Test drive Suzuki Vitara, Jimny and SX4
It was at the very moment when everything disappeared on the navigator screen, except for the icon with the typewriter, the compass and the speed, that the SX4 froze - there was a terrible off-road section for an urban crossover ahead.
The farther from the city, the less we demand from the car. A thousand kilometers from the metropolis, completely different values come to the fore - at least, here you don't need to impress your neighbors downstream.
In Karachay-Cherkessia, where the test drive of the Suzuki lineup took place, the paradigm shift takes place with the first breath of mountain air. To get there not faster, and further, not to show yourself, but to see the beauty around. Finally, do not isolate yourself from the world, but experience it in its entirety.
On the first leg of the journey, I got a Suzuki SX4. While we are not yet in the mountains, I mainly pay attention to the usual values. Last year, the crossover received a 1,4-liter turbocharged engine (140 hp and 220 Nm of torque). Paired with the classic "automatic", the motor works harmoniously, the steps change smoothly and imperceptibly, only occasionally there is a small delay when the gear is reset before accelerating.
The hitch can be easily treated by putting the car in sport mode: this is a comprehensive program that not only makes the gearbox keep lower gears longer, but also sharpens the reactions to the gas pedal, and also reconfigures the all-wheel drive system and ESP. Now the rear wheels are connected not only when the front wheels slip, but also in turns and during sharp acceleration: the electronics are guided by the readings of the steering angle, speed and gas pedal position sensors.
Still, according to my Moscow habit, I try to get there as quickly as possible, so I use this mode every time I overtake. While there are serpentine asphalt under the wheels, the serious and businesslike growl of the engine provokes hooliganism, which is generally not expected from a car of this class. Dance music sets the mood in the cabin: the phone instantly connected to the multimedia system via Apple CarPlay and immediately turned on the last playlist. Touch control with gesture support works great here and does not cause any inconvenience with false positives or, conversely, lack of reactions.
But then the road suddenly ends, and hilly fields appear in front of the Suzuki SX4, dotted with cunning ligature of tracks from cars. They all converge, then diverge, and the line of power transmission towers stretching beyond the horizon “works” as the guiding Thread of Ariadne. Have you ever driven with such a reference point? If so, you will understand me. It is at that moment when everything disappears on the navigator screen in general, except for the icon with a typewriter, compass and speed, the perception of the world finally sharpens.
The Suzuki crossover has a ground clearance of 180 millimeters. This is not so little, but the eye gauge works without interruption: is that stone exactly less than 18 centimeters? And if you go around it on that steep hill, we will not strike with a bumper? But in fact, the road, which looked terrible, turned out to be quite passable for an urban crossover. In especially unpleasant areas, I turn on the center differential lock - here it works at speeds up to 60 km / h, which allows you not to change the transmission modes several times per hour.
The peaks of Elbrus, covered with a cap of clouds, almost two-hundred-meter-high cliffs, blue sky and the same blue bells in the meadow - it's a pity that there is no tent and provisions in the 430-liter trunk. But we have to move back in order to go to another point tomorrow.
The route of the second day from Essentuki to the sources of Dzhila Suu was specially paved for Suzuki Jimny. On this day, Vitara and SX4 continue to conquer light off-road, and a real hardcore awaits us with another crew. But you still have to get to it.
Jimny, being one of the few subcompact SUVs in the world and the only one in Russia, is not very suitable for a long journey. A frame car with continuous axles and a short wheelbase strives to sway on every wave and bounce on a bump. And the capabilities of the 1,3 liter engine (85 hp) are clearly not enough for fast overtaking on the track. On a flat road Jimny accelerates to 100 km / h in 17,2 seconds, and uphill, it seems, forever.
There is almost no trunk here - only 113 liters. But practice has shown that several hundred kilometers behind the wheel of this charismatic crumb is quite a lifting distance, even without frequent stops. The main thing is the right attitude, and with this the passengers of Jimny will definitely not have any problems. In addition, unlike other road users, the Jimny driver can ignore potholes in the asphalt: the suspension works them out gently and makes it clear that this is not the most difficult task for her. The fun starts as usual where the road ends.
The route runs along a mountain river. We cross it along wobbly log bridges, which seem to break under the weight of the SUV. Under the wheels of Jimny, there are boulders sticking out of the ground, then large stones, then muddy puddles, and sometimes bizarre combinations of the above. The fact that the path along which we are driving ends in a precipice about 30 cm from the wheels of the car adds to the thrill of sensations.
Scary, but the further we go, the more confidence in the Jimny's capabilities. Climbing the rocks does not get easier - you have to grip the steering wheel beating in your hands with all your might. But everything has a limit. In Jimny's case, these are springs at the foot of Elbrus. Further and higher - only on foot.
After the test drive, my colleagues and I, who also drove Jimny, agreed that if Vitara and SX4 are noticeably more comfortable on asphalt, then off-road it is not only easier, but also more pleasant to drive in Jimny.
Suzuki Vitara S after Jimny is a real supercar. The engine is the same as on the SX4, but the differences in character are very noticeable. Vitara is more playful, nimble, which is quite consistent with the bright appearance.
At the same time, the suspension here subjectively feels more rigid and collected, and in the corners Vitara almost does not heel. On a car with a supercharged engine, such settings seem much more appropriate and raise fewer questions than on an "atmospheric" crossover.
It gets dark early in the mountains, so I don't have time to check the Vitara off-road. However, the off-road potential of the Suzuki Vitara is clearly better than that of the SX4, in which we drove very far and, importantly, got out on our own. The all-wheel drive system is the same here, but the ground clearance is 5 millimeters higher. It seems that this is still not enough, but coupled with shorter overhangs and a wheelbase, geometric cross-country ability improves markedly due to this increase.
Yes, the turbo version of the Vitara crossover is good, but it's still more for city, highway and serpentine roads, and off-road, I would honestly prefer the keys to the diesel Suzuki Vitara with 320 Newton meters of torque. It is a pity that there are no such machines in Russia and will never be.
| A type | ||
| Crossover | Crossover | SUV |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | ||
| 4300/1785/1585 | 4175/1775/1610 | 3695/1600/1705 |
| Wheelbase, mm | ||
| 2600 | 2500 | 2250 |
| Curb weight, kg | ||
| 1235 | 1235 | 1075 |
| engine's type | ||
| Turbocharged petrol, R4 | Turbocharged petrol, R4 | Gasoline, R4 |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | ||
| 1373 | 1373 | 1328 |
| Power, h.p. at rpm | ||
| 140 at 5500 | 140 at 5500 | 85 at 6000 |
| Max. cool. moment, nm at rpm | ||
| 220 at 1500-4000 | 220 at 1500-4000 | 110 at 4100 |
| Transmission, drive | ||
| AKP6, full | AKP6, full | AKP4, plug-in full |
| Max. speed km / h | ||
| 200 | 200 | 135 |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | ||
| 10,2 | 10,2 | 17,2 |
| Fuel consumption (horizontal / route / mixture), l | ||
| 7,9/5,2/6,2 | 6,4/5,0/5,5 | 9,9/6,6/7,8 |
| Cargo space, l | ||
| 430 | 375 | 113 |
| Price from, $. | ||
| 15 549 (19 770) | 19 585 (20 904) | 15 101 |
