SUZUKI

E Vitara: Suzuki's first electric SUV

The Japanese company Suzuki, known mainly for its motorcycles and the 4×4 Jimny, has just launched its first electric vehicle in history.

The E Vitara is an SUV that is the result of a joint effort between the company and the Japanese company Toyota. In addition to being beautiful, the car promises to deliver good performance. The bad news is that there is no forecast for the model to arrive in Brazil.

Initially, Suzuki plans to manufacture the EV at the company's plant in Gujarat (India), starting next spring in the Northern Hemisphere (that is, our autumn in the Southern Hemisphere). The official launch should take place a little later, in the summer of 2025, but only for the European, Indian and Japanese markets.

What we know about the E Vitara...The E Vitara will be an electric SUV with 4WD capability;

This means that it will have four-wheel drive (with manual operation);

This type of set-up is common in powerful and 4×4 vehicles;

Its battery will be made of lithium iron phosphate with capacities of 49 kWh or 60 kWh;

According to The Japan Times, the E Vitara can reach 400 kilometers on a single charge;

Its engine is capable of producing 135 kW;

It is not the most powerful on the market, but it still delivers good performance;

The automaker did not release any additional information about the vehicle – something that should happen in the coming weeks;

In other words, we have no idea how much the E Vitara will cost;

And, since it is the brand's first EV, there is no way to make comparisons.

Suzuki and the electric market...Between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, Suzuki announced to the world that it would invest US$ 35 billion in this technology. In addition, it set a goal of launching five EVs by the end of the decade.

Okay, we are still in 2024 (in other words, there is still time), but the company's president, Toshihiro Suzuki, decided to step on the brakes. In an interview with AutoCar, he revealed that he has put future projects on “hold” while the brand “monitors” the market.

As The Verge points out, like Toyota, Suzuki has never been a big fan of the “electric dream.” So much so that companies took much longer than others to launch vehicles of this type. And most of the new products are hybrids – and that’s not even close.

Toshihiro Suzuki said he has nothing against electric models. He is, however, quite cautious about market strategies.

“We are in a very difficult situation right now, because BEV sales are declining. And on the other hand, affordable and cheap EVs from China are coming to the market, so it’s a very difficult time to introduce more BEVs,” he told AutoCar.

“Looking at the current situation, government incentives for BEVs are coming out and, [coupled with] Chinese EVs having very strong segment competitiveness, you have to think carefully about what kind of BEV should be introduced into the market and at what time,” the executive concluded.

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