Second thoughts

Can a used Suzuki Vitara avenge its new-car test defeat to the SEAT Arona?

SUZUKI is one of the most enigmatic AL car makers around, because it tends to do things differently and it doesn't have the high profile of its more mainstream rivals.

While its cars are rarely class-leading, this is a company that was well ahead of the curve with its introduction of a small offroader as long ago as 1970. In Mk3 form in 1998, that car would become the Jimny in the UK, but a decade before this we had our first taste of the Vitara. It transformed buyers' perceptions of Suzuki, and it was a huge success when it arrived because the Vitara had pretty much no competition.

By the time we pitted a Vitara against the class-leading SEAT Arona in 2019, things had changed somewhat. There was now a huge choice of crossovers of every size on the market, and the multi-talented SEAT proved a tough adversary for the Suzuki, which was beaten pretty comprehensively into second place in our new-car test.

Four years on, how does a used Vitara stack up against its Volkswagen Group rival?

SEAT Arona

Spanish crossover is too strong a package for the Suzuki

FOR 

User-friendly and high-quality cabin, Arona is good to drive, refinement is impressive

AGAINST

FR trim's firm suspension is uncomfortable on poor surfaces, dark cabin can feel oppressive

AS our favourite small crossover, the Arona was always going to give the Vitara a hard time, and sure enough, there was quite a big gap in desirability between the two. The SEAT's engine was more torquey than the Suzuki's, and when this was combined with an extra gear ratio, it meant noticeably swifter acceleration.