The delightful Suzuki Vitara

People say Turkish delight.. I say Japanese delight..

The Suzuki Vitara possesses three of my favourite things in a car, good looks, agility and elevation. The 6-speed manual gearbox is exactly what you need to go about a normal busy life in the urban areas, but I should add that also the farm life in the few kilometers I got to drive around Randfontein. At first I thought an automatic gearbox would have slapped harder with the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, but the manual is just as satisfactory.

This award winning model (Compact Family Car category three years in a row – Cars.co.za Consumer Awards) offers comfort with the stylishly designed interior. The cabin is spacious and refreshingly modernized by cool tech to go along with the feel of this car. The Vitara Turbo GLX has a 17.8cm touchscreen infotainment system that displays the reverse camera image in full colour and also features smartphone integration, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity. This model offers Automatic climate control, cruise control and a multifunctioning steering wheel.

Suzuki has fitted all models with seven airbags (including driver’s knees), electronic stability control (ESP) and ABS brakes with emergency brake assistance where safety is concerned. The Japanese car maker further equipped the models with Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) body-design, which features side and cross-body impact zones, ultra-high strength steel and additional bracing for a body that is both highly rigid and impact absorbing.

What was Suzuki thinking when they fitted the Vitara with a 1.4-litre BOOSTERJET engine? They were thinking 103kW with 220Nm of torque is exactly what someone needs to make their life better (i.e ME!). This is no Miss Daisy situation, this is a get away from the Quantum, overtake the PUTCO and get to the school pickup zone on time situation.

The Vitara Turbo is also equipped with LED daytime running lights, LED head and brake lights with a set of silver roof rails and chrome detailing in the front grille and under the fog lamps. This is pleasing to the eye. My advice always is, get a bright loud colour to spice things up!

For some of us hoping to leave the small hatch segment to now see the Compact SUV as an upgrade option, the market is becoming overpopulated with options. But it is always good to have options and I for one am glad the Vitara Turbo is one of them.