2015 Suzuki Vitara revealed

Suzuki is bringing back the Vitara to headline a stronger push into the booming compact SUV class.

The born-again Vitara is set to plug the gap between the new suburban S-Cross and the off-road Grand Vitara in Australia, starting below $30,000.

It's just been previewed in advance of the Paris auto show, where it will be pitched as the Suzuki's new family-focused escape machine.

Suzuki has released no mechanical information and just one image. The Vitara is expected to be front-wheel drive with petrol and diesel engines and, on higher-spec examples, optional on-demand all-wheel drive.

"This is (completely) a new car. The current Grand Vitara stays on, and this is a different car altogether," says Suzuki Australia spokesman Andrew Ellis.

"Suzuki is showing the European car at the Paris show but we're not expecting any major differences for Australia. We're expecting it in quarter two, next year."

Ellis says the Vitara fits between the Jimny and Grand Vitara, although he concedes it's more likely to be pitched at a similar group to the buyers for the S-Cross.

"There is a gap there, and that's where the market is growing in compact SUVs. It sits below Grand Vitara," he says. "They have stayed pretty close to the iV-4 concept car from the Frankfurt show in 2013."

The coming Vitara may yet share its platform and all grip drivetrain with the S-Cross. "We're looking at on-demand all-wheel drive, with (primarily) front-drive. So no low-range off-road gears," Ellis says.

The Vitara comes as Suzuki accelerates its new-model program following the lean years immediately after the global financial crisis.

It's already committed to the replacement for the Alto, the Celerio, in 2015. Now with the Vitara, Ellis says, "It's going to be a big year for Suzuki. There's a lot happening."