Suzuki e Vitara With Electric 4WD System Unveiled as Company's First-Ever EV; India Launch Set for 2025

Suzuki unveiled its production-spec first-ever electric vehicle (EV) — the Suzuki e Vitara — at an event in Milan, Italy, ahead of its public launch in 2025 in India as well as the global markets. It is based on the eVX prototype that was first showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo and is built on a new born-electric platform. The EV comes with an electric 4WD ALLGRIP-e system, single-speed electric drive transmission, and lithium iron-phosphate batteries.

The Suzuki e Vitara will make its debut in India at the Bharat Mobility Show in January 2025, the Japanese automaker says. It will be manufactured at the Suzuki Motor Gujarat assembly plant in Spring 2025 for global export as well as its sale in India. The EV will be made available in Europe, India, and Japan.

Suzuki e Vitara Features, Powertrain and Range

Suzuki says e Vitara is its first-ever battery electric vehicle (BEV) based on the automotive maker's new HEARTECT-e platform, which has been tailored for such vehicles. Courtesy of the short overhang, this platform is said to have a lightweight structure, high-voltage protection, and provide a spacious interior. It can seat five people.

In terms of dimensions, the Europe-spec e Vitara measures 4,275 x 1,800 x 1,635 mm and has a wheelbase of 2,700 mm. The EV has a ground clearance of 180 mm, a turning radius of 5.2 mm and 1,702 kg kerb weight. It will be offered in 2WD and 4WD drive system options, although the latter is said to be limited to higher battery-spec models. The 4WD system is dubbed ALLGRIP-e and features two independent eAxles at the front and rear. Suzuki says the e Vitara can easily navigate rough terrain by applying brakes to spinning tyres and distributing drive torque to the opposite tyre — a feature that has been dubbed Trail mode.

The eAxle itself integrates the motor and inverter for delivering agile acceleration when the vehicle is at a standstill and rapid acceleration when overtaking from low to high speeds. The EV's motor is paired with a single-speed electric drive transmission. It also gets ventilated discs at the front and rear.

To maximise the battery capacity, the vehicle's underfloor has been reengineered and the members have been eliminated in favour of the main floor. The e Vitara will be offered in two lithium iron-phosphate battery pack options: 49kWh and 61kWh. The former can deliver a maximum power output of 106kW, while the latter has a 128kW output at the front wheels. The 4WD model with the 61kWh battery pack has an additional 48kW power output at the rear. While the 2WD variants have a maximum torque of 189Nm, the 4WD variant can provide up to 300Nm of torque, as per Suzuki.