WHAT CAR AWARDS - Suzuki takes another best buy nod, this one is for the Vitara SUV.

Suzuki celebrated good news at the What Car? awards again last night with Vitara awarded a ‘Best Buy’ accolade for the second year in the small SUV class. The 1.6-litre SZ4 model was comprehensively judged by the editorial team and announced as the best overall model in its price bracket of less than £15,000.

Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? comments: “Despite a strong challenge from another Suzuki small SUV, the new IGNIS, the Vitara’s combination of generous space, a long equipment list, keen pricing and low running costs help it win this entry price point for the second year in a row. 

There’s no need to be any more frivolous than the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol engine. Not only is it sensibly priced, it’s easily strong enough to haul a family and luggage, and proved to be remarkably fuel efficient in our real-world economy test.

"The Vitara is good to drive, too. Its body is tightly controlled in corners, the steering is reasonably precise and the suspension smooths out the worst our broken roads can throw at it.  It’s an impressively roomy car inside – four adults will sit comfortably, with plenty of leg room. The boot is practical and generously sized, too, with a wide opening and a low lip. Entry-level SZ4 trim is very well equipped: 16in alloy wheels, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, a USB port, steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control and seven airbags all come as standard.”

Vitara is proving to be very popular with customers in the UK with 11,500 sold in 2016. Suzuki’s ALLGRIP four wheel drive technology is available as an option on SZ5 models and is standard equipment on the 1.4-litre Boosterjet S model.

Suzuki opens a 2nd dealership in Birmingham, doubling it's presence in the region and taking its total to 158 Dealers.

• Suzuki doubles retail presence in Birmingham with new dealership on College Road (B44)
• Contemporary six car Sutton Park showroom becomes the 158th Suzuki Dealer in the UK 
• Premises include a state-of-the-art hospitality area and a seven-bay workshop plus MOT facilities

Suzuki GB PLC is pleased to announce the opening of its second franchise dealership in Central Birmingham. Operated by the Sutton Park Group, it is the eighth vehicle manufacturer and seventh site to be added to the motoring retailer’s growing West Midlands portfolio, and brings the total number of new car dealers in its UK dealer network to 158.

The newly refurbished six-car Sutton Park Suzuki showroom on the A453 College Road, one of the main arterial roads in the city, features the entire model line-up, spanning the frugal Celerio City car to the S-Cross crossover. Customers are hosted in a spacious, state-of-the-art hospitality area by a highly-knowledgeable sales team which includes dedicated fleet and Motability specialists. Furthermore, the modern premises come complete with parts and servicing departments, as well as a seven-bay workshop, MOT facilities, an external forecourt with a display of over 30 new and Approved Used vehicles and ample parking for visitors.

Dale Wyatt, Sales and Marketing Director at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “The Sutton Park Group has been trading in the region for 25 years and brings a long-standing reputation for excellent customer care and a high standard of service. The latest dealership is also situated in a prominent location, and therefore ticks all the boxes to continue growing our retail footprint in one of the UK’s largest cities. We look forward to working closely with the Sutton Park Group as they start their journey with Suzuki.”

Neil Boffey, Dealer Principal of Sutton Park Suzuki, adds: “We are delighted to be representing the Suzuki marque. The brand offers today’s motorists solid residual values, low running costs and great value, and with the recent additions to the product range such as the Baleno hatchback and the sporty Vitara S, the cars are a very compelling proposition for buyers within our catchment areas.”

Highly attractive finance deals are currently on offer on all new Suzuki models this summer at Sutton Park Suzuki*. These are namely the new 1.0-litre Boosterjet SZ5 five-door Baleno hatchback from only £179 per month (with a finance deposit allowance of £1,000), the 1.6-litre S-Cross SZ5 1.6 DDiS ALLGRIP TCSS crossover at just £269 per month with a £2,000 deposit contribution, whilst the sporty 1.4-litre five-door Vitara 1.4 S Boosterjet ALLGRIP is available with a deposit of £3,261, 48 monthly payments of £265, and an optional final sum of £7,002.

Suzuki revealed as the ‘most improved organisation’ in annual UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) for July 2016

• Suzuki revealed as the ‘most improved organisation’ in annual UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) for July 2016, out of 227 brands, including 24 carmakers
• Suzuki adds 9.1 points to July 2015 score and climbs to 27th place overall
• The bi-annual study is a nationwide measure of satisfaction and covers 13 different sectors

Suzuki GB PLC is delighted to announce that it has been recognised as the ‘most improved organisation’ in The Institute of Customer Service’s annual UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) for July 2016. 

