Suzuki Vitara vs Jeep Avenger

What's the difference?

In car years, 11 is ancient.

Back when it was first released, this-generation Vitara’s competitive pricing, progressive yet pretty design, pleasant interior packaging, sporty dynamics and general driving ease helped establish the emerging small SUV segment into the powerhouse it is today.

In some ways, today’s Turbo Hybrid still impresses, especially with its punchy performance, promising economy and no-nonsense packaging. Objectively, it is still a decent proposition, with few actual vices.

But the 2026 Vitara’s high pricing, embarrassingly outdated interior, underwhelming specification and noisy ride leave it feeling too expensive, too old and too exposed against newer and more-sophisticated rivals.

Even the brightest stars eventually need to retire.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

The Jeep Avenger is a strong move for the brand as a city-focused offering, and particularly as its first EV.

The styling and easy driving experience should be a draw, but its price in an increasingly competitive small SUV (and electric car) market could be a turn-off for some - even if it is only few thousand dollars more expensive than the slightly larger Compass.

Despite a couple of small flaws and a lacklustre safety rating overseas, the Avenger is ultimately one of the best-driving cars the brand has put out in years, and deserves a look if you’re keen on a practical but stylish EV.

While the albeit-cheeky Mazda CX-3 clearly looks like a product of last decade, the Vitara’s boxy, broad-stance proportions were prescient, pointing to the upright shapes that prevail today. In other words, the good-looking design has aged remarkably well.

Changes to the headlights, a reshaped bumper, a revised grille, restyled wheels and paint colours are the only ways you can differentiate new from old, ignoring the Hybrid badge out back.

We wonder whether Suzuki should have tried harder visually updating the Vitara?

Measuring in at nearly 4.2 metres long, 1.8m wide and 1.6m high, the square-rigged styling hides the smallness of the Vitara, yet also seems to liberate more space inside than you might expect, aided by deep side windows.

Conversely, Suzuki’s decision to retain the old Vitara dashboard – including much of the same instrumentation – roots it into the middle of last decade. This is very disappointing.

One of the Avenger's biggest draws for me is its style.

Those who like the Jeep brand for its rugged off-road vibes, but don’t actually want or need to go off-road might enjoy that it still looks very Jeep.

We’re told that the decisions made in this car’s design are all for a purpose, and some of them are very clear.

For a start there’s a deliberate plastic barrier wrapped around the full 360 degrees of Avenger to protect the paintwork and body panels in low-speed collisions that can be just as likely off-road as in a carpark.

There’s also the sunken headlights, which sit far enough back that they’re less likely to be damaged in an impact, being one of the most expensive and breakable parts at the front of a car.

But there’s also a series of little hidden ‘easter eggs’ that the Avenger’s head designer Daniele Calonaci left up to us to find for ourselves.

For a start, the tail-lights feature an ‘X’ shape that’s inspired by the jerry cans used to carry spare fuel and liquids in World War 2.

The ‘X’ theme continues in other places on the Avenger,  though there are some more cutesy design features like a series of seven-slot grille motifs around the car in places like the wheels, tail-light, and even a small one under the front grille.

There’s a 3D ladybug in the roof rail up top, too. But perhaps the most ‘aww’-inspiring is the silhouette of a child looking through a telescope in the lower passenger side of the windshield, up at some stars in the upper driver’s side. The child? That’s Calonaci’s son.

The practical shape, ease of access and spacious, airy cabin were reasons to buy the Vitara way back when, and remain relevant today.

But, stepping inside and taking a look around transports you to another time, like hearing Let it Happen by Tame Impala.

In the press release, Suzuki states: “Physical control switches remain a key focus, ensuring ease of use while driving, a touchpoint of Suzuki’s practical design philosophy.” Changing nothing in nearly a dozen years in production to save money seems more like the company’s key focus here. Even the steering wheel is precisely the same.

As we said earlier, nothing changed inside other than some minor trim, save for the new multimedia system that looks cheap and aftermarket compared to Suzuki’s earlier, distinctive and colourful quadrant layout. We welcome the inclusion of a digital speedometer, however.

