Two-time #CarsAwards compact family category champion –the Suzuki Vitara –has been updated for 2019 with a slew of visual, safety and engine tweaks. The newcomer is expected in South Africa in the first quarter of next year.

Suzuki, which recently launched its budget-oriented Swift compact hatchback in the local market, has won back-to-back Brand of the Year titles in the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards– powered by WesBank, validating its position as one of the most loved automotive brands in South Africa.

Having sold close to 300 units this year alone it’s fair to say that Suzuki’s Vitara is one of the brand’s best-selling cars here in South Africa. For 2019, the Vitara has gone under the knife and received a mild nip and tuck, improved safety and engine configurations to keep it more relevant.

Visually, the updated Vitara benefits from a re-designed grille and overhauled front bumper, which helps keep it more in line with the contemporary cues of its stablemates. The tail-light clusters have also been given a makeover with a distinctive LED graphic taking centre stage.

In terms of its interior execution, it's still a relatively conservative affair, but the facelifted version receives a sprinkling of soft-touch materials, most notably atop the dashboard, and an all-new instrument cluster (with full-colour central information display) for a more premium feel in the cabin.

One of the Vitara’s biggest drawcards for 2019, however, is its the enhanced array of integral safety features, which includes dual sensor brake support, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, and a rear cross-traffic alert system.

As for the engine options –Suzuki has reportedly replaced the naturally aspirated 86kW/151Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol motor with a sprightly 82 kW 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbopetrol motor, while the 103 kW 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol (offered in the European market) remains available too.

Suzuki South Africa has yet to confirm the specification of the updated Vitara for the local market (such as the engine and safety specification line-up). However, given the brand's overall value-for-money product strategy, we assume that the newcomer won't move far upmarket, spec-wise.

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