How the new Suzuki hybrid’s fuel consumption compares to its rivals

The long-awaited Suzuki Grand Vitara has finally gone on sale in South Africa, bringing with it the brand’s first hybrid offering.

Positioned as the flagship of the Suzuki stable at a starting price of R529,900, the Grand Vitara Hybrid GLX ALLGrip operates on a 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine with an integrated starter motor powered by a secondary 12V battery, giving it an output of 76kW and 137Nm.

The hybrid system provides smoother acceleration, and the crossover is also equipped with a stop-start function and regenerative brakes, the latter of which is able to recover some of the kinetic energy spent during intense braking and send it back to the battery.

For the gearbox, Suzuki has opted for a six-speed automatic, which directs power down to all four wheels thanks to the AllGrip system.

The result of these efforts is an economical 5.6l/100km, compared to the 6.0l/100km averaged by the non-hybrid Grand Vitara.

Efficient competition

Below is a list of the Suzuki Grand Vitara GLX hybrid’s biggest rivals in the same bracket, sorted according to their fuel consumption.

While not the most frugal of the crossovers, it shows that the Suzuki still ranks toward the top of its class in both efficiency and price. It’s also worth noting that, except for the Subaru which reports a much higher consumption, the Grand Vitara is the only all-wheel-drive model on the list.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid GR-Sport – 4.3l/100km

• Power – 90kW/142+e Nm
• Starting price – R512,500

Haval Jolion 1.5 Hybrid Luxury – 5.0l/100km

• Power – 140kW/375Nm
• Starting price – R549,950

VW Taigo 1.0TSI R-Line – 5.4l/100km

• Power – 85kW/200Nm
• Starting price – R513,100

Fiat 500X 1.4T Cross – 5.7l/100km

• Power – 103kW/230Nm
• Starting price – R509,900

Jeep Renegade 1.4T Longitude – 5.9l/100km

• Power – 103kW/230Nm
• Starting price – R510,900

Honda HR-V 1.5 Executive – 6.0l/100km

• Power – 89kW/145Nm
• Starting price – R569,900

Opel Mokka 1.2T GS Line – 6.1l/100km

• Power – 96kW/230Nm
• Starting price – R545,900

Audi Q2 35TFSI – 6.1l/100km

• Power – 110kW/250Nm
• Starting price – R596,500

Hyundai Creta 1.5 Executive – 6.3l/100km

• Power – 84kW/144Nm
• Starting price – R499,900

Kia Seltos 1.4T-GDI GT Line – 6.3l/100km

• Power – 103kW/242Nm
• Starting price – R532,995

Mazda CX-3 2.0 Hikari – 6.4l/100km

• Power – 115kW/206Nm
• Starting price – R532,600

Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Visia – 6.4l/100km

• Power – 96kW/240Nm
• Starting price – R568,200

Citroen C3 Aircross 1.2T Shine – 6.5l/100km

• Power – 81kW/205Nm
• Starting price – R454,900

Proton X50 1.5T Executive – 6.5l/100km

• Power – 110kW/226Nm
• Starting price – R535,900

Peugeot 2008 1.2T GT – 6.5l/100km

• Power – 96kW/230Nm
• Starting price – R544,900

Renault Captur 1.3 Turbo Intens – 6.6l/100km

• Power – 113kW/270Nm
• Starting price – R499,999

Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 1.5T Executive – 6.8l/100km

• Power – 108kW/210Nm
• Starting price – R472,900

BAIC Beijing X55 1.5T Premium – 7.2l/100km

• Power – 130kW/305Nm
• Starting price – R464,900

Subaru XV 2.0i-S ES – 7.3l/100km

• Power – 115kW/196Nm
• Starting price – R531,000

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 1.5T GLS – 7.7l/100km

• Power – 110kW/250Nm
• Starting price – R529,990