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Suzuki e-Vitara long-term test: report 5

Can you get it right first time? To find out, our content editor is running his first electric car, and he's chosen the first Suzuki EV for the task

Suzuki e-Vitara LT by sea

The car Suzuki e-Vitara Ultra Run by Jack Mortimer, content editor

Why it’s here To see whether Suzuki’s first electric car serves as an all-rounder for a first-time electric car owner

Needs to be Easy and enjoyable to use in the city, comfortable and efficient on lengthy motorway trips

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Mileage 4409 List price £32,049 Best price £20,999 Price as tested £32,999 Official range 264 miles Test range 185 miles

9 September 2026 – Day tripper

In the time I’ve had my Suzuki e-Vitara so far, I’ve learned that it makes light work of crowded city streets, but how does it fare on longer, faster-paced journeys? To find out, and buoyed by the summer sunshine, I decided to take a day trip from my flat in Surrey to the coastal village of Netley near Southampton.

You wouldn’t call any version of the e-Vitara a speed demon, but the 172bhp electric motor in my range-topping Ultra gave me enough punch to overtake lorries on the motorway with ease. What’s more, swapping driving modes from my preferred ‘Eco’ to ‘Sport’ made the accelerator pedal noticeably more responsive; helping to make reaching motorway speeds easier.

Jack Mortimer

Updated: 9 September 2026

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Suzuki eVitara driving front right

Suzuki e-Vitara

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It wasn’t all good news, though. For starters, the e-Vitara didn’t prove itself to be particularly refined, with wind and road noise being noticeable above 50mph. Nevertheless, the radio did a respectable job of drowning most of it out.

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Suzuki e-Vitara LT parked in lay-by

Something harder to ignore on the motorway was the e-Vitara’s ride. While the soft suspension does a good job of taking the edge off speed bumps around town, it isn’t particularly controlled. As a result, hitting bumps at high speed cause sharp jolts which resonate through the car's interior.

The e-Vitara’s reasonably firm seats did little to absorb the impact, too. However, they still proved supportive enough to keep me comfortable throughout my journey. Being 6ft 2in tall, small SUVs often leave me needing to lower the seat to stop my hair from grazing the roof, which in turn leaves my knees up in the air. Fortunately, my e-Vitara Ultra has a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat that allows me to alter not only the height but also the angle of the seatbase. What’s more, adjustable lumbar support helped to keep backache at bay.

Swapping motorways for B-roads as I neared my destination, I found that while some rivals, such as the Ford Puma Gen-E, have more precise steering, the e-Vitara’s is at least well-weighted, and there’s enough grip to inspire confidence around corners. What’s more, providing you’re not too enthusiastic, it manages to stay reasonably upright around tight bends.

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With a bit of pottering along the coastline once I’d reached my destination, I covered nearly 200 miles during my trip. And while I’d stop short of calling the e-Vitara a supple motorway cruiser, it’s certainly proven it’s more than capable of leaving the city limits behind in search of sun and sea.

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