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Battery size: 49-61 kWh
E-Rating™: B
Max charge rate: 150 kW
Range: 200 (est) - 248 miles 
Introduction
Suzuki is very late to the electric car party, and this is its first electric vehicle. The e Vitara is a compact electric SUV of just under 4.3m long, complete with either a 49- or 61kWh LFP battery that will offer a WLTP range of up to 243 miles, while the smaller battery is likely to manage close to 200 miles.
It’s based on the ‘HEARTECT-e’ platform, which is a dedicated electric car platform that Suzuki has developed with Toyota and Daihatsu. There’ll be a variety of power outputs, too. The smaller battery, front-wheel drive e Vitara getting 142bhp, while you’ll be able to get the bigger battery with either front- or four-wheel drive with 172- or 181bhp respectively.
Styling and dimensions
The Suzuki e Vitara is just under 4.3m long, 1.8m wide and 1.63m high, making it smaller than family cars like the VW ID.3, and spot on for a host of rivals ranging from the Jeep Avenger, Renault 4 E-Tech and Citroen e-C3 Aircross, to slightly pricier and longer-range alternatives like the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq.
Suzuki is very keen to emphasise the off-roading aspects of the e Vitara, though, and I can see why as there are very few compact electric family cars like this that do have any proper off-road prowess. The Jeep Avenger is the only one that does, and that’s front-wheel drive only, so Suzuki’s ‘AllGrip-e’ electric all-wheel drive system does set it apart a bit. There’s even a Trail mode, to make light work of rougher terrain.
Suzuki actually launched the e Vitara – which we saw first as the eVX concept – at an ice rink! I mean, that’s really getting the ‘it’s good in slippery conditions’ message home, right?
Interior
The e Vitara gets a two-spoke steering wheel, 10-25-inch touchscreen and a design that’s fairly toned down from the concept yet still modern looking, with chunky detailing that’s appealingly SUV-ish. The rear seats slide, too, which is also great as so few electric SUVs have that extra versatility. Mind you, the floor’s quite high, so if you’re very leggy then you might feel like your knees are bent up uncomfortably.
Boot space
There’s no frunk in the Suzuki e Vitara, but the boot will be big enough for small family duties. It’s not massive. Actually, at 306- to 320 litres that it has (depending on whether the seats are slid forwards or not) it’s quite a bit smaller than the boot in the Jeep Avenger and Renault 4 E-Tech.
Battery, charging and efficiency
The e Vitara is a compact electric SUV of just under 4.3m long, complete with either a 49- or 61kWh LFP battery; that’s similar tech to what you’ll find in BYD cars, and is very common in a number of mainstream electric cars. You can read all about the pros- and con- of lithium-iron phosphate (to give it the full, techy name) LFP batteries, right here.
Those battery options will mean that the e Vitara will manage a WLTP range of up to 243 miles from the bigger battery. Range from the smaller battery hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s likely to be around 200-miles. That’s not far off what you get in the Jeep Avenger and Renault 4 E-Tech, but the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq go a lot further.
Rapid charging speeds peak at 150kW, but Suzuki claims a charging time of 30-minutes from 15- to 70 per cent charge, which suggests a slower average charging time than some rivals that claim a 10-80% charge of similar-sized batteries in the same time.
Price and equipment
Prices haven’t been confirmed for the Suzuki e Vitara, but we expect it to start at around £29,000 and go up to around £35,000. Equipment will likely be generous, and we know that it’ll get the touchscreen system and loads of safety equipment and driver aids.
Verdict
The Suzuki e Vitara is an interesting prospect if you’re after a small-ish, useful-ish electric car with some modest off-road chops. Having said that, the e Vitara also has a lot of very strong competition, so it’ll need to be priced well and have some very decent monthly costs. With sale due to start next year, we’ll just have to wait and see!
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