When the word "crossover" started to become common in the motor industry it was usually used to refer to a vehicle somewhere between an off-roader and a coupe. After a few years of evolution it is now being applied to what we used to call "lifestyle SUVs", cars which have less off-road ability than they look, as if they should because owners don't need much of that.
The crossover market has expanded greatly in the past five years, to the point where Suzuki sees no problem in having two similar but "differentiated" models in the same class. The older is the SX4 S-Cross, the newer is the latest-generation Vitara which is taller, wider and shorter than the S-Cross and has just gone on sale in the UK.
To my mind it's the most handsome Vitara yet, though its attractiveness is colour-dependent. With metallic paint and a contrasting black roof (costing £430 and £800 respectively) I think it looks great. In solid white, not so much. It's less practical than the S-Cross, with a modest 375 litres of luggage space with the rear seats up rather than 430, and if you're more than six feet tall you might wish Suzuki had provided a little more headroom, even when the driver's seat is in its lowest position.
The engine line-up is identical in each range. There's a choice of petrol and diesel engines, both of 1.6 litres and both able to produce up to 118bhp. To achieve full power you have to rev them to 4,000rpm, by which time they have become very noisy, but they're impressively quiet at more moderate speeds. The diesel is naturally more capable at low revs, though if you let it dip below 1,500rpm it just gives up and you have to change down a gear.
For the lowest running costs you'll want a diesel with front-wheel drive. In this form it has combined fuel economy of 70.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 106g/km, so you'll be paying just £20 in Vehicle Excise Duty from year two onwards.
Front-wheel drive is all most people will probably need, but if you plan to venture off-road it would be best to opt for the ALLGRIP four-wheel drive system. Also used in the SX4 S-Cross, this has four driver-selectable modes called Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. Sport is intended to improve handling rather than traction and is probably superfluous in diesel models, which don't encourage enthusiastic driving. The petrol cars, with their lighter engines, are noticeably more nimble.
Regardless of what engine it uses, however, this is a very pleasant car to drive. The steering is sharper than it was in any previous Vitara, and although there's quite a bit of body roll it's always well-controlled. The ride is smooth even on the larger available 17-inch wheels.
Gearchanging on manual models is easy thanks to a precise shift and a smooth clutch pedal. If you prefer automatic transmission, you can have it, but it won't be available in the UK until later in 2015.
Suzuki offered journalists the chance to do some fairly simple off-roading on the UK media launch. None of us got stuck, which should give you an idea of how simple it was, and the Vitara coped with one steep downhill slope so easily that it's difficult to imagine most owners ever having problems.
Pricing starts at £13,999 - mid-range supermini money - and goes up to £21,299. The SZ3 trim level applied to other Suzukis isn't used on this one, which instead comes in SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 specifications, of which the middle one is expected to be the most popular. All include automatic air-conditioning, seven airbags, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, a speed limiter and all-round electric windows.
Already impressive, the level of equipment improves still further with the SZ-T, which gets rear privacy glass, smartphone connectivity and satellite navigation. The SZ5 adds LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, brake support, keyless entry and the enormous two-piece Panoramic sunroof first seen on the S-Cross.
