Suzuki Australia is launching two electrified Vitara models in 2026. But while they share the same name, they’re completely different vehicles.
The Vitara Hybrid enters as an upgraded version of the long-running fourth-generation small SUV that’s been around for over a decade, and now features 48V mild-hybrid tech and enhanced equipment levels.
Meanwhile, the 2026 Suzuki e Vitara you see here is an all-new dedicated electric vehicle (EV) built by the Japanese brand’s Maruti Suzuki affiliate in India and exported around the globe. Toyota is even getting in on the action, developing its own badge-engineered version named the Urban Cruiser, which is already on sale overseas.
Due on sale here around June or July of 2026, the e Vitara will be Suzuki’s first EV in Australia, and all signs point to its landing at the more attainable end of the Australian EV market, likely posing as a new rival for the increasing number of cheap Chinese electric crossovers.
Pricing for Australia won’t be announced for a bit, but Japanese-market positioning points to the e Vitara being better value than initially thought, given it starts in Suzuki’s home market for the equivalent of $35,000.
Ahead of its official Australian market arrival later this year, Suzuki Australia invited us to a brief pre-launch drive in Sydney alongside the Vitara Hybrid and rejigged MY26 Jimny range.
Our friends in the UK, who drove the e Vitara in November, said it’s a “solid” first effort, but they were somewhat uninspired given the price positioning in Europe against rival vehicles. So, what did we think about the pre-production version for Australia?
How much does the Suzuki e Vitara cost?
We don’t know how much it’ll cost here just yet, though Suzuki Australia hinted at it being “competitive”.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 Suzuki e Vitara Motion | $TBC |
| 2026 Suzuki e Vitara Ultra AllGrip | $TBC |
“The reason we can’t talk about it today is we’re very, very early in the stages of the launch phase of that car,” said Michael Pachota, general manager for Suzuki Australia. “But once pricing comes out, you’ll see that it will have a competitive nature.”
The Indian-made Suzuki e Vitara is already on sale in overseas markets like Japan and Europe, and is also available abroad as the rebadged Toyota Urban Cruiser.
While the e Vitara’s UK starting price of £26,249 (A$49,255) points to a local entry price closer to something like the larger Kia EV3, which has a substantially longer WLTP-tested driving range, the e Vitara’s price in Japan could be a more accurate and promising indicator of the new EV’s positioning Down Under.
The entry-level variant in Japan with a smaller 49kWh battery starts from 3,993,000 yen including the Japanese consumption tax, which converts to A$35,210. The flagship AWD version with a larger 61kWh battery, meanwhile, is listed in Suzuki’s home market at 4,928,000 yen, or A$43,455.
Other key competitors for Suzuki’s first electric vehicle in Australia could include the Chery E5 (from $38,990 drive-away), Leapmotor B10 (from $38,990 drive-away), MG S5 EV (from $40,990 drive-away), and Jaecoo J5 (from $36,990 drive-away).
The higher-spec e Vitara Ultra is one of few compact EVs at this end of the market to be available with dual-motor all-wheel drive, which none of its aforementioned Chinese rivals offer at this point in time.
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
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What is the Suzuki e Vitara like on the inside?
Where the ageing Vitara is feeling a bit cheap and dated inside, the e Vitara feels substantially more sophisticated in its cabin presentation.
You’ll notice some Toyota links on the centre console, which looks like it was nicked from a bZ4X or Subaru Solterra, while the dual 10-inch driver and infotainment displays have a much more modern look than other Suzuki systems.
There’s a good mix of soft-touch surfaces mixed in with interesting details like the brown trim accents and piano-black plastic on the centre console – which has shiny showroom appeal but will easily scratch and smudge.
It’s also good to see an array of physical switchgear in a new EV, namely for the climate controls and drive modes. As is typical Suzuki fare, the buttons have a nice, solid action when pressed, and feel of solid quality.
Ahead of the e-shifter is a pair of cupholders and a shelf for your phone, which in the Ultra features a wireless phone charging pad. The base model just has a mildly rubberised platform to stop your phone flying around when driving.
