Get from A to B as cheaply as possible

Hard to believe, I know, but some people don’t like cars.

They don’t see it as entertainment.

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You don’t see an empty, winding road and you get an adrenaline rush.

They don’t know that God gave us a right foot for the accelerator.

They only see cars as tools.

As a device.

To get from A to B as cheaply as possible.

My advice to these people is: buy a Suzuki Vitara.

I’m not knocking on the Vitara here. Far from it.

All I’m saying is that this small SUV is a no-brainer for those looking for a safe, hassle-free, and efficient mode of transportation. . . and who cares less about attacking lace or designer brands.

Simply put, Vitara does all the boring stuff brilliantly well.

Low CO2, high MPG, super comfortable, spacious and well equipped, all at a reasonable price.

Pay a little more for Allgrip 4WD and you have a small tank that will run and run and run in all conditions.

What leads me nicely to the What Car 2022? Reliability study (for cars six to 15 years old).

Suzuki topped the table against 26 other brands with a 97 percent rating.

If you think that’s impressive, Vitara has achieved 100 percent reliability – one of only three models out of 139 to have achieved this.

So total calm.

The Vitara you see here is the new 140V full hybrid with EV mode. No plug. It charges on the go.

And it dances between the 1.5-litre petrol engine and the battery performance without you even noticing.

Acceleration is nothing special, but going forward is smooth and easy and Vitara has nice road manners.

Compared to the 48-volt mild hybrid Vitara, this 140-volt version adds about four MPG, resulting in a fuel saving of about 10-15 pounds per month.

Our test car averaged 47mpg over 300 miles, and that was a mix of freeway and B-road driving. So not far from the official 53 MPG.

As far as looks go, we all know that Vitara isn’t going to increase your Tinder hit rate.

The old? Yes.

My buddy had a Vitara three-door with a soft top in the early nineties. Right magnet.

This new one? No. But you can brighten it up with a two-tone paint job and polished alloys.

Step inside and the cabin is smart and uncomplicated.

The central screen communicates with your phone and you’ll find all manner of driver aids as standard, including adaptive cruise control.

This premium SZ5 trim has beautiful suede seats and a panoramic sunroof that opens at 56cm, the largest in its class.

There’s a lot to admire about Suzuki these days, not the least of which is the enticing financing deals you’ll find across the pure hybrid range.

The Vitara full hybrid starts at £249 a month with zero per cent financing.

You don’t have to like cars for that.

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