Vitara Transmission, Identified Before It Ships
On a Vitara, transmission usually comes down to whether a repair, a reconditioned unit or a good used gearbox represents the best value on a car of this age. Tell us which car you have and we'll come back with Suzuki Vitara spares, matched to your car
Used, aftermarket and reconditioned parts. Not supplied by Suzuki Auto South Africa.
Getting transmission right first time
Suzuki fields three quite different automatics locally — a conventional torque-converter automatic, a CVT, and the AMT automated manual used on the budget cars. The AMT is a manual gearbox with an actuator bolted to it, so its parts have nothing in common with either of the others despite all three being sold as "auto". Getting that wrong is the most expensive mistake on this page.
The decision in front of you is usually whether a repair, a reconditioned unit or a good used gearbox represents the best value on a car of this age. To get you a straight answer on it we need whether the car is manual, AMT, CVT or a conventional automatic, plus which engine sits in front of it.
The car
Suzuki Vitara, year of manufacture, and the derivative if you know it.
The code
VIN or registration number. A photo of the licence disc works just as well.
The problem
What has failed, or what you need replaced. A photo helps for anything cosmetic.
Vitara Transmission, component by component
Whether the car is manual, AMT, CVT or a conventional automatic, plus which engine sits in front of it will settle most of these. Pick the component and we'll confirm the rest.
Complete Gearbox/Transmission
Complete manual and automatic gearbox units for Suzuki models, tested before they leave the yard
View complete gearbox/transmission →
Differential Assembly
Complete differentials for Suzuki models, including the front and rear diffs under the ladder-frame Jimny
View differential assembly →
Torque Converter
Torque converters for Suzuki automatic gearboxes, quoted with the box where a failure has contaminated the fluid
View torque converter →
Valve Body
Valve bodies and solenoid packs from Suzuki automatic gearboxes
View valve body →
Transmission Pump
Oil pumps that build line pressure inside Suzuki automatic gearboxes
View transmission pump →
Clutch Disc
Clutch friction plates for manual Suzuki models, normally quoted with the cover and release bearing as a kit
View clutch disc →
Pressure Plate
Clutch covers and diaphragm springs for manual Suzuki gearboxes
View pressure plate →
Flywheel
Flywheels and ring gears for Suzuki manual models, machined or replaced when the friction face is heat-scored
View flywheel →
Internal Clutches
Clutch packs and steel plates from inside Suzuki automatic gearboxes
View internal clutches →
Planetary Gears
Planet carriers, sun gears and annulus rings from Suzuki automatic gearboxes
View planetary gears →
Ring Gear
Crown wheels for Suzuki final drives, always supplied as a matched pair with the pinion
View ring gear →
Pinion Gear
Pinion gears and their bearings for Suzuki differentials, supplied matched to the crown wheel
View pinion gear →Sorting the derivative out first
The Vitara reached South Africa as the LY, on sale in South Africa since 2015, running M16A 1.6 naturally aspirated and K14C Boosterjet 1.4 turbo. Transmission fitment splits on the generation long before it splits on trim. The naturally aspirated 1.6 and the turbocharged 1.4 Boosterjet are near-indistinguishable in a photograph and share very little where it matters — and AllGrip all-wheel-drive derivatives change the rear end again, so the derivative name decides fitment, not the badge. Find your derivative below, then send the code from the VIN plate with your enquiry.
- Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GL
- Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GL+
- Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GLX
- Suzuki Vitara 1.4T GLX
- Suzuki Vitara 1.4T GLX AllGrip
Not sure which derivative you own? Send the VIN with your enquiry and we'll confirm compatibility before anything is dispatched.
What a parts desk needs to hear about your Vitara
Owners are often caught out by how much rides on the generation code, and the Vitara ran the LY, on sale in South Africa since 2015 here.The naturally aspirated 1.6 and the turbocharged 1.4 Boosterjet are near-indistinguishable in a photograph and share very little where it matters — and AllGrip all-wheel-drive derivatives change the rear end again, so the derivative name decides fitment, not the badge.
- 1
Track down the generation code for your Vitara. It is on the VIN plate, and it is on the original registration paperwork if you still have it.
- 2
Nail down the engine. This market got M16A 1.6 naturally aspirated and K14C Boosterjet 1.4 turbo in the Vitara.
- 3
Send us both, along with the transmission you need and whether the car is manual, AMT, CVT or a conventional automatic, plus which engine sits in front of it. The matching happens before we quote.
Sourcing note: the Vitarathe M16A 1.6 is the same engine family fitted to the SX4 sold here, which widens the search for engine-side parts, which widens the net when local stock runs thin.
Locally, the Vitara is mostly bought as a small family car rather than an off-roader, so it lives on tar and speed bumps — suspension and front-end damage dominate what we get asked for. That is the wear pattern we source against, and it is why we ask what the car does rather than only what it is.
Vitara Transmission: common questions
Does transmission fitment change across Vitara generations?
More than people expect. The Vitara covers the LY, on sale in South Africa since 2015 here, and the naturally aspirated 1.6 and the turbocharged 1.4 Boosterjet are near-indistinguishable in a photograph and share very little where it matters — and AllGrip all-wheel-drive derivatives change the rear end again, so the derivative name decides fitment, not the badge. That is the single biggest factor in getting transmission right first time.
Which Vitara engines were sold here, and does it affect transmission?
M16A 1.6 naturally aspirated and K14C Boosterjet 1.4 turbo. Transmission fitment often follows the engine family rather than the nameplate, so the code on the block is worth reading before you order.
Could transmission from another model fit my Vitara?
Sometimes, and it is worth knowing where: the M16A 1.6 is the same engine family fitted to the SX4 sold here, which widens the search for engine-side parts. Where the hardware is genuinely shared it widens the pool we can search for transmission. We verify the overlap before offering it — we never assume it.
The background reading on transmission, independent of which model you drive, sits on the Transmission page for the whole Suzuki range .
Elsewhere on the Vitara
Send the details and we'll go looking
Send us whether the car is manual, AMT, CVT or a conventional automatic, plus which engine sits in front of it and we'll confirm the right transmission for your Vitara before we quote a price.