Suzuki e Vitara 2026 review: Australian first drive

Suzuki’s first electric vehicle (EV) is more than it seems.

Badged e Vitara, it will be aimed directly at the BYD Atto 2 and Kia EV3 small SUV set when sales commence mid this year.

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But let’s get one thing straight first.

The existing, fourth-generation Vitara, released way back in 2015, continues with a facelift, upgraded mild-hybrid turbo-petrol engine and updated multimedia. That starts from a hefty $40K drive-away, raising the question: how much will the e Vitara cost?

Suzuki’s not saying just yet, but we’re thinking from mid-to-high 30s for the e Vitara Motion 2WD, placing it in between the BYD Atto 2 and evergreen Atto 3.

That base grade comes with a slightly smaller battery than most rivals. It's a 49kWh LFP item courtesy of BYD and capable of 344km WLTP range, yet is well specified, with a heat pump for greater thermal efficiency, climate control, 10.1-inch touchscreen, 360-degree camera, fabric seats, ambient lighting, a slide/recline rear bench and 18-inch alloys as standard.

There’s also a decent level of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS), including auto emergency braking (AEB), rear cross-traffic alert and lane-keep tech.

Then there’s the e Vitara Ultra that’s expected to start from under $50K, adding AWD, a 61kWh battery for 395km of WLTP range, as well as adaptive LED headlights, a glass roof with sun shade, wireless charger, Infinity audio upgrade, heated front seats and artificial leather upholstery.

Helping keep this electric Suzuki cost competitive is down to economics – the petrol Vitara comes expensively from Hungary while the e Vitara arrives from India, where it is built, in big volume, alongside its Toyota Urban Cruiser clone.

Yep, there’s a Toyota version. There’s also a lot of Toyota underneath Suzuki’s freshman EV.

Dubbed 'Heartect e', this box-fresh skateboard architecture was co-developed with Toyota, and features a Suzuki SUV-first multi-link suspension.

Larger than the old one, the e Vitara measures in at 4275mm long, 1800mm wide and 1635mm high, while its 2700mm wheelbase represents a sizeable 300mm stretch. For an EV, a kerb weight between 1700kg and 1860kg is commendable.

Yet the chunky design reflects Suzuki’s heritage with its exaggerated cladding extending up and over the wheel arches, broad stance and handy 180mm ground clearance.

That sizeable wheelbase benefits interior packaging too.

Two things stand out the second one steps (easily and effortlessly) into an e Vitara.

Firstly, the cabin is longer and broader than the diminutive exterior proportions suggest, with decent space front and rear, including for headroom. Nice.

And, secondly, this is a junior Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra in its dashboard shape, style and character.

We’re talking about the long, rectangular screen, the graphics within the 10.25-inch electronic driver display, the central touchscreen layout, the row of (thankfully) physical buttons and volume knob below for the climate control, as well as the entire ‘two storey’ centre console set-up, down to the gear selector, armrest and lower-level storage.

Even the squarish steering wheel and related switchgear seem Toyota.

These, along with the comfy seats, excellent driving position, strong ventilation, general practicality and high-quality presentation, really elevate the brand’s interior presentation. The e Vitara feels solid and expensive inside.

The same applies with the rear seat, that also benefits from a slide and recline function for the split-fold bench. USB ports, ventilation and cupholders speak to family-friendly functionality.

Except… out back. The floor is high and the aperture smallish. With the rear bench slid all the way back, VDA capacity is just 238 litres, rising to 306L pushed forward. With backrests down, that rises to 562L. And there’s no spare wheel, just an infernal tyre-repair kit. Not happy, Suzi.

At the other end, the e Vitara offers a choice of two powertrains – a single, AC synchronous electric motor driving the front wheels, as well as second electric motor on the rear axle for AWD.

The 2WD models make 106kW of power and 193kW of torque, compared to the AWD’s combined 135kW and 307Nm, as a result of the rear e-Axle, made up of an electric motor, inverter and reduction gears working simultaneously, contributing 48kW and 114Nm.

Are these outputs enough for a 1.8-tonne electric SUV?

A brief spin on mostly suburban and rural back roads around outer Sydney in the base FWD model revealed a quiet, smooth and competent EV.

Designed to be as benign as possible, a squeeze of the throttle resulted in brisk acceleration, with plenty of power in reserve once speed quickly increased.

Suzuki says the AWD can scoot to 100km/h from standstill in a lively 7.4 seconds, some 2.2s faster than the 2WD, yet the latter certainly seems rapid enough.

Like the related Toyota bZ4X, a push of a button provides some single-pedal slowing-down braking ability.

As with the regular Vitara, the electric version brings light yet responsive steering, so it’s quite enjoyable to dart around busy traffic.

And even on bad roads, the suspension seemed to do a good job isolating us from bumps and noise intrusion. You’d never call the chassis sporty, but there’s an underlying solidness keeping things under control.

In fact, and not surprisingly, the e Vitara seemed very Toyota-like in its dynamic abilities during our brief drive.

Toyota, with Subaru’s support, also helped develop the electric Suzuki’s AWD system, which includes variable torque distribution between the axles according to traction needs, as well as a limited-slip diff in Trail Mode for extra-slippery conditions.

A very short stint around a controlled 4WD course provided evidence of some decent off-road prowess.

A promising start, then, but what will the electric Suzuki really be like on Australia’s roads? You’ll need to check back in with us when our full testing commences mid-year.

That’s when we’ll also find out if the e Vitara’s efficiency claims come anywhere near the stated combined average WLTP figures of 14.9kWh/100km for the 2WD and 16.6kWh/100km for the AWD.

It’s also worth noting that, while there is room for improvement with a 2025 European NCAP rating of four stars, the e Vitara is better than Suzuki’s recent form with the three-star Swift supermini.

We’re also hoping the newcomer improves on the brand’s existing, mediocre five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is below many rivals’ seven-year schemes nowadays. More info, including service intervals and pricing, will be revealed closer to the e Vitara’s mid-year launch.