► Suzuki e-Vitara SUV revealed
► It’s the brand’s first electric production car
► Design is based off eVX concept
Suzuki has revealed its first-ever battery-electric production car: the new e-Vitara.
Feels a bit weird for this to be the brand’s first, given how far along so many other brands are with their electrification strategies. But Suzuki will not be rushed, instead relying on partnerships with Toyota to offer full and plug-in hybrid models as it develops its own technology.
The design of the new e-Vitara is based off the eVX concept – a small, chunky EV show car that first made its debut at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon. It’s chunky and bulky in all the usual SUV ways, with plenty of cladding and an aggressive frown on its face. Inside, the new e-Vitara has a pair of screens for driver’s instruments and infotainment, and a reasonably tidy interior layout that includes physical switchgear.
The more interesting bits are under the skin, though. Suzuki has used a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack here – known for being cheaper and less reliant on rare earths than a more conventional lithium-manganese-cobalt mix – and it runs on a battery-electric version of its ‘HEARTECT’ platform that underpins countless other models.
For Europe, the e-Vitara comes in a few powertrain flavours. The entry level model features a 49kWh battery pack and a single e-motor on the front axle developing 142bhp. There are also two power variants for the larger 61kWh battery pack: a 172bhp front-driven model or a 236bhp all-wheel drive model.
All e-Vitara models feature an ‘e-axle’ that incorporates the electric motor and inverter, with the all-wheel drive model also featuring a Trail drive mode for extra grip off-road. Range and performance figures haven’t been announced yet.
‘We will provide a variety of options, including BEVs, hybrid vehicles and CNG behicles tailored to specific regions,’ says Toshihiro Suzuki, company president. ‘Following the launch of the e-Vitara, we will continue to expand our BEV line-up.’
The new e-Vitara will go on sale in the summer of 2025.