The conjoined 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch central media system are standardised across both variants, and feature a new interface compared to other models in the Suzuki stable.
My brief time with the car didn’t allow me to really flesh out the features and test their general usability, but the digital instrument cluster offers multiple views and looks relatively upmarket, and the infotainment system offers wireless smartphone mirroring.
Thankfully, Suzuki has retained physical toggles for the climate control system on the dashboard, meaning you don’t have to dive through the touchscreen to adjust the temperature if you don’t want to.
While not as quick to load or animate as some of the displays in Chinese-branded rivals, the software and interface is clean, attractive, and works fine – in our very limited experience.
A relatively long 2700mm wheelbase means the very compact 4275mm-long e Vitara has decent rear passenger accommodation for such a small car.
I’m 6’1″ tall and could easily squeeze in behind my preferred driving position, so as a city runabout or grocery-getter it will make plenty of sense if you have smaller kids or regular passengers that are of average height.
That said, headroom gets tight at my height (though my hair adds about two inches!), and there are sadly no rear air vents behind the centre console like in some rivals.
Behind the sliding and reclining rear bench seat is a boot that measures between 244-310 litres depending on the rear seat position, and all versions come with a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare wheel.
| Dimensions | Suzuki e Vitara |
|---|---|
| Length | 4275mm |
| Width | 1800mm |
| Height | 1635mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm |
| Cargo capacity | 244-310L – 2nd row up |
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
The e Vitara will offer two powertrain variants for most of Australia, while Suzuki Queensland will offer a total of three – read more on that here.
| Specifications | e Vitara Motion | e Vitara Ultra AllGrip |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electric | Dual-motor electric |
| Battery | 49kWh LFP | 61kWh LFP |
| Power | 106kW | 135kW |
| Torque | 193Nm | 307Nm |
| Drive type | FWD | AWD |
| Weight – kerb | 1700kg | 1860kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 9.6 seconds | 7.4 seconds |
| Energy consumption (claimed) | 14.9kWh/100km | 16.6kWh/100km |
| Claimed range – WLTP | 344km | 395km |
| Max AC charge rate | 11kW | 11kW |
| Max DC charge rate | – | – |
| Charge time 10-80% – DC | 45 mins | 45 mins |
While just two versions will be available for most of Australia, Suzuki Queensland (which distributes cars in the Sunshine State and the Northern Rivers region of NSW) will also offer an Ultra FWD version with the 61kWh battery.
Powered by the 106kW/193Nm motor and larger LFP battery, the QLD-market’s e Vitara Ultra FWD offers a claimed 426km of range based on WLTP testing.
Suzuki Australia says it’s open to adding this variant further down the track pending demand, but has no firm plans at this point in time.
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the Suzuki e Vitara drive?
When we say “quick drive”, we really mean it was a quick drive.
The preview drive for the e Vitara was held in conjunction with the Vitara Hybrid we drove at the same event, and while there were two variants of the (mild) ‘Hybrid’ to drive on-road, there was just one version of the e Vitara, limited to two vehicles for some eight journalists.
As a result, I only got about a 15-minute stint behind the wheel of the e Vitara Motion on public roads, ahead of some soft-roading, acceleration and slalom tests in the AllGrip model – which is why my first impressions are fairly light-on.
What I can tell you is the little electric Suzuki feels solid, smooth and relatively refined, in a Toyota-like way, befitting the e Vitara’s shared DNA with the Toyota Urban Cruiser sold overseas.
Driven back-to-back with the Vitara Hybrid, the e Vitara feels stronger off the line, is more refined in terms of road and powertrain noise insulation, and feels a little more solid in terms of general road-holding and dynamics.
It’s by no means a firecracker nor a revelation in this space, but it’s competent and confident in the way it drives, which at this end of the market is more than enough – price pending.
The ride is generally quite supple, though the steering is a touch slow and slightly vague feeling at times. Once again, however, the target buyer is unlikely to be all that fussed by that, given the driving character of many rival models.
Efficiency and range are hard to gauge from such a short drive, though with an indicated 90 per cent charge on a hot day with the air-con running, the e Vitara had already dipped below 300km of indicated driving range.
