Suzuki e Vitara Ultra review: a solid but timid first EV for Australia

A cautious first EV, now with a price attached

Suzuki's first electric vehicle for Australia is no longer a mystery on price. In its family road test, news.com.au reports the e Vitara range opens at $49,990 drive-away for the base model, while the up-spec Ultra 2WD it tested sits at $54,990 in your driveway on Queensland and northern NSW pricing. That test car carried the 61kWh battery, which the outlet describes as giving it the longest legs in the e Vitara stable. ¹

Paint adds to the bill: news.com.au notes white paint is free, black or green costs $890, and stepping up to a two-tone green or silver with a black roof adds $1340. ¹

The picture has shifted noticeably since CarExpert's March pre-launch drive, when Australian pricing was still unconfirmed. CarExpert quoted Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota saying pricing could not be discussed because the brand was "very, very early in the stages of the launch phase", but that it would "have a competitive nature" once announced. CarExpert also flagged the UK entry price of £26,249 (about A$49,255) and Japanese pricing from the equivalent of roughly A$35,210 as competing signals, noting rivals including the Chery E5, Leapmotor B10, MG S5 EV and Jaecoo J5 start between $36,990 and $40,990 drive-away. ²

news.com.au's verdict on the final product mirrors CarExpert's early take: a solid, honest, unpretentious crossover that the trusted badge will carry for hesitant buyers, but one whose small boot and past-$50,000 price tag make it a tough sell against sharper Chinese rivals. Both outlets frame it as a stepping stone for Suzuki loyalists rather than a spreadsheet-winner for committed EV shoppers. ¹²

Line-up and drivetrains

CarExpert reports Suzuki Australia will sell the e Vitara in Motion and Ultra grades nationally, with the Motion using a single 106kW/193Nm front-drive motor and a 49kWh LFP battery (claimed 344km WLTP, 9.6 seconds to 100km/h) and the Ultra AllGrip using a dual-motor AWD setup with 135kW/307Nm, a 61kWh battery and a claimed 395km. A third variant, an Ultra FWD with the 61kWh battery and a claimed 426km range, is offered only through Suzuki Queensland, which distributes in Queensland and the Northern Rivers of NSW; Suzuki Australia is open to adding it nationally pending demand. ²

The Ultra 2WD tested by news.com.au corresponds to that Queensland-market FWD long-range variant: the outlet records a 61kWh pack and about 420km of claimed range (426km on the WLTP figure it cites), with real-world mixed driving expected closer to 350km. Readers comparing spec sheets should note this front-drive Ultra is not the dual-motor AllGrip version CarExpert drove in pre-production form. ¹²

There is an unresolved discrepancy over the front-drive Ultra's power output. CarExpert's variant specification lists 106kW and 193Nm for the Queensland-market FWD model, while news.com.au's road test of the Ultra 2WD records 128kW and 193Nm going to the front wheels. Neither outlet's account, as published, explains the difference, so both figures are reported here as stated. ¹²

Inside and practicality

Both Australian tests warm to the cabin. CarExpert found the e Vitara substantially more sophisticated than the ageing petrol Vitara, with a conjoined 10.25-inch digital cluster and 10.1-inch infotainment screen, wireless smartphone mirroring and tactile physical climate switches, though it noted the piano-black console will scratch and smudge and the displays are slower than those in Chinese rivals. news.com.au's reviewers similarly praised the simplicity of reaching down and turning a dial rather than navigating menus. ²¹

Ultra-grade equipment per news.com.au includes a fixed glass roof with manual shade, fabric and man-made leather seats, an Infinity sound system with boot-mounted subwoofer, heated front seats, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, wireless phone charging, 360-degree cameras and 12-colour ambient lighting. CarExpert's pre-launch list for the Ultra also cited LED fog lights, adaptive high-beam, premium upholstery and the Infinity system. ¹²

Practicality is the weak point. news.com.au measured 238 litres with the rear seats shifted back, smaller than a petrol Swift's boot, and its reviewers suggested buyers will be playing luggage Tetris. CarExpert cited a 244-310L figure depending on rear seat position, called the boot a bit cosy, noted tight headroom for its 6'1" reviewer and the absence of rear air vents, though the 2700mm wheelbase delivers decent rear accommodation. Both report a tyre repair kit in place of a spare wheel. ¹²

On the road and on the charger

CarExpert's brief 15-minute drive of the e Vitara Motion, plus AllGrip off-road and slalom exercises, found the car solid, smooth and relatively refined in a Toyota-like way, stronger off the line and better insulated than the Vitara Hybrid, with a supple ride but steering that is a touch slow and occasionally vague. It judged the claimed 7.4-second AllGrip sprint "as fast as it needs to be" for the class and praised the AllGrip-e system's traction and 180mm ground clearance on gravel, while noting the car is heavy by Suzuki standards. ²

news.com.au's longer family test of the Ultra 2WD echoed the calm character: quiet, predictable and effortless in urban traffic with light steering, gliding over broken bitumen with genuine composure, with some body roll when pushed. Its reviewers recorded average energy use of 5.8km/kWh and found the one-pedal mode a mild regen setting still requiring brake inputs, consistent with CarExpert's "old-gen" observation. ¹²

Charging is the practical compromise. news.com.au reports a maximum DC rate capped at a modest 70kW, with a 10-80% public top-up taking about 45 minutes — fine with overnight home charging, slower on road trips. CarExpert's pre-launch figures also listed a 45-minute 10-80% DC time and an 11kW maximum AC rate. ¹²

Dimensions

CarExpert's specification table for the Suzuki e Vitara lists 4275mm length, 1800mm width and 1635mm height on a 2700mm wheelbase, with cargo capacity of 244-310L behind the second row. The outlet notes the published dimensions relate to overseas models in its imagery, and the width basis (with or without mirrors) is not stated in the source, so it is reproduced here as published. ²

Safety, warranty and running costs

The e Vitara has no ANCAP rating yet. CarExpert reports it is expected the Australian model will perform similarly to its European sister car, which achieved four stars in independent crash testing, and lists standard kit across the range including seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, multi-collision braking, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert and a surround-view camera — though its reviewer found the surround camera quality behind that of most Chinese competitors. ²

On ownership, news.com.au reports the standard five-year warranty applies with the battery covered for eight years, and capped-price servicing for the first five services averaging $371. CarExpert's earlier pre-launch report said the five-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty would apply but battery coverage was still to be confirmed — the later news.com.au test indicates that detail has since been settled at eight years. ¹²