The e Vitara will be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat facility in Gujarat, India
If you attended the 2023 Auto Expo near Delhi, you may remember seeing the Suzuki eVX electric SUV concept. Well, the e Vitara is the production version of it, all set to go on sale in Europe and India in the coming days. The India-spec model is expected to be launched at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 event in Delhi, on Jan 17. The Suzuki e Vitara will also be sold as the Toyota Urban Cruiser in Europe, as part of the Toyota-Suzuki deal. While Toyota’s Indian subsidiary has not confirmed the sale of the electric SUV in the country, it might happen at a later date. In the meantime, let’s look at what’s all the hoopla.
The production version of the e Vitara retains the basic silhouette of the eVX concept with angular shapes all over, but is not as extreme and expressive as Mahindra’s BE twins, which depending on your perspective, may or may not be a good thing. The design looks fairly clean, but if the “wow factor” is what you’re after, this might not satisfy your expectations. But anyway, the e Vitara is built on the BEV-specific Heartect-e platform, which means there won’t be any ICE versions of it. The SUV measures 4,275 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,635 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, which puts it into the subcompact crossover category (B-segment). The wheels measure 18- or 19-inches depending on the variant.
Depending on the market, the e Vitara will be available as front-motor front-wheel-drive or dual-motor all-wheel-drive, or both. The FWD model with a 49 kWh battery pack will offer output figures of 106 kW (144 metric hp) and 189 Nm (139 lb-ft). If you opt for a 61 kWh pack, the power output is gonna be 128 kW (174 metric hp) while the torque remains the same. The dual-motor AWD model comes with a 61 kWh pack, offering combined figures of 135 kW (183.5 metric hp) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft). The AWD model looks pretty good on paper, I think.
The AWD model boasts a Trail mode that enables smooth escape from rough terrain by applying brakes to the spinning wheel and distributing drive torque to the opposite wheel (LSD function).
Strangely, Suzuki hasn’t shared any estimated ranges for these battery packs yet, but I’m pretty sure the ranges offered by e Vitara should be respectable. Reliable sources told us that the battery packs contain blade cells made by BYD.
The interior design looks pretty chic and interesting. It ticks the boxes to attract the target audience, such as the dual-tone theme, the floating centre console, the storage space underneath the floating console, and the dashboard panel that houses both a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The 2,700 mm wheelbase should ensure ample space for both rows. Depending on the trim, you’ll get a JBL premium audio system and a fixed sunroof. You can expect a suite of usual active safety and driver assistance systems included as standard.
Of course, we also have the Toyota Urban Cruiser, which tries its best to look different compared with the e Vitara. It sports a front fascia inspired by its larger sibling, the bZ4X. Except for the logo and badges, the rear fascia remains identical.
The side profile and the wheel design are also identical. Technically, the Urban Cruiser electric SUV remains identical to its Suzuki counterpart. Meaning, the powertrain options and the output figures will be the same as those of the e Vitara.
Except for the Toyota badges, the interior will also be identical to that of the e Vitara. The seats split-fold in a 40:20:40 configuration and can also be reclined.
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