Our Fleet Test Drive: Suzuki Vitara - 7th report
Date:
08 December 2015
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Author: David Motton
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Why we're running it: | To see if a petrol crossover can make sense as a business car, despite having higher emissions than the equivalent diesel. | Equipment: | Seven airbags, satnav, DAB radio, double-sliding panoramic sunroof, climate control, front foglamps, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, Radar Brake Support, keyless entry and start, 17-inch alloy wheels, suede and leather upholstery | Options: | Rugged pack, which adds front and rear skid plates and a boot protector (£500), metallic paint (£430), detachable tow bar (£351) |
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We've been using the Vitara as a camera car for some of our recent video reviews. The cameraman, Phil (pictured above), is notoriously fussy about the way his cars ride.
Stiff suspension makes for bouncy camera work, and more work to do in the edit. Fortunately, ride comfort is one of the Suzuki's strengths, so there are no worries on that score.
As well as video duties, a couple of longer trips have started to push up the Suzuki's mileage. The driving position is very comfortable on long journeys, but motorway miles do highlight the Vitara's high volume of road noise
Suzuki Vitara 1.6 SZ5
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Mileage |
4124 |
Official consumption |
53.3mpg |
Our average consumption |
43.2mpg |
Forecast/actual CPM |
46.6p/46.9p |
P11D price |
£18,444 |
Model price range |
£13,999-£22,549 |
Residual value |
33.6% |
Depreciation cost |
£13,244 |
Fuel |
£4664 |
Service, maintenance and repair |
£2130 |
Vehicle Excise Duty |
£40 |
National Insurance |
£1569 |
CO2 (BIK band) |
123g/km (19%) |
BIK 20/40% per month |
£58/£117 |
Verdict
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- Ride comfort
- Styling
- Panoramic sunroof
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- Acceleration
- Unreliable touchscreen response
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