Suzuki prices e Vitara, extends warranty to eight years

Suzuki New Zealand has announced pricing for its first electric vehicle alongside a major warranty extension that will see all new Suzuki models covered for eight years and 160,000km.

The e Vitara arrives with pricing that puts it in direct competition with established electric SUV rivals, starting at $56,990 for the front-wheel-drive model and $64,990 for the all-wheel-drive version. Suzuki is offering introductory pricing of $54,990 and $62,990 respectively, though no time limit has been placed on the offer.

Suzuki New Zealand chief executive Gary Collins announced both initiatives at today’s e Vitara launch, with the first shipment arriving on March 30. The brand expects to sell around 450 units in the model’s first year, with roughly three-quarters of volume coming from the 2WD model.

The warranty extension applies across Suzuki’s entire range from April 1, representing a significant upgrade from the existing three-year, 100,000km coverage. The extended warranty only applies if vehicles are serviced according to Suzuki’s recommended schedule at authorised dealers.

Pricing tests competitive waters

At $54,990 on its introductory offer, the e Vitara 2WD sits alongside the BYD Atto 3 Superior at $55,990, which offers 150kW, 420km of range and faster DC charging. The Kia EV3 Light starts at $55,520 in short-range form with 150kW and 436km of range, while the long-range version delivers 605km for $62,220.

Both e Vitara variants use a 61kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The 2WD produces 128kW and 189Nm with a claimed range of 426km, while the AWD delivers 135kW and 300Nm with 395km of range. Rapid charging from 10 to 80 per cent takes 45 minutes.

The all-wheel-drive model faces less direct competition. At $62,990 on its introductory offer, the e Vitara AWD is the most affordable all-wheel-drive electric SUV currently available in New Zealand. The Toyota bZ4X Motion AWD is priced at $66,990 with 517km of range, while the Volvo EX30 Cross Country AWD costs $69,990.

Warranty leads market on duration

The new eight-year, 160,000km warranty puts Suzuki ahead of most mainstream competitors on duration. Chery currently leads the New Zealand market with seven years and unlimited kilometres, while GWM offers a similar package. BYD provides six years and 150,000km, Kia offers five years and 150,000km on electric vehicles, and Tesla recently upgraded to five years with unlimited kilometres.

At eight years, Suzuki’s warranty is the longest in terms of time offered by any mainstream brand in New Zealand, though the 160,000km cap means high-mileage drivers could exhaust their distance allowance before the warranty expires.

For the e Vitara specifically, the warranty covers a vehicle that uses lithium iron phosphate Blade battery cells supplied by FinDreams, a subsidiary of BYD that also supplies cells to Kia and other brands.

Safety rating trails key rivals

The e Vitara holds a four-star Euro NCAP rating, with no expectation of a separate ANCAP test for the Australasian market. That puts it a star behind several key rivals, including the Kia EV3 and Toyota bZ4X, both of which hold five-star ANCAP ratings.

Seven airbags are standard, along with Suzuki’s full suite of active safety features including adaptive cruise control, dual sensor brake support, traffic sign recognition and lane keep assist.

“The e Vitara combines Suzuki’s highly regarded compact SUV heritage with advanced electric technology,” says Aaron Wales, Automobile Sales Manager for Suzuki New Zealand. “It will be an excellent addition to our range of affordable and fun small cars and SUVs.”

The e Vitara is built on Suzuki’s new HEARTECT-e platform and features the brand’s ALLGRIP-e dual motor system on the AWD variant. Standard equipment includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and physical climate controls.

Two-tone paint adds $1000 to either variant, with a new Land Breeze Green Pearl Metallic colour exclusive to the e Vitara.