This week the Vitara has been on its longest journey to date, a 540-mile round trip from Surrey to North Yorkshire for the launch event of the new Vitara S.
With one proviso, the Vitara makes a good motorway car. Road noise is excessive, but otherwise
the Suzuki is well suited to the long haul. The cosseting ride helps, but what impresses most is the Vitara’s comfortable seat and sound driving position.
I usually end a five-hour drive with a few aches and pains, but the Vitara’s supportive seat, relatively upright driving position and well positioned pedals meant I arrived in Yorkshire free from any niggling discomfort.
The long drive also meant a tankful of fuel was consumed almost exclusively on the motorway. Economy for this tank compared well with the previous average of 43.6mpg at 47.7mpg.
It was interesting to compare our long-term test petrol 1.6 with the new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol in the Vitara S. The new engine has much more torque, delivered lower down the rev range. It’s smoother and more refined than the 1.6, too. However, the new engine will only appear on the top-spec S model, with an expected price of around £21,000. I prefer the S, but my 1.6 is better value.
