If the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara appealed to the SUV lover in you, so too should the 2010 edition as little changes. The one notable addition is an in-vehicle navigation system, now standard in all trims. Think of Grand Vitara as a larger-sized compact SUV or crossover.
Suzuki's not the biggest automaker, but has carved a niche for itself as a value-driven automaker. While the Japanese-based company may be better known for motorcycles and outboard motors, some of its latest debuts, including the Kazashi mid-size sedan and SX4 crossover have struck a chord with buyers. Suzuki began selling cars in the United States in 1985 (now in its 25th year) and debuted the first generation, five-door Grand Vitara in 1999.
Built in Japan, the compact, five-seat Grand Vitara competes in a crowed segment, but offers enough distinction to stand apart. Compact SUVs attract customers for decent fuel economy and a higher seating position than conventional sedans. Most are front-wheel drive, built off a car platform ( uni-body frame) and designed for on-road, pavement travel. A scant few including the long-running Jeep Wrangler and Nissan Xterra incorporate off-roading characteristics. While Grand Vitara is also built from unibody construction, it features enough underpinnings to qualify for light off roading including available hill-decent control and hill hold control.
Think of it as a comfortably refined off-roader. Grand Vitara offers rear-drive standard with available four-wheel drive. This also differs from most smaller, "cute ute" SUVs which sport front drive. A scant few in this segment, including the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander offer third-row seating, but this compact class is best left with two rows for maximum comfort.
Grand Vitara's powertrain warranty ranks as one of the most industry's versatile. Unlike many, this coverage is fully transferable to the next owner, adding value during trade-in time. Suzuki's powertrain warranty has no deductible, reducing out-of-pocket expenses. The time horizon is seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever arrives first.
A full-size spare, mounted on the outside back hatch improves ground clearance, important for off-roaders. Most on-road competitors stow the spare under the cargo floor. A low placement keeps the spare outside the perception of rear-view mirror glances. The rear hatch, hinged on the right, swings open like a refrigerator door and is aided by a large, shock-absorber-type arm along the hinged-side bottom.
Grand Vitara offers two engines, two four-wheel drive systems and many trim selections for plenty of mix and match opportunities. In 2009, Grand Vitara offered its first four cylinder engine, a fuel efficient 2.4-liter cranking out 166 horses. It returns in 2010. Also on board once again is a 3.2-liter, V-6 boasting 230 horses. Grand Vitara rates as one of the few compact SUVs offering manual transmission, standard in base, rear-drive drive models (four-wheel drive is not offered in base).
In addition to the base, the four-cylinder engine is available in Premium, XSport and Limited. These three offer a four-speed automatic standard with the choice of rear or four-wheel drive. The V-6 engine comes only in XSport and Limited with a standard five-speed automatic. Both V-6 trims offer rear-drive or a more advanced four-mode all-wheel drive with a 4-low gear. Optional in Premium trims is a single-mode four drive. Our V-6, four-wheel drive averaged 17 miles per gallon city and 23 mpg highway, average for this class.
With an overall-length of 177.2 inches Grand Vitara is about two inches shorter than Honda's CR-V, the segment sales leader. The mid-size front honeycomb grille includes Suzuki's S logo front and center. Small, rectangular-shaped headlight housing stays in front, not wrapping around to the sides. Horizontal tail lights remain parallel to the lower hatch door without framing the glass top half. All five doors sport body-colored, strap-like handles. Side view mirrors are large for this-segment.
Our Limited four-wheel-drive tester with V-6 engine started at $26,999. The only options were dealer installed cargo mates ($130), floor mats ($125) and Bluetooth connectivity with test-message display ($269) for a bottom line of $27,523 without destination charge. A comparably-equipped Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 would cost a couple of thousand dollars more.
Back seats fold down onto cushions with a 60/40 split. Dual cup holders near the floor fold down from the lower center console. Front doors include molded cup holders ahead of the map pocket. Ventilation temperature and fan speed are controlled by dials while a push-button selector takes care of direction. The standard navigation system rests on top of the dash in the form of a retracing top; just press down, and the monitor springs up.
Firm, front bucket seats were supportive during a three-hour trim to the Wisconsin Dells with little back fatigue. In between are a hand-operated parking brake, dual inline cup holders and the floor-mounted transmission. A dual-compartment arm rest includes a cover that slides forward or rearward. Thanks to high seating positions and generous window sizes, drivers have good perspectives of the road. No soft-touch materials on dash as some other competitors, but the Limited edition features polished wood nuances on front door arm rest shifter. Instead of a conventional steering column key cylinder, our Limited edition included a keyless twist start knob, activating as long as the electronic fob is nearby. Generous head room compliments decent leg room. The steering wheel face includes cruise control and redundant audio controls.
For a lower-price compact, Suzuki offers a complete array of standard safety equipment in all trims including traction control, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, front air bags, front seat side-impact air bags and side-curtain air bags. For those owning large recreation vehicles, Grand Vitara is designed to be flat towed behind the RV (without a carrier). Brakes respond gently without a jarring jolt once touched and not overly mushy. The V-6 engine is a bit louder than most in the compact or mid-size class.
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