A national measure of sentiment across the country, the research asks over 10,000 consumers to rate their experiences of dealing with more than 200 different companies across 13 sectors, including brands in the motoring industry.  

Compared to the same study in July 2015, Suzuki has since added 9.1 points to give a score of 82.4, which saw the carmaker climb to 27th place overall. 

The year-on-year increase in the number of points was greater than any other of the 226 companies classified, and the biggest improvement out of all of the 24 car manufacturers that took part in the study. During the same period, the automotive sector equally saw a 0.6 point-rise in customer satisfaction. 

The significant jump in the latest ranking has been assisted by the launch of the nationwide Suzuki Service Promise initiative last summer. It is designed to ensure that vehicle owners receive a consistently high standard of care across its entire network of Service dealers when they take the car for routine servicing or repair.

Denis Houston, Aftersales Director at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “We are delighted with the results shown in the Customer Satisfaction Index and this clearly reflects our ongoing investment and the great lengths that Suzuki goes to in order to ensure that every motorist receives the very highest level of service. 

We are extremely pleased that the effort of our dealer network has paid off, and we will continue to strive for even better scores in 2017.” 

HONEST JOHN AWARDS - And the overall Car of the year for 2016 is................

Suzuki is very pleased to announce that Vitara has been voted the overall winner at the 2016 Honest John Awards held in London. Since its launch just 12 months ago in the UK, Vitara has proved to very popular and was voted as the top choice by readers of honestjohn.co.uk. 

It was also voted as the Most Popular Crossover, again by the regular readers of the website which has more than 4,400 owner reviews posted and 2.27 million visitors to its new car reviews pages (measured between April 2015 and April 2016).

Suzuki introduced the 1.4-litre Boosterjet S model in January 2016 which provides a more sporting and dynamic character to the Vitara line up. It was this new model that further increased the high popularity of Vitara amongst their readers.  Additionally, the informative and light hearted Vitara video made by honestjohn.co.uk last year is their most popular review to date, having been viewed over 250,000 times.

Commenting on the awards, Daniel Harrison, editor of honestjohn.co.uk, said: “Our readers tell us that they want cars that are practical, well built and honest when it comes to fuel consumption.  Vitara offers all of that with a dash of style and sense of occasion. It’s no surprise that it’s been such a hit on the site. The addition of the state-of-the-art Boosterjet petrol engine earlier this year was the icing on the cake and another reason for us to recommend what is a great all-rounder. This has been the most popular car of the past 12 months with our users and, from the feedback we’ve had so far, it has every reason to be our Car of the Year.”

Dale Wyatt, Sales and Marketing Director, Suzuki GB PLC, added: “This really is a fantastic achievement for us at Suzuki; our compact and lightweight SUV is proving to be really popular on the roads now with 10,000 sold since launch last year. It’s great news for us that so many of our customers have voted for it on honestjohn.co.uk.

“Our research shows that over 65 per cent of prospective customers who test drive a Vitara will purchase one. This is certainly reflected in the great comments by Honest John users that they made the right decision.”

Vitara is available from £13,999 for the 1.6-litre SZ4 model with manual transmission, the SZ5 model is available with either a 1.6-litre petrol or 1.6 diesel engine and offers ALLGRIP four wheel drive as an option. The 1.4-litre turbo-charged S model offers ALLGRIP as standard equipment.

The Vitara is rated one of Europe‘s safest cars according to independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP, and received the maximum 5-star rating. Vitara was also the first compact SUV to earn five stars in the more rigorous 2015 Euro NCAP testing programme which reinforces the exemplary level of safety of the model.

Suzuki announces that a long standing dealership chain is to open it's fifth Suzuki dealership in the City of Preston.

• City of Preston in Lancashire chosen for fifth Chapelhouse Suzuki dealership in North West of England
• Extensive refurbishment of existing vehicle showroom on Blackpool Road  
• Opening of new premises coincides with group’s latest great value car swap event

Suzuki GB PLC is pleased to announce the opening of Chapelhouse Suzuki Preston in Lancashire. The latest addition joins the Chapelhouse Motor Group’s four other existing Suzuki franchises located across the North West of England, namely in Southport, St Helens, Warrington and Wigan.

