Suzuki Vitara Turbo 2016 car review

While the 2016 looks almost identical to the current 1.6 litre non-turbo model, there are some small changes that set them apart. The most noticeable visual difference is the front grille, satin painted side mirrors and the addition of black mag wheels. The trendy sport theme continues inside with its striking red upholstery stitching and red accents for the instruments and air-con vents. It also has aluminium pedals and leather seats with suede inserts.

The Vitara is available in 2WD and AWD ALLGRIP options. During its launch, we received the AWD as our test vehicle and we certainly put it through its paces! The off-road test track – which had previously been used to test the Ford Ranger - was wet and very muddy, but the Vitara surprised us with outstanding grip despite lacking the ground clearance of a dedicated off roader. The outstanding ALLGRIP function is attributed to its ability to anticipate slippage based on road surface, throttle open position, steering angle and other factors. Rather than acting after grip is lost, it controls the vehicle to prevent grip from being lost, providing much greater stability.

The SUV’s smaller engine offers the balanced benefits of small engine fuel economy and large engine power. It boasts 20% more go than the 1.6, non-turbo Vitara engine and 41% more torque (pulling power), while using almost the same amount of fuel. The traditional turbo lag has been minimised by installing the turbo directly onto the integrated exhaust manifold within the cylinder head which helps to shorten the path that the exhaust gasses travel in order to spin the turbo.

Pretty much everything else on the Vitara remains unchanged over the non-turbo model. The turbo model is offered in an exclusive bright red paint, the only non-metallic colour currently available, and you can even pay an extra $800 for the two-tone option, to give the roof a contrasting colour.