Suzuki was ranked as the best car brand in the Institute of Customer Service’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index earlier in the year.

I’m not surprised because of having driven a couple of their new cars this year every time you get behind the wheel of a Suzuki they just getter and better.

This satisfaction index asked 45,000 consumers to rate their experiences of dealing with nearly 260 different companies across 13 sectors, including those in the motor industry.

With an improved overall Index score of 83, compared to 81.5 last year, this allowed Suzuki to climb 29 places versus the 2018 Index to 15th position across the 259 Companies measured and to first place for any of the 24 vehicle manufacturers listed.

This is good business and goes to show that Suzuki is up with the big boys when it comes to cars and as part of the survey their customers voted their dealers as the easiest and open people to deal with and were the highest trusted brand with a score of 8.6 out of a possible 10.

Their latest car I drove was their Vitara which was first introduced four years ago and is one of the best SUVs on the road.

For 2019 Vitara, Suzuki made significant changes. Gone is the FIAT derived 1.6 diesel and Suzuki’s own 1.6 petrol. Instead, under the bonnets you’ll find a low emission 1.0 litre 3-cylinder Boosterjet petrol engine which comes from the Suzuki Swift and there is the excellent 1.4 litre 4-cylinder Boosterjet which also powers up the Swift Sport.

Both are available with two-wheel drive or AllGrip four-wheel drive and the 2WD 1.0T and the 4WD 1.4T can also be ordered with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Prices start from around £17,000.

This is up by around £3,000 from the last model but there are masses of extras, which include Bluetooth, climate control and the new model is a much better car than the older one.

There are three versions – SZ4, SZ-T and SZ5 and the upper two get the Smartphone link audio and sat nav as standard.

All in all you’ve got a choice of nine models with either five or six manuals or auto, the various engines and either two or four wheel drive plus 11 various colours.

Saying that it doesn’t really matter which one you choose because the one litre booster jet is quite magical while the 4x4 auto will take you anywhere irrespective of the conditions.

The handling is superb and every time you get into a Suzuki you always feel safe probably due to the fact their vehicles have a solid design.

The new Vitara incorporates a new, more elegant front face with redesigned grille and lower bumper and the rear lamps have now been redesigned with a distinctive LED display.

For the interior, a new seat trim design is utilised for the range and suede seat fabric is fitted on SZ5 models; the upper instrument panel is upgraded to a soft touch material and the instrument cluster now features a central colour information display.

On the performance front the 1.0-litre engine offers strong benefits in performance too with 0-62mph acceleration time of 11.5 seconds with manual transmission and two wheel drive. Maximum speed is 111mph for both manual and automatic transmission models.

The four cylinder 1.4-litre engine has similar technical characteristics to the 1.0-litre with its compact turbo charger and cylinder head design.

The 1.4-litre will give you 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds (2WD models) for both manual and automatic transmissions and a maximum speed of 124mph.

There’s a host of extra on the Vitara as there is with every new car these days.

There is a Dual Sensor Brake Support is fitted as standard on SZ-T ALLGRIP and SZ5 models which applies full automatic braking in an effort to avoid the collision or reduce damage.

There is a system which has two rear mounted side radar sensors that are capable of detecting vehicles located in or approaching the rear blind spots on either side of the vehicle.

There is the Lane Departure Warning / Lane Departure Prevention function which many drivers find as irritating. Thankfully it can be turned off.

And there is the Vehicle Sway Warning (ALLGRIP Models)
which when the vehicle is traveling at vehicle speeds of approximately 37mph or above and is weaving from side to side within a lane, the system sounds a warning buzzer and lights an indicator on the instrument panel. Abd more too!

The 2019 model Vitara range utilises a unique 4.2 inch high-definition colour LCD display that shows a range of information including engine output and torque data, fuel consumption, average speed, acceleration and brake operation as well as driving G-force tracking.

But if you are thinking of a new car for yourself or your family you should always have a look at the Suzuki range. It’s a good one.