Electric car presentation Suzuki e-Vitara: with all-wheel drive on request

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Suzuki is venturing into the highly competitive electric B-segment with the e-Vitara. The 4.27 m long, 1.63 m high and 1.80 m wide crossover is produced on a new technical basis in India and is available with either a 49 or 61 kWh battery. Its special feature is the option of all-wheel drive with off-road functions.

Suzuki's first electric car

To date, Suzuki has had only one model that can also cover a significant distance electrically, apart from mild hybrid drives with the plug-in hybrid Across. However, this is a makeshift solution to save fleet consumption, which is only possible thanks to badge engineering with partner Toyota. The Across is actually a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (test) with an electric WLTP range of 75 km. With the e-Vitara, on the other hand, which rolls off the production line at Suzuki's Gujarat plant in India and is due to be launched in Germany next summer, Suzuki is launching its first own electric car.

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Suzuki e-Vitara I (8 Bilder)

The e-Vitara is based on the angular appearance that the Suzuki EVX Concept study already hinted at. The interior of the production vehicle is also not quite as futuristic as the concept car. Piano lacquer and leather upholstery cater to more bourgeois tastes and thanks to the wheelbase of at least 2.70 m, there is apparently also sufficient space in the rear.

All-wheel drive model with off-road program

The instrument and control screens are combined into a single unit, and the driving modes are selected using a rotary knob. Surrounding this button are the buttons for the driving modes, hill start and hill descent assistance and trail mode, a traction assistance program for loose surfaces such as snow or gravel.

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Suzuki e-Vitara II (2 Bilder)

Suzuki is introducing its battery-electric "Heartect-e" platform with the e-Vitara. The drive is provided by "electric axles" (e-axles), each of which combines an electric motor and inverter in one housing. Two lithium iron phosphate batteries with 49 and 61 kWh are available and the cell chemistry alone means that Suzuki will install a battery preconditioning system. The importer does not yet know exactly what this will be able to do, nor does it know the values for charging performance and duration of the two batteries. This is because the homologation process is still underway, as Suzuki Germany said in response to our inquiry.

In conjunction with the 49 kWh battery, only a front-wheel drive with 106 kW and a torque of 189 Nm is available. If you choose the 61 kWh battery, you have the choice between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive "Allgrip-e". With front-wheel drive, 128 kW and also 189 Nm are available, while with all-wheel drive there is an additional motor on the rear axle with 48 kW, resulting in a system output of 135 kW and a maximum torque of 300 Nm. With the small battery, the electric car weighs at least 1.7 tons, with the large battery 1.8 and with all-wheel drive 1.9.

Soon also as a Toyota

The Suzuki e-Vitara competes with the recently redesigned Opel Mokka Electric (from 36,740 euros), the Smart #1 (from 34,990 euros) and the Kia EV3 (from 35,990 euros), among others. The e-Vitara should be positioned in these price regions. As part of the cooperation, Toyota and Daihatsu will use Suzuki's "Heartect-e" to launch a small e-crossover under their own name next year.

The e-Vitara will not remain a lone wolf. "We will gradually expand our range of battery electric vehicles and at the same time offer various drive variants and mobility solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of our customers in the respective countries and regions," announced Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor Corporation.

(dahe)