Well, we did some traveling in Suzuki’s Vitara Hybrid and didn’t encounter any of the boys in blue, which was almost disappointing, since we would have been happy to tell them all about the AWD.

There is quite a bit of telling, considering the attributes of the new Vitara hybrid. You see, we’ve been down the hybrid road before with Suzuki, but this time, it’s a much nicer and rewarding trip.

A great deal of that has to do with the overall newness of the Vitara Hybrid, which includes a new turbocharger, a new hybrid battery and new hybrid system, and some significant upgrades to the 1.4-litre BoosterJet engine.

All of these elements translate into a cleaner and more fuel-efficient SUV, but how well does the new Vitara Hybrid drive? Is there a marked improvement over the outgoing model? The short answer is ‘yes’.

The longer answer is ‘of course there will be an improvement, we did say a whole bunch of new mechanicals after all.’

Fair to say we expected better acceleration and not just faster, but smoother and more controlled, the characteristic advantage of the upgraded hybrid system, which does much more than the Suzuki hybrids we have seen so far. And Suzuki delivered.

The Integrated Starter Generator set-up is one which we are familiar with and with the upgraded 48-volt battery, the ISG hybrid system makes a noticeable difference, not only on take-off, but when cruising as well.

It assists the petrol engine by taking up some of the load on take-off and acceleration, then minimises electrical generation or stops it when the SUV is cruising. On deceleration, the ISG generates energy to feed back into both the Lithium-Ion and the lead acid batteries.

From a driver’s perspective, the Vitara Hybrid returns a modest – but solid – improvement in fuel reduction, Suzuki claiming six litres per 100km as opposed to the previous turbocharged model’s 6.9 litres and this is more than doable and conservative. This means CO2 emissions are down too, from 161 to 136gm/km according to the factory.

We saw 5.8 litres per 100km, achieved with no effort at all and we haven’t worked out the CO2, but we’re picking its value is a little lower too.      

The Vitara Hybrid feels much more relaxed and better planted on the road than its predecessor, which means off road excursions are considerably more fun while being calory-light in terms of fuel and emissions.

We did appreciate the jazzing up of the Vitara interior too. The upgrades a subtle, befitting the maturity of the Vitara nameplate. It still has its youthful panache, but the sophistication of the interior trim and cabin materials lends an air of refinement we haven’t seen in Vitara until now.

This level of sophistication extends to the equipment levels on board the Vitara Hybrid which includes reversing camera, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and hands-free calling.

Incorporated into the ANCAP five-star safety rated equipment is dual sensor brake support, tyre pressure monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, weaving alert and a switchable lane departure prevention system, all of which work extremely effectively.

We did give the AllGrip’s four drive modes a try though and these are brilliant. Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock.

Auto is what you’ll mostly be driving in, while Sport is for the more ‘engaging’ drive with optimised torque settings and accelerator response.

Snow mode is the lighter of the two all-wheel-drive modes and engages permanent four-wheel-drive while working the traction control on slicker surfaces, including gravel, mud, sand and snow.         

For the times when the going really gets tough, Lock is your friend providing torque to the rear and using other electronic sorcery to get your Vitara Hybrid up and rolling again.

Inner cabin space is fine for a family of four with an extra and the luggage room extends from 375 litres to 710 litres.

It is fair to say the Vitara Hybrid is a compact SUV, but this just means it’s nimble in city environments and able to adventure lightly during holiday mode. Add to this the economy, safety and emissions considerations and the Vitara Hybrid is well worthy of a fleet’s consideration.