Broad if flat front seats do the job, ahead of a workable driving position that helps provide good all-round vision as well as an easy reach to the multitude of buttons and switches placed around. The plastics have already proven to be long-lasting, while there is sufficient storage to be found. The climate control is effective, too.

The rear seat environment is spacious and pleasant enough, but lacks amenities like USB-C ports, cupholders and central air vents.

Further back, the load area is relatively large and simple to use. Cargo capacity varies from an unremarkable 362 litres to 642L (VDA – to the window height) or 1119L (to the ceiling), with the 60/40 rear backrests dropped providing extra versatility.

Thankfully, a space-saver spare wheel is included.

Overall, then, the Vitara’s cabin is roomy and user-friendly for a small SUV, but it also appears hopelessly out of date. That Suzuki also had the unrelated e-Vitara electric vehicle at the launch event just served to underline that fact.

The outside of the Avenger is plenty of fun, but the inside is a fairly sensible place.

That’s not to say it’s boring, but the use of space for a car of this size is impressive, and there are plenty of places to store things.

There’s a well thought out phone charging pad in a relatively deep storage compartment in the centre of the Avenger, as well as the cupholders in front of the centre armrest and another storage bin underneath, plus a ‘shelf’ along the dash.

The amount of storage is impressive given the Avenger’s interior is a nice, tidy design that still manages to incorporate some useful elements some cars forgo - buttons for the climate controls, for example, are something that are increasingly (and frustratingly) rare.

Anyone who has used a Uconnect system in a Jeep or Fiat in the past might like to know that this one (accessible via a 10.25-inch touchscreen) is a step-up from predecessors.

It’s not perfect, some elements of the menu and feature placement seem a little random at first, but it doesn’t lag, is easy to connect to wirelessly, and has a fairly helpful voice control system.

Functionality is most of the way there generally, but a few missing things like dual-zone climate control or electric adjustment for the passenger seat feel like let-downs, plus the heating on the front seats seemed to be quite weak for a long time before eventually warming.

Behind those seats, the second row is lacking just about any amenities besides a USB port, but it’s not too cramped for a light SUV. Adults might find it suitable for relatively short trips, but kids should be fine for a while.

The sunroof (when featured) doesn’t extend very far back, so the second row also feels a little dark.

Behind that, an impressive 355 litres of boot space expands to 1250 litres when the seats are folded down, plus a plastic lining on the boot lip means you don’t scratch the car when loading or unloading.

Before the Avenger had even landed, Jeep announced a $3000 reduction to the original pricing. While it might seem like this move stems from an increasingly competitive small-SUV market, Jeep says production costs dropped after the pricing was initially set, and the decision was made to pass it along to customers.

In any case, the Avenger now starts from $49,990 before on-road costs for the entry-level Longitude, with a mid-spec Limited costing $54,990 and the appropriately named Summit set at $60,990.

This puts the Avenger among the most expensive offerings in the 'Light SUV' category along with the electric Mini Aceman (from $55,990) and hybrid Lexus LBX (from $47,550), but around the same price as the slightly larger Hyundai Kona Electric (from $54,000) and Renault Megane E-Tech (from $54,990).

It also looks like brilliant value compared to the much smaller and lower-ranged Fiat 500e (from $52,500). Style comes at a cost.

For the Avenger, there’s a bunch of kit that’s standard across the range, plus only one cost-option - premium paint at $990.

Each Avenger gets dual 10.25-inch screens inside, one for the driver instrument display and the other a touchscreen for the multimedia controls, centred on the dash so it can be reached by both front occupants.

Satellite navigation, keyless start, adaptive cruise control and Jeep’s Selec-terrain drive mode system are all also standard features.

The Limited adds partial synthetic leather trim to the seats, keyless entry, more safety features like blind-spot assist and parking sensors, plus a height-adjustable boot floor and more powerful AC charger, with an 11kW version replacing the 7kW of the Longitude. The Limited also has optional two-tone roof paint in black for $495.

