There is a view that the small SUV market is a new one and that’s probably not a view shared by Suzuki, rated as the largest manufacturer of small cars in the world. That’s because the Japanese Suzuki car company has been making small SUVs long before they were popular in Europe with cars such as the Jimny and Vitara blazing a trail back in the 1970s.

So the re-incarnation of the Vitara was to be expected as sales of larger diesel models in the Suzuki range, such as the Grand Vitara, came under pressure. That reincarnation comes in the shape of a new Vitara model that neatly fits with the new-generation market, while having a 4x4 pedigree that will be the envy of some.

The Suzuki Vitara ALLGRIP 4x4 is a compact SUV that has an impressive

Suzuki off-road pedigree with a new turbo-charged petrol engine.

This new-generation Vitara has been re-formatted for the petrol world and there is no longer a diesel engine version available. That’s why my recent Vitara test car option was the new 1.4-litre with its Suzuki Boosterjet turbo-charged petrol engine under the bonnet.

What’s different with the new model are some subtle design lines in a car that now competes with the likes of the Citroën C3 Aircross, Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Roc in terms of its position on the market. The Suzuki Vitara is probably the more compact of them all, apart from the Seat Arona, while there is relatively little to separate them in terms of length and wheelbase dimensions.

The Vitara is neat and tidy in terms of dimensions, while retaining a reasonable driver height position for easy access and good road visibility. The test car came with Suzuki’s ALLGRIP four-wheel drive system, which is at the light duty end of the 4x4 spectrum. It offers more in terms of on-road stability in difficult driving conditions than the level of serious off-road towing ability that’s expected from many farming 4x4s.

The Suzuki Vitara is among the smaller SUVs on the market with smaller boot space than some of the competition and no spare wheel included.

This new 1.4-litre petrol engine is smooth, lively and quiet in terms of performance. The six-speed manual gearbox is a good match for the engine with a light clutch pedal operation for easy driving.

Despite this, the fuel economy from petrol 4x4s – even smaller ones such as the Vitara – is not a match for the diesel engines from the past. The rated fuel economy figure under the new worldwide harmonised light vehicle test procedure (WLTP) shows a fuel economy figure of 13.3km/litre (7.5/100km or 38mpg) which I found more than achievable.

My driving performance over 660km in a mix of rural driving conditions was even 20% better and that impressed me and raised my expectations for the Vitara. But I still yearned for the economy of my old Mazda engine-powered Vitara of 15 years ago. However, I have to concede that the new-generation Vitara is a much cleaner machine.

Relative to the competition from the Seat Arona and the Volkswagen T-Roc, this Vitara is economical to a point. Higher-speed driving when you are crossing the engine 2,000rpm red line mark, will mean a significant drop in economy levels. That’s why this car will respond best in terms of ownership costs when it’s treated with a gentle right foot on the pedal.

The ALLGRIP four-wheel-drive system is an automatic unit that responds to progressive wheel-slip. It adds a little extra weight to the car, which is still relatively lightweight in comparison with some of the competition.

There are settings for Sport, Snow and Auto driving, plus the option of a transmission lock for more difficult conditions. I drove mostly in Auto and as road conditions were dry, there was little need for its engagement, even across a stubble field.

The Suzuki off-road ability has always been recognised as being good in terms a weight balance for vehicle traction in difficult conditions, but not with a trailer on behind.

The Vitara is no longer seen as a towing vehicle as the rated towing figure is relatively low at just 1,200kg. The boot space is not the biggest either, giving 375 litres that extends to 710 litres with the rear seats down. That’s smaller than the others and there’s no spare wheel included, a negative for me and many other rural drivers who regularly battle with potholes and cliff-like side margins that all too often create tyre sidewall cuts that can’t be repaired with the tyre sealant glue and air pump system.

The entry price for the Suzuki Vitara ALLGRIP 4x4 model is from €28,745 or £24,299 in Northern Ireland.

The overall specification package with the car is impressive with hill descent and hill hold control now included along with seven airbags and a host of other safety features built into this small SUV package. Opting for the more basic model without the 4x4 drive system and some other features will cut €4,000 from that price or £2,000 in Northern Ireland.

The car is equipped to the AppleCar play system with ease, which I liked. The dash is modern with a digital feel throughout coupled with a compact multi-function steering wheel.

The air-con is easy to use and effective while I found the need to double press the fob for opening the doors took some getting used to.

Suzuki offers a tidy package in the re-introduced Vitara with the benefits of the ALLGRIP 4x4 system. The brand has more recently expanded its Irish dealer network and also scored top among car brands in a recent UK customer satisfaction index.

For this new Vitara, the engine performance was better than expected hinting that with astute driving this can be one of the most cost-effective smaller petrol powered SUV’s to own.