Suzuki Vitara S Off Road Test: Sporty But Capable 

Well I have this same car in turquise, it is called Escudor here in Japan. Where I live we get a lot of snow, although last year was an exception we only got 1.2metres of snow and the deepest fall was 30cm, So I could only try it in that, but i drove it through that, and it went through it like it was on a dry road, even going up steep mountain roads was no problem at all. Now of course unlike in the UK where no one uses winter tyres, my cars all have winter tyres on in winter and they make a huge difference. Like wise off road tyres make a huge difference in mud. Anyway it is very capable in mud or deep snow. Hopefully this year we will get a lot more snow so then I can try it in deeper snow. I am guessing it will drive through snow about 40cm deep before struggling. Anyone thinking to get this as an off roader or for driving in snow will not be disappointed, especially if you live in the UK where it only snows a tiny bit. On road it is surprisingly fast too, I have clocked mine at 0-60mph in around 8 seconds. It will corner very quickly too, much quicker than you would expect for a car that has a lot of ground clearance. The ride is rather firm and bumpy on rough roads, however, which is too be expected from that type of car, but due to the hard suspension is probably why it corners so well. While the seats support you well, don't expect a really soft comfy seat or a really soft ride. Not exaggerating but not many average road cars will keep up with it on corners or on a straight road. There are two engines the 1.6 and the 1.4 turbo booster jet which is what I have. What ever you do DO NOT buy the 1.6 it is way slower than the 1.4 and will not be nearly as much fun to drive. (The 1.4 actually has as much power as a 2L non turbo engine) It is also quite light for its size, which helps with full economy and performance. A few weeks back I did a 500k run from my house to Kyoto in western Japan on the motorway and it ate the miles up with ease and I didn't feel stiff after that distance. I had one break about half way to get a snack and a drink, otherwise in the car driving the whole time. If you did that sort of miles on the smaller bumpy roads though you will feel you will need to stop more as it does have a bit of a hard ride. It is also quite economical too, I average between 13-15 k/l general driving around and up 17k/l on motorway cruising. Suzuki as with any Japanese cars are reliable and rarely breakdown. I used to the have the Suzuki Escudor from 2 generations before that, which was a 2 litre and that was a great car in snow, but compared to this new model it is no match on the road, it was way slower, way more thirsty. In snow this one is as capable or more, but has traction control as well as 4wd and locking diffs plus hill decent, crash avoidance warning systems, cruse control, all things the old one didn't. Conclusion, and this is not because I have it, but my honest opinion. If you are looking for a sporty, 4WD with true off road/ snow capabilities which is also fast and nimble on the road, that is not crazy expensive, then I would certainly recommend this. If you are looking to do really serious off roading and rock crawling then a Jimny or a Jeep wrangler would be better, but if you are mostly going to drive on road and do some reasonably off roading in mud or drive in quite deep snow you will not be disappointed with this car. But once again I can not stress the importance of the tyres. In winter for snow and ice you need winter tyres. To give a comparison, a 2WD car fitted with a good set of proper winter tyres will be able to pull up a snowy hill better than a 4WD car can with summer tyres. Breaking likewise, you will stop much quicker using winter tyres.

Quality car review again 😍 this channel deserves more credit!! Loving all the Suzukis too

I would like a more off road test. One can almost make it with only a 2WD there!

“They dont make them like they used to”

nice video! even nicer car... :)

I just sold my vitara as it was underpowered for a 1.6 petrol 2wd poor economy and absolutely crap in winter had to be pushed on to drive this winter just gone so now got a sportage and much better.

Meh you could do that with my Corsa which has really terrible ground clearance (even for a normal road car) and only FWD...

You need to have an identical vehicle that is only two wheel drive to see where one is superior to the other on the same off road track.

any 2wd could do that