7 February 2011
Those who enjoy life off road have never been embarrassed to tell their mates they drive a Grand Vitara because the vehicle delivered on its 4wd capabilities and equally importantly, its reliability.
The main criticism though has come from its lack of on road refinement.
In launching the Generation Three Grand Vitara, Suzuki has concentrated its efforts into developing the vehicle into a more accomplished all-rounder, retaining and improving on the off road prowess and at the same time creating a more sophisticated on road performance.
As with the previous models there are three and five door body configurations offered, all longer, wider and lower than their predecessors, with increased wheelbases and roomier interiors.
A stronger focus on fun is apparent in the smaller of the two body designs, which (along with its smaller price tag) could see the Vitara be a popular option for mostly female purchasers.
Interior appointments are uncluttered and simple to locate, operation of heater and radio functions are similarly unchallenging.
Dual front airbags, four-channel anti-locking brakes with electronic brake distribution, climate air conditioning, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages and child seat tether anchorages are standard comfort and safety features across the range.
The top of the range V6 Limited gaining side and curtain airbags along with keyless start, cruise control, leather seats, six-stack CD player and six speakers with sub-woofer.
Gone from previous models is the separate ladder chassis replaced with a monocoque construction incorporating a unique built-in ladder frame / monocoque combination to aid on road qualities.
Newly designed floating suspension frames fitted to the body via isolating bushes, are engineered to keep cabin noise and vibration to a minimum and improve driver comfort.
Improvements to refinement are significant, with the longer wheelbase option offering the best on-road characteristics of the range by far. Road and engine noise was quite acceptable for a 4WD and handling was not overly top-heavy at sensible cornering speeds.
The same couldn't be said for the three-door which remains agricultural in feel on the road.
Permanent 4WD is a new feature, replacing the "on-demand" system of previous models. Five-door models have four options and High and Low "lock" are also available, so the Suzi's mountain goat pedigree is still there.
Generous floor to roof space is available via the gaping rear door aperture and the rear seats fold simply, revealing a flat load floor.
Rear occupants sit comfortably in the five-door with the 200mm wheelbase advantage offering accommodating legroom, not so the three door, in which the two rear seating positions would feel cramped for most adults.
The entry-level three door comes with a new 1.6 litre 78kW / 145Nm double overhead camshaft engine.
A five speed manual transmission is the only option offered. The 1.6 litre was, in our opinion a little laboured pushing the three-door Vitara along. It required wider throttle inputs than normal to achieve the acceleration driver's have now come to expect from small to mid-sized vehicles, which translates to increased fuel usage (10.4 Litres/100km average). We also found the manual shift to be imprecise and truck like.
The five-door comes with either a 2.0 litre inline 4 cylinder or a 2.7 litre V6 power unit with the option of automatic (4 speed for the 2.0 litre or 5 speed for the 2.7 litre) or manual for both, although the manual 2.7 litre is an indent order only. The existing 2.0 litre unit has been improved to give increases in both power and torque (103kW and 183Nm respectively).
The previous 2.5 litre engine gives way to a 2.7 litre, 135kW / 250Nm power plant, as was fitted to the five-door limited we tested.
The V6 performs well in the urban environment, but on the open road feels flat, despite having an impressive amount of torque. Restricted by power to weight and gearing ratios the Limited's open road driveability lacked lustre.
Maximum towing capacities for all five-door models is set at 1850 kg's, a considerable amount for a 2.0 litre model.
If you have a genuine need for an occasional rugged off-roader the Grand Vitara's wouldn't be out of its depth, but the compromise of on-road manners over other 'soft-roader' type vehicles should be a consideration when purchasing for urban use only.