POOR Suzuki. It created the crossover category two decades ago, way before anyone had heard of a Qashqai, then watched helplessly as other manufacturers stole its thunder.

The last Vitara was a niche player in the soft-roader market, despite having four-wheel drive and pretty decent off-road ability (features that are all-too rare in this class).

Now it’s back with a new Vitara and has high hopes of regaining lost ground in Europe.

First impressions are all good. The new Vitara looks mean and business-like. Fans will appreciate the trademark clamshell bonnet and the side louvres, styling tweaks which deliberately hark back to the original model.

ON THE ROAD: You can have your Vitara with any engine you like - as long as it’s a 1.6.

A quarter of a century ago every Vitara used a petrol engine but in 2015 the new Vitara’s 1.6 petrol powerplant is firmly put in the shade by the 1.6 DDiS diesel.

Thanks to an electronically-controlled variable geometry turbocharger, the diesel achieves excellent low speed torque. One look at the torque figures reveals the yawning disparity between petrol and diesel: the 1.6 petrol makes its modest 156Nm at 4,400rpm, whereas the diesel is making more than double that figure at a mere 1,750rpm.

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What does this mean? The diesel doesn’t need to be caned to keep up with fast-moving traffic and has enough low speed urge to tackle off-road hills without complaint. The petrol will be the smoother of the two but the diesel didn’t offend my ears, even when starting from cold.

The original Vitara was as bouncy as a kangaroo on amphetamines. Suzuki knows it wouldn’t get away with such uncouth manners in 2015 so the new one shares its floorpan and suspension with the more car-like the SX4 S-Cross.

There’s a bit more roll than you’d expect of a small hatchback - exaggerated by the tall driving position - but that’s par for the crossover course. Driven smartly, the Vitara is just as wieldy as a Juke or a Yeti.

ON THE INSIDE: Suzuki hasn’t been as daring as Nissan with the Vitara’s cabin. Climb aboard and it’s immediately apparent that the Vitara is no Range Rover Evoque. The dashboard and door caps are fashioned from hard grainy plastic with some contrasting shiney stuff above the glovebox and a bit of piano black gloss stuck on fascia.

But the major touch points - the steering wheel and the gearstick - feel good in the hand because they are wrapped in leather and there are various personalisation goodies to give the cabin a bit of a visual lift.

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WHAT DO YOU GET: The SZ5 trim level features 17-inch polished alloys, rear privacy glass, wheel arch extensions, front and rear skid plates, door colour door handles and suede/leather seat upholstery. Among the electronic toys the touch-screen navigation system with DAB digital radio tuner, high resolution parking camera and smartphone display is a standout although the screen could have been more sensitive, sometimes requiring more than one stab of the finger.

Passengers will appreciate the panoramic double sliding sunroof which extends over the front and rear seats.

Adaptive cruise control is useful on tedious motorway slogs and radar brake support scans the road ahead for signs of trouble. If it spots a problem the system sounds an alert. If a collision is imminent it can activate the brakes.

The Vitara is unusual in this class because it can be had with genuine four-wheel drive. The ALLGRIP system second-guesses the road conditions by monitoring the engine, accelerator pedal and steering angle, shuffling power between the front and back to avoid wheelspin.

 

 

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT?

Despite the sloping roofline there’s decent head room in the front and the back. Finding a comfortable driving position is straightforward and there are no major blind spots. Reversing is a doddle thanks to a rear-mounted camera.

The boot can swallow 375 litres of kit - which is better than a Ford Focus but slightly less than the Vitara’s S-Cross cousin. There’s an adjustable luggage board for those times when you want to separate fragile items from a sack of potatoes.

RUNNING COSTS: The gently sloping roof isn’t just for looks. Suzuki says it helps smooth the Vitara’s aerodynamics. Suzuki spent a long time in the wind tunnel searching for emissions and fuel consumption gains. The floor pan is as smooth as possible for the same reason.

The 2WD diesel produces 106g/km with a six-speed gearbox. The 4WD version is a bit dirtier (111g/km) but you’ll still only pay thirty quid a year for your road tax.

VERDICT: For a time in the the late-1980s the Suzuki Vitara was the undisputed king of the lifestyle 4x4 class. This new Vitara is a quantum leap in style, performance and comfort compared to its predecessor, but the class has moved on a lot since 1989.

Nevertheless, this Vitara is plenty good enough to hold its own. There’s no danger of an upstart stealing this Suzuki’s thunder.

SPEC: Engine: 1598cc/four cylinder/16-valve/diesel Max power: 120PS @ 3,750rpm Max torque: 320Nm @ 1,750rpm Top speed: 112mph 0-62mph: 12.4 seconds Fuel consumption: 67.2mpg (official combined) CO2: 106g/km (2WD)/111g/km (4WD) VED: First year - first: £20 thereafter (2WD)/£30 (4WD)