Situated close to the city centre, the dealership on Blackpool Road has been modernised as part of an extensive refurbishment programme. The result is a ten-car showroom offering contemporary surroundings and first-class hospitality for customers who wish to view and test drive models from the latest award-winning Suzuki range, spanning the highly economical and low emission Celerio City car through to the dynamic Vitara S Compact SUV. 

Furthermore, visitors are hosted by a team of Suzuki specialists who bring over twenty five years of knowledge of the marque, and include a dedicated Motability representative. Motorists equally have access to separate parts and servicing departments, and all repairs, maintenance and MOTs (free for the life of a Suzuki vehicle) are carried out on site for added customer convenience.

Dale Wyatt, Sales and Marketing Director at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “We are delighted to see the continued expansion of the Chapelhouse Suzuki franchise, which demonstrates the scale of success that they have enjoyed so far whilst working with our brand. It is also very encouraging to see the return of a sustained Suzuki presence in Preston, as this area of the UK represents a strategically important customer base.”  

Chris Layton, Group Operations Director for Chapelhouse Motor Group, added: "Preston is a key location as we continue to grow the presence of Suzuki in the North West. Being part of one of the largest local economies in the region, this allows us to expand the appeal of the brand to a greater number of motorists within the immediate area. With the arrival of the all-new Baleno hatchback in the coming months, the timing could not be better.”

For even more affordable motoring, the opening of Chapelhouse Suzuki Preston coincides with the group’s regular car swap event where drivers can exchange their used Suzuki for a new model at a discounted price, or for another Approved Used car from the wide selection available on the forecourt.

Alternatively, customers can take advantage of the highly attractive finance packages which are on offer across the vehicle manufacturer’s model line-up this winter. For example, the five-door Celerio SZ3 5dr DUALJET can be owned for £105 per month spread over 42 instalments, and the range-topping S-Cross SZ5 1.6 DDiS ALLGRIP TCSS at £269 per month over a four year period based on an initial deposit of £2,959.

The recently launched 1.4-litre Boosterjet-engined Vitara S ALLGRIP Compact SUV, with optional automatic transmission, is available from only £245 per month with a deposit of £2,909 and a final payment of £7,743. 

Suzuki to show the world the new Baleno in production form, as well as other models within it's range at Geneva.

New Baleno – Suzuki’s ideal compact hatchback

The full production version of the all new Baleno will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show from March 1^stand will be launched in the UK in June of this year.

Since manufacturing its first car in 1955, the Suzulight, Suzuki has produced a variety of compact cars that deliver value much greater than their sizes. Developed using the company’s compact car expertise, the Baleno has an elegant and powerful design, a spacious cabin and luggage space plus a host of new technologies.

The new technologies include a rigid, lightweight new generation platform, highly responsive 1.0-litre direct-injection turbo BOOSTERJET engine, and 1.2-litre SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) powertrain featuring engine assist from an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) connected to a Lithium ion Battery. All of these contribute to a fun yet fuel efficient driving experience, giving the Baleno much more than just good looks and convenience.

In addition to fulfilling fuel efficiency and dynamic performance expectations, the layout has been optimised and various technologies used to reduce weight in order to meet the rigorous size and weight requirements specific to compact cars.

Further details will be available on March 1^st at the Suzuki press booth and also via media.suzuki.co.uk. If you are attending the show this year, we look forward to welcoming you in Hall 4 on stand 4251.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - Suzuki takes best buy awards for the Vitara and Swift.

Suzuki celebrated good news at the 2016 What Car? Magazine awards for the second time last night as the Vitara has also been awarded a ‘Best Buy at less than £15,000’ accolade along with the Swift Sport model.  In the Small SUV class and priced at £13,999, the Vitara 1.6-litre SZ4 was comprehensively judged by the editorial team and announced as the best overall model in its price bracket.

Jim Holder, Editorial Director of What Car? comments: “In SZ4 trim the Vitara doesn’t just sneak into this price category; it’s more than £1000 beneath it. Even then it comes complete with niceties such as climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and a DAB radio.

“The 1.6 litre engine might not have a turbocharger but is smooth and more than capable in the Vitara. It’s also economical; our True MPG testers managed to get within 3.9mpg of the official figure. The Vitara drives well, too; the suspension is firm enough to resist roll without ever becoming uncomfortable and the controls inspire plenty of confidence. The five-speed gearbox is enjoyable to use, too. Practicality is a real strong point inside, with plenty of leg room front and back.”

