Suzuki has unveiled its first mass-produced electric car (EV) in Europe, which will carry a very familiar nameplate.
The Suzuki and Vitara will go into production in India between March and May 2025, before going on sale in “several countries” – including Europe, India and Japan – between June and August.
We’ve reached out to Suzuki Australia to confirm when the e Vitara will make it here.
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It is the production version of last year’s eVX concept and will be offered with front- or all-wheel drive and a pair of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
Front-wheel drive models produce 106 kW of power and 189 Nm of torque when equipped with the 49 kWh battery, or 128 kW and 189 Nm with the 61 kWh battery.
All-wheel drive models use the larger of the two batteries and add a 48kW rear motor, taking total power to 135kW and 300Nm.
The all-wheel drive system is called Allgrip-e and includes a Trail mode that offers the functionality of a limited-slip differential.
This applies the brakes to rotating tires when tackling rough terrain, distributing drive torque to the opposite tire.
The e Vitara rides on a new Heartect-e platform, developed in collaboration with Toyota and Daihatsu, specifically designed for electric vehicles.
Suzuki prides itself on having a lightweight structure, short overhangs and no floorboards on the ground floor to maximize battery capacity.
The brand has indicated that there will be more electric vehicles, although it has committed to offering “a variety of options,” including hybrids and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles tailored to specific regions.
Dimensions are as follows:
| Dimension | Suzuki eVitara |
|---|---|
| Length | 4275mm |
| Width | 1800mm |
| Height | 1635mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm |
| Minimum ground clearance | 180mm |
| Empty weight | 1702kg-1799kg (FWD) 1860-1899kg (AWD) |
That makes it identical in overall length to a Mazda CX-3, albeit 20mm narrower and 100mm taller on a 130mm longer wheelbase.
The e Vitara is 100mm longer than the unrelated petrol Suzuki Vitara, 25mm wider and 25mm taller and has a 200mm longer wheelbase.
While Suzuki has provided detailed technical specifications, it has not confirmed what features the e Vitara will offer.
A look at the interior, however, reveals a digital instrument cluster with map display and an infotainment touchscreen – both in one piece – with a minimalist center console housing a handful of physical climate controls.
A wireless phone charger sits at the bottom of the center console, while further down the center console are a pair of cup holders and buttons for drive mode selection, trail mode, hill descent control and electronic parking brake.
The e Vitara appears to have the same gear lever as the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra twins, while the buttons on the steering wheel indicate that it will have adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
The interior will be available in single- and dual-tone colorways, with a gloss black finish generously applied to the center console and a metal-look finish around the air vents.
The exterior of the e Vitara is very similar to the eVX concept, although there is a revised front-end treatment where the Suzuki badge is mounted higher and the headlights look different.
Suzuki Motor Gujarat in India will not only produce the e Vitara, but also a new model for Toyota.
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Suzuki eVX concept -
Although this is the first time Suzuki and Toyota have shared an electric car, the two brands have renamed each other’s vehicles before.
For example, in markets like South Africa, Toyota calls the Suzuki Baleno the Starlet, while in Europe Suzuki renames the Toyota Corolla and RAV4 as the Swace and Across.
Toyota has an approximately five percent stake in Suzuki.
