It looks like the Toyota Urban Cruiser EV isn’t the only Made in India, Japanese EV heading to the Philippines. Its mechanical twin, the Suzuki eVitara has just gotten its certification from the Department of Energy (DOE) ahead of a Philippine launch within the year.
Fresh from its highest-ever sales position last year, Suzuki Auto Philippines is now pivoting itself to beat out brands such as Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda, and Subaru in offering a battery electric vehicle locally.
Honestly, this piece of news shouldn’t come as a surprise as the backdrop used during the eVitara’s production rollout clearly showed the Philippines as one of the EV crossover’s destinations. Plus, the concept version, the eVX, did make its way to the Philippine International Motor Show in 2024.
Based on its DOE filing, the eVitara (model code: AP10) will come in a solitary GLX variant. Confirmed are its general specs such as its dimensions: 4,275 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width, and 1,635 mm in height. As for its powertrain, it’ll come with a 128 kW (174 horsepower) front-mounted electric motor and a 61.1-kWh battery. These figures mimic the Toyota Urban Cruiser EV.
Now, whereas Toyota opted to keep the Urban Cruiser EV’s specs behind a password-protected SharePoint account, Suzuki Auto Philippines has revealed a bit more.
For example, the torque has been confirmed at 193 Nm. Putting that together with the horsepower output, and it results in a respectable 8.7-second 0 to 100 km/h time. Top speed is 150 km/h. The large-ish battery means a 426-kilometer WLTP range and charging is done via CCS for DC charging and Type 2 for AC charging.
Other pertinent information includes the eVitara’s wheelbase (2,700 mm), turning radius (5.2 meters), and ground clearance (180 mm). It also offers 306 liters of cargo space with the rear seats raised.
The Philippine-spec eVitara will have 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/55R18 tires, smart keyless entry with push start, automatic climate control, 12-color ambient interior lighting, USB Type C ports, and a wireless charger as its standard comfort and convenience features.
It will be the second model to offer the Suzuki Safety Support advanced driver assist technologies. This gives the eVitara adaptive cruise control, front collision warning with automatic braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), blind spot indicators, and rear cross traffic alert with automatic braking. This is on top of 7 SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.
With the eVitara now getting the DOE’s nod, expect the launch to happen within the first half of 2026, perhaps in time for the Philippine International Motor Show which is slated for June.
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