Climbing to the Summit means you get the two-tone roof as standard, plus LED projector headlights and LED tail-lights, 18-inch alloys, leather accented heated seats with power adjustment and lumbar massage for the driver, plus it also gets a sunroof over the front occupants.

If you’re expecting a Toyota-style series-parallel hybrid system here, forget it.

Instead, Suzuki offers a far-simpler, lighter and cheaper alternative that, by and large, does reduce fuel consumption. In other words, this is a mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) that, unlike others like Mazda’s, you can feel working away.

On paper, things look a bit shaky, since power drops noticeably compared to the previous 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol BoosterJet engine this unit is based on.

This version makes just under 81kW of power at 4500rpm, instead of 103kW at 5500rpm, in the interests of economy. Torque jumps though, from 220Nm to 235Nm, between a low 2000rpm to 2500rpm.

More importantly, it is coupled to a 48-volt integrated starter motor generator acting as an electric motor, and 48V 8Ah lithium-ion battery, adding an additional 12kW/50Nm to simultaneously boost acceleration and reduce consumption and emissions.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, while the AWD version also sends drive to the rear axle when slippage is detected.

The whole MHEV system adds just 15kg, and is nestled between the MacPherson strut front axle and torsion beam rear end, for even weight distribution.

The Avenger has one drivetrain for now, a front-wheel drive electric motor, though it sounds like we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of other petrol hybrid drivetrains in the future.

The EV Avenger we’ve got is built on a 400-volt electric architecture, with a single motor delivering 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.

It’s got a a mode that increases the regenerative braking, though isn’t quite a one-pedal driving experience.

Jeep says it’ll hit 100km/h in 9.0-seconds, but apparently tops out at 150km/h.

The Vitara Turbo Hybrid 2WD returns a combined average 5.8 litres per 100km, while the AWD version is rated at 5.9L/100km. This translates to between 130 grams and 139g/km of carbon-dioxide emissions, respectively.

The previous 1.4-litre turbo equivalents were 5.9L and 6.2L/100km, so that mild-hybrid tech seems to make some difference. Our box-fresh test car’s trip computer driving around Sydney’s outer suburbs displayed 6.2L/100km.

Filling the 47L fuel tank with the required 95 RON premium-unleaded petrol, expect to average around 810km of range.

The Avenger has a reasonably sized 54kWh lithium-ion battery for a light SUV, which it says allows for a driving range of up to 396km, or 390km in the top-of-the-range Summit, due to the specification.

Under WLTP testing, Jeep says the Avenger is rated at 15.4kWh/100km (15.8kWh/100km for the Summit) for efficiency, and it comes with a Type 2 CCS combo charging socket for either DC fast charging up to 100kW, or AC charging up to 7kW in base Longitude and 11kW in higher variants.

On DC charging at its max 100kW rate, the Avenger should take about 24 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 per cent, while slower AC charging at 11kW takes five hours and 34 minutes.

On the launch drive route, we were seeing between 14.8 and 16.4kWh/100km on the trip computer, so Jeep’s claims seem accurate.

Suzuki allowed only a frustratingly limited amount of time for us to drive the Vitara Turbo Hybrid 2WD, over some outer-suburban Sydney back roads, in convoy with a lead car and in heavy traffic, so first impressions are limited.

But, unsurprisingly, it’s all very familiar, after years of testing earlier iterations.

Essentially, acceleration now feels leisurely in 'Eco' and 'Auto' when previously the 1.4L BoosterJet always felt punchy, but it becomes much stronger in 'Sport', suggesting the MHEV’s economy focus is the priority. The latter mode makes the Vitara feel lively and moves things along fairly quickly, but leaving it in Sport mode would defeat the purpose of trying to save fuel.

Meanwhile, the Vitara’s chassis calibration remains on the sporty side, with keen steering response and a decent level of handling agility there for the taking. And even the ride comfort wasn’t too bad, considering that too little suspension travel and too much road noise betray the age of this vehicle’s platform – though that may have also had something to do with us driving this back-to-back with the smoother e-Vitara EV.

Finally, the ADAS tech didn’t seem to interfere at all, though a longer drive may reveal otherwise.

