Why did Suzuki PH drop the Vitara from its local lineup?

If you’ve been closely monitoring the local automotive scene, you may have heard talk of Suzuki Philippines dropping its erstwhile Vitara from its lineup. Well, the talk is true. And a visit to the brand’s website confirms this.

According to Suzuki Philippines, it has decided to drop one of its longest-running nameplates from its local lineup for one simple reason: price. The current-generation Vitara AllGrip is priced at P1,458,000, which may seem reasonable until you realize it’s now competing in the subcompact crossover class. This means it goes up against the likes of the Geely Coolray, Ford Territory, and MG ZS that are priced much lower and offer more features that somehow, the market looks for.

Adding to Suzuki’s high price are the ever-rising cost of fuel, which in turn increases shipping costs. And with the VBitara being built in Hungary, which means it does not enjoy any free trade or lower tariff agreements, Suzuki is looking at Vitara prices that could go up even further. Hence, the Japanese compact vehicle maker opted to make the move.

First introduced in the mid-1990s, the Suzuki Vitara quickly gained fame as an affordable yet truly off-road capable compact SUV. It has since then spanned four generations. For now, Suzuki PH has no competitor in this hotly-contested segment. Yet we never can tell. It might just introduce a more competitively-priced entry in the near future. If ever it does decide to do so, we’ll let you in on it as soon as we get wind of any news.

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