The ‘one-pedal’ driving mode wasn’t much to write home about either, because it’s effectively a max regen mode that still requires brake pedal inputs in most scenarios, including if you want to slow the car to a stop. Again, it just feels old-gen.
Suzuki claims about 345km on the WLTP cycle for the FWD 49kWh drivetrain, so it’ll be interesting to get a better idea of its real-world efficiency when we get it through the CarExpert garage.
In the spirit of a ‘quick’ drive, we also got to do some brief light-duty off-roading in the e Vitara AllGrip, over some gravel trails and dirt mounds.
While it’s not going to be chasing a Jimny up a rocky slope, the e Vitara’s AllGrip-e dual-motor 4WD system offers good traction – given the damp and slippery sections after rain – and its decent 180mm of ground clearance means it should be fine for basic camping trails and unsealed roads.
After that we did some acceleration runs against the Vitara Hybrid, and a couple of runs through a slalom course to get a feel for its handling and body control when pushed.
Suzuki claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.4 seconds, and it feels quicker than that up to 60 or 80km/h before tapering off towards triple figures. In all honesty, it’s as fast as it needs to be for this kind of vehicle.
It was quicker than the 80.9kW Vitara Hybrid, and its performance in the slalom was decent. As with other Suzuki vehicles, there’s a manageable amount of lean that makes it a little playful, though you can feel its weight shift laterally through quick changes of direction at speed.
At just under 1.8 tonnes (according to EU/UK specs), the e Vitara AllGrip is lardy relative to its featherweight Vitara Hybrid stablemate (1275kg in AllGrip guise), and that is felt in the bends even though it’s competent enough.
That’s about as much as I can say for now, as we didn’t have any highway stretches on which to test any of its driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control – though it’s worth noting all variants come fully equipped.
I did appreciate the standard surround camera system, though its quality pales in comparison to the excellent live feeds found in most Chinese competitors.
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
Suzuki Australia will offer the e Vitara in ‘Motion’ and ‘Ultra’ trim levels, while Suzuki Queensland will sell the Ultra in both FWD and AWD versions with the longer-range 61kWh battery pack.
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2026 Suzuki e Vitara Motion equipment highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Auto LED headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Rain-sensing wipers
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Fabric upholstery
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Single-zone climate control
- 12-colour ambient lighting
The e Vitara Ultra adds:
- LED fog lights
- Adaptive high-beam
- Glass roof with shade
- Premium fabric and leather upholstery
- Power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Heated front seats
- Wireless phone charging
- Infinity sound system
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the Suzuki e Vitara safe?
The e Vitara doesn’t have an ANCAP rating yet, but it’s expected the Australian model will perform similar to its European sister model, which achieved four stars in independent crash testing.
Standard safety equipment across the range includes:
- 7 airbags
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Multi-collision braking
- Parking sensors – front, rear
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Surround-view camera
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the Suzuki e Vitara cost to run?
While full details are still to be confirmed, the e Vitara will be covered by Suzuki Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty, but battery coverage is still TBC given this is the brand’s first EV in Australia.
| Servicing and Warranty | Suzuki e Vitara |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | TBC |
| Capped-price servicing | TBC |
To see how the Suzuki e Vitara lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the Suzuki e Vitara
Given price positioning is such a key piece of the puzzle that’s currently missing here, it’s a little early to predict whether the e Vitara will be a strong competitor for the slew of Chinese entrants in the affordable EV market.
If Suzuki can land the base model with a price tag starting with a ‘3’, the e Vitara could make a good case for itself as an affordable and attainable electric SUV that’s within a stone’s throw of the likes of BYD.
However, if the e Vitara is priced more in line with its positioning in the UK, the Japanese brand will have shot itself in the foot before it touches down. Hyundai Inster 2.0, anyone?
First impressions are solid based on our brief first local drive, but our eventual verdict hinges on Suzuki’s ability to bring its first EV here with a competitive price tag, keeping in mind that most rivals at this end of the market aren’t all that inspiring either.
Watch this space.
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