Suzuki has finally unveiled its first electric car. The eVitara is built in India, but will be exported to other markets alongside a Toyota bZ-branded sister car that’s yet to debut. Though it wears the Vitara name, the eVitara has very little in common with the automaker’s nine-year-old combustion-powered utility. The production version of last year’s eVX concept rides on Suzuki’s Heartect-e EV platform and shares the show car’s boxy wheelarches, slim grille and the kicked-up window line.

At 4,275mm it’s also 100 mm longer than the existing Vitara and the 2,700 mm wheelbase is 200 mm bigger, so it should be much roomier for passengers. Base cars come with a 49 kWh battery and 142 hp motor driving the front wheels, but upgrading to the bigger 61 kWh battery bumps the pony count to 172 hp while maintaining torque at 190 Nm. No range figures have been released. Going for the larger battery also unlocks the possibility of all-wheel drive, made possible by adding a 64 hp motor to the rear axle. The total system output only comes to 181 hp but the 300 Nm torque peak should make itself felt, and help offset a 1,899 kg curb weight that’s 197 kg up on the entry-level 2WD model.

 

The interior looks surprisingly un-budget thanks to the fashionable slab of glass that covers two thirds of the upper dashboard and combines a digital instrument pack and center touchscreen. Suzuki says the cabin features “robust-looking coatings” (let’s hope they really are robust and don’t just look it) to reflect a “High-Tech and Adventure” theme.

And to help you in your adventuring quests Suzuki’s Allgrip-e system includes a Trail mode that uses the brakes to mimic the operation of a traditional limited slip differential. We’ll have to wait to see if the eVitara can outclimb and outcrawl the automaker’s Jimny. We don’t like its chances.

The eVitara enters production at Suzuki Motor Gujarat’s plant in India in spring 2025 and sales to Europe, India and Japan start in the summer. The same plant will also build Toyota’s version of the SUV, which it has yet to reveal, but was previewed by last year’s Urban SUV concept.