The Vitara still drives okay, then, but its refinement and noise suppression may be issues for some people used to newer SUVs. The bigger problem for us is just how old the driving experience feels sitting inside such a dated cabin. Stale sums it up.

We also had a brief stint around a moderately-demanding off-road 4WD course to test the Turbo Hybrid AWD’s AllGrip set-up. The limited off-road aids – 4WD Lock, hill-descent control, a paltry 175mm ground clearance – helped see it navigate several carefully-chosen sections fairly confidently, but we can’t imagine this being the deal maker or breaker.

Overall, based on our brief time with it, the Vitara Turbo Hybrid remains an easy, competent and even enjoyable small SUV from behind the wheel, but one that feels dated in too many areas, especially at its asking price.

The mix of a fun exterior and practical interior for the Jeep seem to blend into the Avenger’s driving experience. It doesn’t feel too much like an EV, but it is still playful and capable on the road.

Jeep wanted the Avenger to come across like a normal car that just happens to be electric, and the relatively calm take-off (rather than the usual immediate torque push electric cars are capable of) seems to prove that.

Though 115kW doesn’t sound like much on paper, it feels brisk enough for what the little Jeep is built for, and its delivery means even on a wet day like what we copped during the launch drive, wheelspin and torque steer were minimal.

Once up to speed, the Avenger feels pretty light for an EV, and it’s playful enough in corners without feeling like it’s becoming unstuck or hard to handle.

The suspension and steering are clearly aiming for comfortable driving more than sporty performance, and so while both feel well-sorted, neither are particularly communicative. But the steering is accurate and feels nice and light, making the Avenger easy to point into a corner and you can trust it to hold on.

Perhaps the biggest downside is the brake pedal, which is soft and doesn’t grab as quickly or progressively as you’d expect. It takes a few presses to work out how much pressure you need to stop the car.

But a drive mode that adds a bit of regenerative braking helps out there, even if it’s not proper single-pedal driving.

At higher speeds, the Avenger settles well over big bumps and undulations, feels comfy on most surfaces, and despite a bit of road noise and a small rattle in the dash on one of our test cars, it feels pretty easy and confidence-inspiring.

Jeep says the Avenger is built to handle some light off-road driving but I imagine its front-wheel-drive setup would be limiting in some circumstances, especially in the rainy, muddy weather we faced. Despite that, some unsealed mud and gravel driving proved the Avenger capable of gentle inclines at low speeds without risk of sliding.

For reference, ground clearance is 200mm, while the approach and departure angles are 20 and 32 degrees, respectively.

The Jeep Avenger hasn’t been tested by ANCAP, but comes with a disappointing three-star score from Euro NCAP.

Jeep Australia says it’s currently working with ANCAP regarding a potential local score, but wouldn’t detail what that could mean. A small SUV’s score dropping below four stars might concern some young family-type buyers, though most of its poor scoring comes in the categories of Vulnerable Road Users (pedestrians and cyclists) and Safety Assist (active tech).

In terms of what the Avenger offers as standard, there’s auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, driver monitoring, a reversing camera and six airbags (no front-centre bag, though).

It’s notably missing rear-cross traffic alert, and the base Longitude makes do with regular adaptive cruise control and parking sensors at the rear only, while higher variants get blind-spot assist, surround parking sensors, and intelligent cruise control.

Suzuki offers an industry-average five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, along with five years of roadside assistance if the vehicle is serviced at an authorised dealer.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, while the basic capped-price servicing costs are $329, $429, $339, $539 and $349 annually for the first five years or 100,000km, respectively. That's an average of $397.

At the time of publishing Suzuki listed 90 dealers throughout Australia.

Jeep offers a five-year/100,000km warranty, which is starting to be overtaken by other brands increasingly offering seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranties or longer.

The high-voltage battery system of the Avenger is, however, covered for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

Jeep also offers capped-price servicing for the five-year warranty, with scheduled visits costing just $250 and spaced out at 12,500km or 12-month intervals.

There’s also the brand’s lifetime roadside assist, but only when you service your car with Jeep.