Watch out BYD Atto 3! 2025 Suzuki e Vitara finally revealed as Japanese brand's potentially affordable MG ZS EV rival

Suzuki has finally thrown the covers off its first battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara.

The e Vitara is the production version of the eVX concept car that was first shown in Japan in 2023, and sits on an entirely new platform for the brand.

The e Vitara will be built in India for the global market. It's a compact SUV to rival the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV. At 4275mm long, 1800mm wide, and 1635mm tall, the e Vitara is also slightly larger than the current combustion Vitara sold in Australia.

In Europe the e Vitara will launch in three versions: a standard range version featuring a 49kWh battery, a long range version using a 61kWh battery in front-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive version with the 61kWh battery. Driving range is yet to be revealed for any variant, but estimated driving range during the concept phase was claimed at 550km for the long-range battery version.

The base FWD version scores a 106kW/189Nm electric motor, with the heavier long range version upping power to 128kW with the same torque figure. The all-wheel drive version (dubbed AllGrip-e) ups power to a combined 135kW/300Nm and includes a ‘Trail’ driving mode which enables a limited-slip differential function by directing torque to the opposite wheel to where slip occurs.

The brand confirmed both battery sizes will use the more affordable and less energy dense lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, as opposed to the nickel-manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry used by most Japanese-designed EVs.

The e Vitara will begin production in Q2 of 2025 at its base in India with the first deliveries expected in Europe, India, and Japan around the middle of the year.

Suzuki Australia is yet to confirm if or when the e Vitara will hit our shores, although it is worth noting that the brand’s local division has been evaluating rival EV offerings like the Kia Niro and BYD Atto 3 at its Altona facility in Victoria over the last 18 months.

The built-in-India e Vitara is yet another part of Suzuki’s plan to lean on its dominance and manufacturing in the Indian market for more global models into the future. The Fronx crossover will be the first new-generation Suzuki to hit Australian shores from this new manufacturing push, set to arrive some time in 2025.

It is likely the Fronx will adopt one of two mild hybrid engines (either a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit, or a three-cylinder turbo) as Australia’s new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES) laws loom.

The same laws will almost certainly force the brand to introduce the e Vitara to bring its emissions footprint down, as thus far it has relied heavily on older engine technology for its range of relatively light vehicles.

Suzuki’s much-loved but now dated range of vehicles is in the midst of being overhauled, with the low-cost Baleno recently discontinued, and the Ignis city car headed for the same fate in 2025 to be replaced by the Fronx. The new Swift moved to a mild hybrid-only set-up, and a similar range overhaul is also expected for the combustion Vitara imminently.

The pressure has been on Suzuki for some time in Australia as new low-cost players from China have become popular options in the space once dominated by the Japanese marque.

The brand has also frequently alluded to the idea of attempting to reach into its Japanese domestic market catalogue of city-sized ‘kei’ class vehicles to bring ever lower-cost options to the Australian market. Time will tell if it is able to lock any examples in, given the ever-stricter requirements of not just NVES but also Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and ANCAP.