Commenting further, Jim Holder added: “Cargo space is impressive in its size and also accessibility; the boot opening is wide with a low loading lip. The interior is also solidly put together, with piano black trim to add a little class. To top it all, there are also plenty of customisation options. It really is a complete package for very little outlay.”

Standard equipment for all models is comprehensive and also includes seven airbags, alloy wheels and front and rear electric windows. Suzuki’s latest ALLGRIP four wheel drive technology is available as an option on SZ5 models and is standard equipment on the recently introduced S model.

The new Vitara S provides a more sporting and dynamic character to the Vitara line up and is the first Suzuki to utilise its new BOOSTERJET technology. The engine is a 140PS 1.4-litre Direct Injection turbocharged unit (DITC), it has compact dimensions and offers 220Nm of torque available from just 1,500rpm through to 4,000rpm.  CO₂  emissions are 127g/km and just one gramme higher for the optional six speed automatic transmission.

Suzuki takes the title of best Compact Crossover in The Sunday Times Top 100 cars 2016.

Suzuki GB PLC would like to share some very good news for its Vitara model as it has been voted the winner of the compact crossover category in The Sunday Times Top 100 cars of 2016. 

Launched in the UK nine months ago, the Vitara was tested by their editorial team against some very strong competition from four different brands with one costing over £16,000 more for its lowest priced derivative.

The Sunday Times comments: “Squint — hard — and you might mistake the new Vitara for a Range Rover Evoque. That’s because Suzuki’s crossover has morphed from a cheap and cheerful off-roader into a primped, well-equipped vehicle that’s top of its class. This has a lot to do with the low starting price.”

Vitara SZ4 is available from £13,999 and standard equipment for all models is comprehensive and includes seven airbags, alloy wheels, DAB Radio with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control with speed limiter, auto air conditioning and front and rear electric windows.  Suzuki’s latest ALLGRIP four wheel drive technology is available as an option.

The most recent addition to the range is the new S model which provides a more sporting and dynamic character to the Vitara line up. The new S is the first Suzuki to utilise new BOOSTERJET technology engine which, in Vitara, is a 140PS 1.4-litre Direct Injection turbocharged unit (DITC). 

This new engine has compact dimensions and offers 220Nm of torque available from just 1,500rpm through to 4,000rpm.  CO₂  emissions are 127g/km and just one gramme higher for the optional six speed automatic transmission.

Suzuki also scored well in the warm hatchbacks category with its popular Swift Sport model. First launched in the UK in January 2012, the Sport again impressed the team who commented:  “This might look slow on paper and in the metal too, but get in and you won’t want to release the steering wheel. 

The Swift’s non-turbocharged 1.6-litre engine is a gem: smooth, revvy and full of heart. The car grips tenaciously, steers with energy and the subtle go-faster tweaks mean nobody else is likely to realise the fun you’re having, particularly if you opt for the five-door version. The three-door is a sub-£14,000 bargain”.

The Suzuki Vitara range is now enhanced further with the addition of the new S Model.

• All new Vitara S model – on sale in the UK from January 2016.
• New 1.4-litre engine - first application of Suzuki’s new BOOSTERJET technology.
• 140PS Direct Injection Turbocharged engine (DITC) offers a wide spread of torque available from just 1,500rpm.
• Unique S model trim specification includes Gloss Black 17 inch alloy wheels, rear upper spoiler, satin silver door mirrors and red interior stitching.
• CO₂ emissions of 127g/km for manual transmission, just one gram higher for the optional automatic transmission model.
• EC Combined fuel consumption of 52.3mpg for manual transmission model.
• ALLGRIP intelligent four wheel drive fitted as standard equipment on S grade, optional on SZ5.
• Seven airbags including Drivers Knee Airbag fitted as standard on all four Vitara models.
• Smartphone link audio and navigation fitted as standard on SZ-T, SZ5 and S grades.
• Radar Brake Support and Adaptive Cruise Control fitted as standard to SZ5 and S grades.
• Priced at £20,899 for manual and £22,249 for automatic version.

Just eight months after the successful UK launch of the new Vitara, Suzuki is introducing the S model in January 2016 which provides a more sporting and dynamic character to the Vitara line up. Vitara has already proved to be a very popular model in the range with over 5,000 units sold to date.

Specification Highlights

A full standard equipment table for the new S model is listed at the end of this release. The new S has a unique specification that provides a visual difference to other models in the Vitara range.

