The Land Transportation Office has recently published homologation papers for the fully electric Suzuki e-Vitara. In a way, the subcompact crossover already landed in the Philippines as the Toyota Urban Cruiser, with the two sharing everything but software and styling.
However, that may not actually be the case. According to the agency’s database, the e-Vitara is listed with a maximum driving range of 426km, while the Urban Cruiser debuted with 475km. In other markets, Suzuki’s EV is offered with different battery options and a 4WD system, but the differences in range are much further apart.
Suzuki Philippines could offer a more premium or powerful configuration of the e-Vitara to position it as a proper competitor to the Urban Cruiser, hence, the shorter range. The brand has yet to confirm the arrival of the e-Vitara in the local market, though, so we’ll have to wait and see.
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If a more loaded e-Vitara is truly on the way, we can expect a 61kWh battery, paired with either a single-motor 2WD setup or a dual-motor 4WD system. It will likely come with the full suite of Suzuki Safety Sense, the carmaker’s suite of advanced driver-assistance features.
Speaking of safety, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program recently gave the e-Vitara a four-star safety rating, citing good protection during the side and front crash tests.
With the Urban Cruiser currently priced at P2.135 million, how much would you expect a more capable e-Vitara to cost? Let us know in the comments section.
