What makes the Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GLX Auto a formidable contender in the Compact Family Car category of the 2017/18 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank? We investigate…

The higher-spec automatic sibling of the 2016/17 #CarsAwards Compact Family Car category winner is the quintessential compact crossover and seems perfectly in tune with modern tastes. The Vitara is a well-made product that offers an attractive blend of style, spaciousness, features, refinement and “Suzuki-ness”. The latter aspect is important because Suzuki is well-known for offering great service and reliability, which has made it the current#CarsAwards Brand Of The Year. Will the Vitara retain its champion status in the Compact Family Car category?

3 Reasons Why Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GLX is a #CarsAwards Finalist

1. Frugal sipper

Powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine with 86 kW and 151 Nm of torque, the Vitara automatic offers good refinement with an indestructible demeanor. It’s also light on fuel and Suzuki claims a combined cycle consumption figure of 6.0 L/100 km and we’ve found the Vitara’s engine to be consistently frugal. We are quite confident, therefore, that owners should get close to 800 km from a single 47 L tank.

2. Practical design

The Vitara’s boxy design benefits interior space hugely. The well-shaped boot is rated at 375 L, but by folding the 60:40 split rear seats more than 1 200 L of space is on offer. Most impressively, this good luggage capacity doesn’t come at the cost of rear passenger space. Even comparatively tall adults will find the rear bench comfortable, with good levels of leg- and headroom. The ground clearance of 185 mm, generously plump tyres and good refinement also makes the Vitara one of the few modern-day crossovers that truly feels comfortable on rougher gravel surfaces.

3. Comfortable and packed with features

The Vitara’s comfort levels are benefited hugely by the cabin’s spaciousness and a suspension set-up tuned with comfort in mind. In fact, refinement appears to have been a major focus area, as the Vitara’s low drivetrain noise further contributes to a relaxed, pleasant ambience. The specification level is generous, too, with a height-adjustable driver’s seat, climate control, cruise control, keyless start, Bluetooth and USB support, suede upholstery, automatically activated lights and wipers, front and rear PDC, LED running lights, panoramic sunroof and roof rails.

Watch our video review of the Suzuki Vitara below!

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What cars are the Vitara's rivals in #CarsAwards?

The 2017/18 #CarsAwards finalists:Compact Family CarCategory

Compare theVitara's specs with theRenault Captur dCi Dynamique andHyundai Creta 1.6 Exec Auto

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