Standard equipment for all Vitara models in the range is comprehensive and includes seven airbags, alloy wheels, DAB Radio with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control with speed limiter, auto air conditioning and front and rear electric windows.  

The S model is equipped with 17-inch Gloss black alloy wheels, unique grille design, satin silver door mirrors, LED Headlamps with red projector covers, rear upper spoiler and black side body mouldings. For the interior the sporting theme continues with red interior stitching, red accents for air conditioning vent and instruments and aluminium alloy pedals.

Vitara S is available in the following colours:

• Bright Red (solid colour) 
• Cool White Pearl metallic
• Galactic Grey metallic
• Cosmic Black metallic

BOOSTERJET Engine

The new S model is the first Suzuki to be launched that utilises the new BOOSTERJET technology engine which in Vitara is a 140PS 1.4-litre Direct Injection turbocharged unit (DITC). This new engine has compact dimensions and offers 220Nm of torque available from just 1,500rpm through to 4,000rpm.

The BOOSTERJET engine is a newly developed Suzuki unit that is characterised by improved fuel efficiency and driving pleasure that has been made possible by using a small displacement, high torque turbocharger. By controlling the wastegate valve, which closes to create higher boost pressure during heavy load operation and remains open during normal driving, the system reduces pumping loss, thus achieving high levels of both power and fuel-efficiency.

During development, Suzuki’s engineers virtually eliminated the typical delay in turbo power delivery or ‘lag’ by installing the specially developed compact turbo charger attached directly to the cylinder head as well as incorporating the exhaust manifold into the cylinder head casting. This design ensures optimum gas flow with minimal heat loss through to the turbo unit. The turbocharger has a boost pressure of 1.1 Bar.

Historically, power and torque delivery from a turbocharged engine would not have been available until much higher engine speeds, offering less flexibility to the driver.

The 1.4-litre engine offers strong benefits in performance too with a 0-62mph acceleration time of 10.2 seconds for both manual and automatic transmissions and a maximum speed, where permitted, of 124mph.

A six-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard for the new 1.4-litre BOOSTERJET engine with optimised gear ratios to help provide a good combination of performance and fuel economy. Additional measures include a shift lever counterweight to help provide a smooth, positive shift action.

A six-speed automatic transmission is available optionally which has a wide gear ratio range to permit precise driver control and help provide quick response at low vehicle speeds (for instance, when pulling away from standstill or driving slowly uphill). The transmission has an expanded lockup range to promote good acceleration, high fuel economy and low levels of NVH. Additionally, a manual mode is fitted to enable the driver to change gear using shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

CO₂ emissions

The Vitara’s CO₂ emissions are low thanks to the use of high tensile steel and other weight saving measures in the body. This has resulted in the Vitara being one of the lightest SUV’s in it class at just 1,210 kg for the new S model with manual transmission.

An Engine Auto Stop Start system is also used which shuts down the engine when stationary.

Four-wheel drive is typically seen as detrimental to fuel economy and emissions performance. By contrast, Suzuki’s ALLGRIP system enables CO₂ emissions that are remarkably low for a four-wheel drive SUV. CO₂emissions for the new S model with its standard ALLGRIP system and manual transmission is 127g/km and just one gram higher for the optional automatic transmission.

Suzuki evolved its renowned four wheel drive technologies into a new generation that delivers driving pleasure and peace of mind in diverse conditions while promoting economy and limiting the burden four wheel drive cars place on the environment.

Suzuki’s ALLGRIP system is fitted as standard on the new S model. It has four driver-selectable modes for safe, enjoyable driving on diverse surfaces. ALLGRIP debuted in the S-Cross model in 2013 and has since proved very successful.  During development, the Vitara ALLGRIP system was enhanced by the addition of a feed forward function that allocates torque to the rear wheels before any slippage can occur. The system has four driver-selectable modes which are Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock.

On conventional full time 4WD vehicles, feedback control allocates torque to the rear wheels after detecting front wheel drive slippage.

On Vitara, as well as offering feedback control it also offers feed forward control that anticipates slippage based on road surface, throttle opening position, steering angle and other factors. In summary, rather than reacting after grip is lost, it controls the vehicle to prevent grip from being lost which results in greater stability.

The Vitara is rated one of Europe‘s safest cars according to independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP, and received the maximum 5-star rating. Vitara was also the first compact SUV to earn five stars in the more rigorous 2015 Euro NCAP testing programme which reinforces the exemplary level of safety of the model.