The Suzuki e Vitara is being assessed for the South African market.
Image: Jason Woosey
Suzuki’s attempt to democratise electric vehicles is one step closer to the South African market, with the e Vitara having made its local debut at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami, which kicked off on Thursday.
The Suzuki e Vitara is produced exclusively at Suzuki’s Gujarat assembly plant in India and is the first vehicle to be underpinned by the Heartect-e platform, which was developed specifically for battery electric vehicles.
Suzuki Auto South Africa has brought an example into the country to gauge interest in the product and, although no launch date has been announced, it is under consideration for our market. Suzuki SA’s brand marketing manager, Brendon Carpenter, said the company was currently conducting feasibility studies into the model and its potential positioning in the burgeoning EV market.
The cabin combines a dual-screen digital layout with traditional physical controls.
Image: Supplied
It is thus too early to speculate on potential pricing in South Africa, but it is interesting to note that in India it rubs pricing shoulders with the range-topping versions of the internal combustion-engined Grand Vitara. However, there is a battery-rental option in India, in which case the price aligns with the base Grand Vitaras. You don’t own the battery, however; instead, you rent it for the equivalent of 67 cents per kilometre.
In India, the e Vitara is available in both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variants, with respective power outputs of 128kW and 135kW, and claimed range figures of up to 420km between charges on the WLTP cycle. This is with the 61kWh battery, which is the most likely candidate for our market. Suzuki also offers a 49kWh option in India, with a range of 344km.
The e Vitara offers DC charging capability at a maximum rate of 70kW, which should allow for a 10% to 80% charge in around 45 minutes.
The cabin of the e Vitara features a dual-screen layout that pairs a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with a 10.1-inch central infotainment screen. Thankfully, it still has physical climate controls, while the ‘floating’ centre console puts many of the essential controls close to hand.
Depending on the model grade, the highlight features include a glass panoramic roof, ventilated front seats and a premium Infinity audio system by Harman.
As mentioned, the e Vitara has not been officially confirmed for our market, but more details will be made available once the local launch date is decided upon.
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