Suzuki e Vitara Ultra ALLGRIP-e Review

Suzuki has never been a brand to overcomplicate things. Its best cars have always majored on honesty, usability and just enough character to feel different from the mainstream. So the arrival of the all-electric e Vitara matters. This is not merely another compact SUV with a battery under the floor; it is Suzuki stepping properly into the EV market with a car that still needs to feel like a Suzuki.

First impressions are encouraging. In Ultra ALLGRIP-e form, the e Vitara has a reassuringly chunky stance without becoming oversized. At 4,275mm long and 1,800mm wide, it is compact enough for town use, yet the 2,700mm wheelbase gives it decent cabin space. Front passengers are well catered for and rear occupants have enough room to make the Suzuki feel more grown-up than its footprint suggests.

The cabin of the test car made a strong case for choosing the right colour combination. The dark tan and black interior works particularly well against the Land Breeze Green paintwork, lending the car a warmer, more premium feel than you might expect. The layout is broadly sensible too, with a 10.25-inch digital driver display and 10.1-inch central screen giving the dashboard a contemporary look.

Not everything inside is quite as polished. The infotainment system proved laggy at times and that becomes most irritating when adjusting everyday functions such as climate control or heated seats. In an EV, where quietness and smoothness raise expectations, slow responses from the screen stand out more than they might in a conventional car.

On the road, the e Vitara feels substantial, as most electric SUVs do, but it does not feel clumsy. The 61kWh battery and dual-motor ALLGRIP-e system produce a combined 183hp and 307Nm of torque, which is enough to give the Suzuki useful pace. A 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds is brisk rather than dramatic, but the delivery is clean and confident, making it easy to place in traffic or when joining faster roads.

Despite its 1,899kg kerb weight, the e Vitara does not feel overly burdened. It carries its mass neatly enough and gives the impression of being well tied down, although the rear suspension is stiffly sprung over broken surfaces. On smoother roads that firmness helps the car feel composed; on sharper bumps it can become more noticeable, particularly from the back of the cabin.

Where the Suzuki does claw back some character is in its all-weather, all-road usefulness. With 185mm of ground clearance, selectable Trail mode and dual-motor four-wheel drive, it offers more confidence off the beaten track than many electric crossovers. Nobody will mistake it for a hardcore off-roader, but muddy lanes, rough tracks and poor winter weather feel very much within its comfort zone.

Range is likely to be the biggest talking point. Suzuki quotes up to 245 miles WLTP combined for this Ultra ALLGRIP-e model, with city driving stretching that figure further. For many owners that will be entirely usable, especially with home charging, but several rivals now offer longer headline ranges. Charging is respectable rather than class-leading: a 7kW home wallbox takes around nine hours from 10-100%, an 11kW three-phase supply cuts that to around five and a half hours, and DC rapid charging from 10-80% is quoted at about 45 minutes.

Practicality is a mixed picture. Passenger room is good, and the sliding and reclining rear seats add useful flexibility, but the boot is smaller than some family buyers may expect. Capacity ranges from 238 litres with the rear seats set back to 306 litres with them slid forward, rising to 562 litres when folded. It is usable, but not generous.

Suzuki has equipped the Ultra well, with adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone connectivity, a glass roof, premium audio, parking sensors and a rear-view camera among the highlights. Safety kit is comprehensive too, including autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane assistance, traffic sign recognition and hill descent control. UK pricing starts from £26,249 for the entry e Vitara Motion, while the Ultra begins at £32,049. The tested 61kWh Ultra ALLGRIP-e sits at £34,699 after Suzuki’s current £3,750 customer saving, making it competitively positioned for a well-equipped electric SUV with four-wheel-drive reassurance.

There are flaws. Wind noise from the panoramic roof is noticeable, the infotainment needs sharpening up and the boot could be larger. Yet as a first proper electric SUV from Suzuki, the e Vitara feels like a thoughtful and credible effort. It is comfortable enough, roomy enough, usefully capable and pleasantly individual, with just enough ruggedness to separate it from the usual urban EV crowd.

If outright range and boot space are your priorities, there are stronger rivals. But if you want a compact electric SUV with genuine four-wheel-drive reassurance, a tasteful cabin and the sort of straightforward charm Suzuki does well, the e Vitara deserves attention. It may not rewrite the EV rulebook, but it gets enough right to suggest Suzuki’s electric future has started on solid ground.