New for ’06: Completely redesigned;
new unibody platform, reinforced with a ladder
frame for off-road driving; all-new interior.
Compact SUVs are often the choice of drivers
who the want convenience of four doors but
not the frumpy look of a sedan. Suzuki joined
the crowded compact SUV segment in 1999 with
its truck-based Grand Vitara, and distinguished
itself from the throng by its off-road ability.
Beyond that, the Grand Vitara was unrefined
compared with its increasingly more polished
competition, and gained little notice from
front-runners Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
No longer. The completely redesigned Grand
Vitara is leaps and bounds above its predecessor,
with a classed-up interior and a new reinforced
unibody frame that provides a more compliant
ride while maintaining some off road capability.
The Grand Vitara is available in four well-equipped
styles in either two- or four-wheel drive:
base, Premium, XSport and Luxury. All come
standard with a 185-horsepower 2.7-liter V-6
engine. Base and Premium models come with five-speed
manual transmission; the two top-tier styles
are equipped with a five-speed automatic that
is optional on the other two. Despite its base
price below $20,000, the Grand Vitara is outfitted
with standard amenities likely to be found
in vehicles costing thousands more: automatic
climate control, power accessories, micron
air filtration, steering wheel-mounted audio
and cruise controls, keyless entry, stability
control, and ABS. Amenities increase as you
go up in trim level; most notable is the SmartPass
keyless start mechanism included with the XSport
and Luxury models. The Luxury model includes
heated leather seating, alloy wheels and a
moonroof. While the Luxury will cost a few
thousand more than the base models, Suzuki
still manages to keep the price below $25,000.
Take that CR-V!
I was impressed with the quality of fit and
finish. The interior is sleek with nary a trace
of hard plastic. The front seats, in the XSport,
however, offer little in the way of adjustment
options and can get uncomfortable on long trips.
Aluminum-like trim borders the dashboard gauges
and center stack, and the Luxury model even
sees some tasteful wood grain accents.
Exterior styling is nice, but unremarkable,
although I didn’t care for the tattoo-looking
design on the rear spare tire cover. Another
complaint: Because of the position of the rear
tires, every time I put the kids into their
child-safety seats, I ended up with tire-tread
marks on my pants.
My XSport came equipped with the SmartPass
keyless entry and engine-start feature (also
standard on the Luxury edition). This is a
convenience overall, but I found the system
to be a little fussy when the key fob wasn’t
quite close enough to the ignition. I enjoyed
how the Grand Vitara behaved on the road. Handling
is predictable, braking excellent and the ride
smooth yet firm. The cabin is quieter at highway
speeds due to the new unibody construction,
but under heavy acceleration, the engine strains
to get up to speed and there is some road noise.
Safetywise, Grand Vitara has come a long way.
Side-curtain airbags for front and rear passengers
are standard, as are electronic stability control,
anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce
distribution, and front side airbags. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded
the Grand Vitara a second-best four stars in
front impacts and rollovers, but has not rated
it for side impacts.
There is a lot to like about the new Grand Vitara,
not least of which is its incredible value. A
fully loaded four-wheel drive SUV for under $25,000,
plus a 7-year/10,000-mile powertrain warranty?
Believe it. If you’re in the market for
a RAV4 or a CR-V, Grand Vitara should be on your
test-drive list.
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