is one of the last mainstream brands yet to launch its first electric car but the Japanese firm will finally get in on the action with the all-new Suzuki e Vitara: a pure-electric small SUV that’s arriving next year to duke it out with the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq and many others.

This is not a pure-electric version of the existing, hybrid-powered Suzuki Vitara. At 4,275mm long and with a wheelbase of 2,700mm, the e Vitara is 100mm longer than its sibling and there’s an extra 200mm between the wheels, which will help provide more interior space.

The new EV is wider and taller as well, but unsurprisingly, it’s also much heavier. The lightest version weighs in at 1,702kg, while the top-spec, dual-motor car tips the scale at close to 1,900kg. The combustion-powered Vitara on the other hand is between 1,075kg and 1,325kg, depending on the model. 

The design of the e Vitara is based on the Suzuki eVX concept that was revealed in January 2023, with both cars featuring angular wheelarches, a gently sloping roofline, extensive use of plastic cladding for an SUV-esque look and the ‘three-point matrix’ lighting signature at the front and rear.  18- and 19-inch alloy wheels will be offered. 

The e Vitara does appear to have slightly more complex body surfacing than the concept though, with lots of creases, and no faux-skid plate sections on the bumpers, just all black plastic. The original concept’s flush door handles didn’t make it either, with the road-going model using conventional door handles instead up front, and the rear’s are concealed in the C-pillar. The charging port is found above the front-left wheelarch.

Interior and practicality

The concept’s interior design has been toned significantly for the e Vitara, but there are a few similarities in the layout and it certainly looks more modern than the cabin of the existing Vitara. Behind the two-spoke steering wheel is a 10.25-inch fully digital driver’s display, housed in the same panel as the 10.1-inch central infotainment screen, mounted high up on the dashboard. 

Other features include a small row of physical climate controls located on the dash, and a floating centre console with the rotary gear selector from the Toyota bZ4X, a wireless charging pad and cup holders on top, and a large storage area underneath, plus charging ports. 

We got the chance to look around the Suzuki e Vitara during its official unveiling, and weren't bowled over by the amount of practicality on offer. The floor in the rear, while flat, is quite high so taller adults might not find it terribly comfortable back there on long journeys. The door bins are just about big enough for a small water bottle, though there are, at least, a pair of charging ports and two sets of ISOFIX child-seat mount points. 

The 306-litre boot also falls short of what we’d expect from an SUV this size, as even the much smaller Jeep Avenger offers 355 litres of luggage capacity. The Suzuki does feature a 60:40-split sliding rear bench that can be pulled forward by approximately 20cm, however due to the high boot floor, the most luggage space the e Vitara can offer is around 320 litres. 

Range, battery and four-wheel drive

The e Vitara sits on a newly developed, EV-dedicated platform called ‘Heartect-e’ that Suzuki jointly developed with Toyota and Daihatsu. Certain technical details have yet to be announced, but we do know a heat pump will be fitted as standard and two battery sizes will be available: 49kWh and 61kWh. 

We’re told the larger unit will only provide 248 miles (400km) of range. For context, in the right guise, the EV3 and Elroq both have a maximum range of more than 370 miles. Meanwhile, despite a claimed maximum charging speed of 150kW, the e Vitara takes around 30 minutes to charge from 15 to 70 per cent. 

The entry-level e Vitara will use the 49kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor that produces 142bhp and 189Nm of torque. This version will probably offer close 200 miles of range from a single charge.

8

The mid-range e Vitara gets the larger 61kWh powerpack, plus a 172bhp e-motor that drives the front wheels. Meanwhile the top-spec Suzuki combines the same battery with two e-motors – one on each axle – that deliver 181bhp, 300Nm of torque and four-wheel drive. 

Suzuki claims its new AllGrip-e system provides “powerful performance”, and it adds a Trail mode for rough terrain and slippery conditions. It can apply the car’s brakes on spinning wheels while also sending torque to the opposite wheel to improve traction, which should have a similar effect to a limited-slip differential. 

A stronger regenerative braking mode is activated via a button on the centre console, and the usual Normal, Eco and Sport drive modes are available too. 

The Suzuki e Vitara will be built in India starting in spring 2025, and sales will get underway in Europe by summer. At the time of writing, no pricing has been announced, but a starting price of around £30,000 seems likely considering the Kia EV3 starts from just under £33,000 and the Skoda Elroq is priced at £31,500.

Suzuki’s first EV is also Toyota’s next EV

Suzuki is also going to share the e Vitara with Toyota, which will launch a rebadged, potentially slightly different-looking version that will be the second model in the brand’s bZ-branded line-up of EVs. 

This makes sense as Toyota and Suzuki have been working together since 2016, and in the UK, the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports and RAV4 PHEV are sold as the Suzuki Swace and Across respectively. 

Toyota already gave us a glimpse of its electric Yaris Cross alternative when it unveiled the ‘Small Urban SUV’ last year, which looked very similar to Suzuki’s eVX concept mentioned earlier. However it’s unclear when Toyota’s take on the e Vitara will be revealed.

Click here for our list of the electric cars with the longest range...