The Suzuki Vitara isn’t sold in the United States but it is a relatively popular small crossover, which is currently produced in Hungary and China. However, its sales in Europe have declined in recent years with just about 40,000 units delivered to customers in 2022 compared to more than 80,000 in 2019. Drastic times call for drastic measures and there’s no better proof of that phrase than Suzuki’s latest marketing campaign in Spain.
Suzuki Iberica decided to show how practical the Vitara is by asking 23 people to get inside the cabin. This isn’t close to the world record of 57 people inside an original Volkswagen Beetle but it’s still impressive considering the Vitara has a relatively small 98.4-inch (2,500-millimeter) wheelbase. Suzuki emphasizes the Vitara has one of the largest cabins in relation to its compact exterior dimensions.
During the Suzuki Family Day in Spain celebrating 20 years of Suzuki Iberica, the brand took an example of the Vitara facelift and folded down its rear seats to free more space. Six people sit in the front and another seventeen in the area behind the front seats, which has a volume of 39,51 cubic feet (1,119 liters). Suzuki says all 23 participants are medium-sized youngsters, who complete the challenge with “a fun choreography, a lot of elasticity, and enthusiasm.” Footage from the experiment can be seen at the top of this page.
Launched in 2015, the current fourth-generation Vitara was facelifted in 2018 but is still one of the oldest models in Europe’s subcompact segment. Beginning in March 2020, the model is available on the Old Continent only with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine supported by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The peak system output is 127 horsepower (95 kilowatts) and 173 pound-feet (235 Newton-meters) of torque. In selected countries on the continent, such as Hungary, France, Poland, and the Netherlands, there’s also a more powerful 1.5-liter hybrid with 115 hp (85 kW).
