B-segment Crossovers get a new challenger: 2018 Suzuki Vitara debut

MANILA: The B-segment crossover is gaining popularity by the day and Suzuki has jumped the wagon with the all-new 2018 Suzuki Vitara that has officially made its Philippines debut. This new crossover offering from Suzuki would compete with Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke, and Mazda CX-3.

The fourth-gen Vitara features a uni-body construction as compared to the third generation model that had a body-on-frame construction and measures 4175 mm, 1775 mm and 1610 mm in length, width and height respectively.  It is currently offered in two variants, the GL+ and GLX, while a basic-level GL variant is on the cards too.

The 2018 Vitara sports a revamped exterior that is sleek and stylish, as compared to its earlier boxy looks, and merges seamlessly throughout. The two-bar chrome grill is borrowed from its predecessor but made slimmer. The front fascia has received major overhauls with new headlights and fog lights too, besides a clamshell hood.

Other design features like five-spoke alloy wheels and wheel-arch plastic cladding add even more style and ruggedness to its urbane looks. The GL+ is fitted with 16” rims and full LED headlights as compared to the GLX’s 17” alloys and halogens. The GLX also boasts of a panoramic sunroof as standard. Besides, muscular arches running from doors to the rear quarter panels add to the appeal too.

The rear façade has some great features too, but the hexagon tail lights stand out and so does the large rear window. The spare tire is omitted and the rear gate opens upwards and not sideways like in the previous model. The bumper on the back side also houses a single fog light right in its center.

The interiors of the fourth-gen Vitara are much sportier and modern than its predecessor. The steering wheel is upgraded with multimedia controls besides slight design changes. The dashboard is fitted with a larger display system, showing a multitude of information, while the instrument panel is redesigned with a dual-gauge cluster.

The GLX variant sports a 10” touch-screen infotainment system with radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB input and Aux input, while the GL+ has a 7” one with similar features. A 12V power socket is also provided for charging your devices. Moreover, both variants have automatic climate control as a standard feature.

Vitara 2018 is fitted with a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine at its heart, and cranks out 115 PS at 6,000 rpm and has a peak torque output of 156 Nm at 4,400 rpm. It comes with only front-wheel drive and six-speed automatic transmission option on all the variants, but a manual variant for entry-level is in the pipeline.

Important safety features included in the new model are anti-lock disc brakes on all four wheels, along with a sensor-controlled brake-force distribution and hill hold control. Moreover, cruise control, ISOFIX anchors for children’s seats and an electronic stability control are included besides the usual airbags.

This fourth-gen Vitara is manufactured in Suzuki’s Hungary-based factory and is currently sourced from there. The all-new 2018 model of Suzuki Vitara is priced at Php 938,000 for the Vitara GL+ variant and Php 1,048,000 for the Vitara GLX.