Suzuki Grand Vitara: A true off-road master
What you need to know:
- Verdict: If you are looking for a well-priced compact 4x4, then you do not have to look much further than Suzuki’s Grand Vitara. It looks perfectly at home on city streets, is comfortable and refined and provides practical and personable on and off-road driving.
When one thinks of a car, brand is always high up on the list, furthermore on the list of brands, some brands are more equal than others. Suzuki is a brand not well received among a number of buyers in Uganda and this could be because of a number of reason ranging from realistic such as you just being unable to find the Suzuki you want to trivial such as Suzuki is a not a good brand.
The most common Suzuki is the Vitara, a car that just did not cut it for me aesthetically, and I can guarantee I do represent a substantial number of people with a similar sentiment.
Design
The designers at Suzuki seemed to listen and went back to the drawing board. Enter the Suzuki Grand Vitara. In its third generation with year of manufacture 2005 to 2014, this is an SUV that attempts to deliver the often mutually exclusive attributes of off-road ability and on-road comfort.
Nowadays, particularly in the road-friendly class that includes vehicles such as the Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV 4, the Grand Vitara is another that fits comfortably into the group.
Most buyers of these urban SUVs will never venture off road certainly not on anything more challenging than a wet and muddy road. But should you need to, the Grand Vitara will be happy to oblige.
Engine
This version is a completely different car from the previous version, being based on the General Motors Theta platform. It has a rear wheel-drive system but the all-drive one is available as an option.
The standard engine is a 2.0L 4-cylinder which develops 140 horsepower but it can always be replaced with an optional 2.7L, which produces 181 horsepower. Three-door models use either 1.6L petrol or a 1.9L turbo diesel engine but these are very rare.
All models include as standard equipment items such as alloy wheels and CD sound system. The top-of-the-range versions have, in addition, leather upholstery, heated front seats, electrically operated glass sunroof, xenon headlights and larger 18-inch alloy wheels.
Interior
The Suzuki Grand Vitara interior comes across as a bit bland in comparison to competition. It is neither brilliant nor terrible. Nevertheless everything is within reach and you will not pop your shoulder out trying to mess with the dash controls.
In the interior, daring designs blend with classic forms. INTERNET PHOTOS
The Vitara’s flared wheel arches give it a tough and nugget stance on the road, and the sharp squared-off design makes is unique. Admirably, like many newer cars, all models come as standard with a full complement of airbags. Front seatbelts are height adjustable and incorporate pre-tensioners and force limiters. ABS and electronic brake-force distribution are standard, as one would expect.
Downside
On the flipside, spare parts for this car might be hard to come by on the local market and if you do find them, you shall be charged an arm and a leg. Resale value is also not the best. However, I presume any buyer of this car wants it for life.
