Choosing a car for a long journey can seem odd. These compact crossovers are often labeled urban. Let the tag bother the marketers who coined it. Looking ahead, the Vitara proves to be an excellent long-haul companion. With a few caveats, of course. But more on that later.
There’s no need to describe the exterior and interior of the Vitara here. This model has long been on the market and is well known. The focus instead is on how it drives and what it can do. The route spanned several terrains, from Moscow to Yaroslavl, with mostly modern highways featuring multiple lanes and strong mobile coverage. The trip continued toward Vologda where the roads remained good but the path grew narrower and busier, winding through towns. Overtaking became a frequent task. Beyond that, a long stretch of smooth highway gave way to older, broken local roads and iced sections. The outback offered endless, snow-covered miles, sparsely populated and almost empty. Off-road ambitions were never the Vitara’s goal, yet the vehicle proved capable on the defined challenges. In the Vologda region, the risk of getting stuck on soft ground is real, a reminder that one may need something larger than a compact crossover in harsh conditions.
With such road variety, compounded by snow and rain, the car handled itself with confidence. The highway performance impressed, and the 1.4-liter turbo petrol engine delivered lively acceleration and strong torque across a broad rev range. Quick overtakes were effortless. The four-speed hydromechanical transmission—uncommon in the CVT era—shifted smoothly and nearly invisibly. The engine and the gear setup felt like a well-matched pair, almost made for one another.
The suspension felt comfortable on smooth stretches but showed its character on rough pavement. Slow down for noticeably jarring potholes, or you’ll pay the price with a bit of a shake on the cabin. The driver’s position pleasantly surprised. The cabin is comfortably shaped, with a supportive seat, a grip-friendly steering wheel, and ample front-room. After clocking around five thousand kilometers in one continuous drive, fatigue remained minimal. The rear seats, however, are a tight fit, underscoring the vehicle’s compact footprint when traveling with passengers. It’s a reminder that space can be precious on longer trips.
The cabin remains a touch noisy under heavy acceleration or on rough surfaces, but when driven calmly, the sound levels are within the typical range for this class. The Vitara is a true four-wheel-drive vehicle. Some owners and manufacturers may call crossovers SUVs, but an experiment on a rough, snow-covered country road proved otherwise. The long front overhang and modest ground clearance mean the car isn’t built for extreme off-road adventures. Yet the All-Grip Select system showed its strength on flat yet slippery trails, especially on winter tires. On snow, the Vitara glided with confidence, inviting the driver to push a bit further—only to remind them to stay within safe limits. Oncoming traffic is a rare event here, but when it occurs, timing matters the most.
In the trunk, the luggage space is modest. Two suitcases filled the area nearly entirely, underscoring the Vitara’s compact size. The overall loading capacity suits solo travelers or couples; families with lots of gear would likely opt for something larger. Still, the Vitara’s combination of speed, comfort, and efficiency makes it a strong choice for many journeys. The question of luggage and passenger comfort remains a personal balancing act when planning longer trips.
Let’s recap. The Vitara is a capable traveler, offering quick acceleration, comfortable highway cruising, and respectable fuel economy. It handles a range of road quality with equal ease, from motorways to secondary country lanes. Traveling alone or with a partner might be ideal; adding children changes the dynamic, and the back seat space becomes a tighter squeeze. For bigger families with more gear, a larger vehicle could be more practical. Is a sportier version in the cards? Possibly. But in its current form, the Vitara delivers on the essentials for confident long-distance driving.
The frost that wasn’t
Exactly a year earlier, the same region experienced a brutal cold snap, with the north staying frosty even 700 kilometers from the capital. Morning temperatures dipped well below freezing, and starting a frozen engine became a small ordeal. It quickly revealed who was prepared and who was not, as batteries in poor condition faced a hard time turning over the engine.
To avoid a repeat, thorough preparation was made this time, including a look at battery technology for cold starts. Under the hood, an EFB battery from Exide was deployed, featuring a second-generation design known as Carbon Boost 2.0. This configuration is optimized for quick charging and resilience against microcycle discharges, making it well suited to vehicles with start-stop systems and frequent short trips. The explanation of the terms follows below for clarity and future cold-weather planning.
EFB stands for Enhanced Flooded Battery—a more robust version designed for cars with stop-start functionality and, in some cases, regular use. Its main advantage over standard batteries is a refined active material, geometry, and grid alloy, coupled with advanced separators to protect each plate. Carbon Boost 2.0 refers to Exide’s carbon-infused enhancement in the negative plates, improving charge acceptance and durability. The primary role of these batteries is to deliver fast recharge, resistance to microcycles, and strong performance in blue-sky days and cold alike. For vehicles with stop-start features, this becomes a critical requirement. The combination of efficiency, longevity, and high cranking current makes EFB batteries a strong option for modern cars. Accurately described, their extended life and resilience stand out, making them a practical choice for everyday driving. The test of these batteries in real conditions was postponed to winter; for now, the focus is on understanding what EFB and Carbon Boost 2.0 are and why they matter as cold weather approaches.
Let the abbreviations explain themselves. EFB means Enhanced Flooded Battery—an upgraded flooded type used in start-stop systems and regular cars. The distinct advantage Exide’s implementation offers is a carbon-influenced active mass, specialized geometry, and a current-conducting grid with carbon-infused separators. Carbon Boost 2.0 refers to Exide’s patented technology with a refined plate surface and carbon additive for the negative plates. The central mission of these batteries is fast charge acceptance and strong resistance to microcycle wear, a must-have for start-stop recovery systems. They also resist deep discharges, boast long life, and deliver high energy efficiency. In short, the high performance makes these batteries suitable for conventional vehicles too. The appeal lies in longer life and robust cranking power that users can rely on. The plan was to test the last feature under real-life winter conditions, but the forecast held off. The next winter would likely bring a better chance to see the full capability of EFB batteries in action. For now, the takeaway is a practical understanding of battery choices ahead of cold weather and why the EFB and Carbon Boost 2.0 technology matters to reliability in subzero climates.