Japanese car maker Suzuki has announced the pricing of the two variants of its first electric car in the Australian market, the e Vitara, with prices starting from $46,990 drive-away as part of a pre-order campaign for the first 100 customers.
The special introductory offer is for customers who order the entry-level Motion variant, and for those after the Ultra, the same offer applies at $56,990 drive-away.
The pricing compares to a range of $34,590 to $39,490, before on-roads, for the petrol version of the Vitara, which is still a significant gap, although the lower running costs of the new electric version may balance it out on total cost of ownership.
After the pre-order offer, the price will increase by $3,000 for the Motion and $2,000 on the Ultra variant, bringing the drive-away prices to $49,990 and $58,990 respectively.
| Variant | Pre-order Driveaway Pricing | Post Pre-order Driveaway Pricing |
| Motion | $46,990 | $49,990 |
| Ultra | $56,990 | $58,990 |
On the specs front, the 2WD Motion variant is powered by a front-mounted electric motor with peak power of 106 kW and peak torque of 193 Nm.
This variant will be a 49 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) pack in the entry-level 2WD model, packing 344 km of WLTP range.
The top-spec is the AWD Ultra variant with a combined power of 135 kW and 307 Nm of torque.
This powertrain helps the car get from 0-100 km/h between 7.4 and 9.6 seconds, depending on the variant.
This top-spec variant comes with a larger 61-kWh battery, delivering up to 395 km of range.
Both batteries can be fast-charged at up to 70 kW. With this charging speed, the e Vitara can be fast-charged from 10-80% in 45 minutes.
That’s on the higher end compared to similar EVs on the market, with most aiming for around 30 minutes of charge time.
11 kW AC charging is also available, allowing the battery to charge from 10-100% in 5 hours and 30 minutes for the larger 61 kWh pack.
The Ultra variant also includes additional features over the Motion, including adaptive high beams, front LED fog lamps, a glass roof with a shade, an upgraded sound system, front heated seats, and premium upholstery.
Safety-wise, it comes with 7 airbags and multiple ADAS features, helping it score a 4-star ANCAP safety rating.
This is looking to be a good start for the brand known for its smaller, fun vehicles. Would this price bring customers to the brand or help existing customers consider an EV in a rapidly crowded marketplace? Time will tell. For now, it’s a positive step and model from the brand.
E VITARA MOTION FEATURES:
- 49kWh
- FWD
- 344km driving range.
- 18-inch alloys
- High Beam Assist
- RCTA
- 360 view cameras
- Driving modes
- Auto headlight
- Rain-sensing wiper
- 10.25-inch digital IP
- 10.1-inch centre display with AA / CP / BT
- Synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Front & rear USB ports
- Single-zone climate control
- Interior ambient lighting (12 colours)
- Dual-tone fabric seats
- 4-speaker audio
E VITARA ULTRA FEATURES, WITH ADDITION TO MOTION SPEC:
- 61 kWh
- 395km driving range
- AWD
- ALLGRIP-e
- Adaptive High Beam
- Front LED fog lamps
- Glass roof with shade
- Infinity sound system with subwoofer
- Wireless charger
- Premium fabric and synthetic leather seats
- Electrically adjustable driver seat
- Front heated seats
SAFETY SUITE
- 7 Airbags
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
- Lane departure Prevention (LDP)
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- High Beam Assist (HBA)
- Blind Spot Monitor
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
- Dual Sensor Brake Support II (DSBS II)
- Multi-Collision Braking (MCB)
- Front and rear parking sensors
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| e VITARA Motion | e VITARA Ultra | ||||||
| Drive system | 2WD | 4WD | |||||
| DIMENSIONS | |||||||
| Overall length | 4,275 mm | ||||||
| Overall width | 1,800 mm | ||||||
| Overall height | 1,635 mm | ||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm | ||||||
| Tread | Front | 1,540 mm | |||||
| Rear | 1,545 mm | ||||||
| Minimum turning radius | 5.2 mm | ||||||
| Minimum ground clearance | 180 mm | ||||||
| Seating capacity | 5 | ||||||
| MOTOR | |||||||
| Maximum output | 106 kW | 135 kW | |||||
| Maximum torque | 193Nm | 307 Nm | |||||
| BATTERY | |||||||
| Type | Lithium Iron | ||||||
| Total Capacity kWh | 49 kWh | 61kWh | |||||
| CHARGING | |||||||
| Estimated charging time: | |||||||
| AC charging, 7kW, 1 phase > hh:mm 10-100% | 6:30 | 9:00 | |||||
| AC charging, 11kW, 3 phases > hh:mm 10-100% | 4:30 | 5:30 | |||||
| DC rapid charging > hh:mm 10-80% | 0:45 | 0:45 | |||||
| Charging inlet | AC charging inlet | Type2 (1phase) | |||||
| DC charging inlet | CCS2 | ||||||
| TRANSMISSION | |||||||
| Type | Single-speed electric drive | ||||||
| CHASSIS | |||||||
| Steering | Rack & pinion | ||||||
| Front and rear brakes | Ventilated disc | ||||||
| Suspension | Front | MacPherson strut with coil spring | |||||
| Rear | Multi-link | ||||||
| WHEELS | |||||||
| Tyres (width/profile) | 225/55/R18 | ||||||
| Wheel type | Machine finished alloy wheel | ||||||
| WEIGHT | |||||||
| Curb weight | 1,702 kg | 1,860-1,899 kg | |||||
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.