Vitara loses individuality
14/07/09 19:37 Filed in: Road
tests
When the Suzuki Vitara first hit the
UK market it quickly gathered an almost a cult following. Here was
a small affordable off-roader with style and presence.
Like many really distinctive and individual cars since. Businesses were quick to seize the opportunity to livery Vitaras to promote their business. (More recent examples of cars that are likely to bear company names are, the Mini, the Volkswagen Beetles and of course the Smart For 2.)
In its latest incarnation, however, the Suzuki Grand Vitara has, to my eye at least, lost that distinction.
It now looks like a generic, small 4x4. Neat it may be, but it doesn’t shout Vitara. Indeed there are bits of the design that are quite reminiscent of other 4x4s. For example, the “clamshell” bonnet is very Land Rover, especially with the little vent slot at the back.
My test car was the Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 SZ5 in its latest 2009 specification, which means modifications to the engine, the dashboard and improvements to refinement thanks to modified door seals and sound insulation.
There can be no doubt that the Grand Vitara has the specification for the job. The 2.4-litre engine provides plenty of grunt for heavy-duty work.
Also, the Vitara proves it is not all ‘green wellies and show’. It really does have the credentials to take to the rough stuff. Unlike so many others in this class, the Grand Vitara has a low-ratio on the five-speed gearbox and you can also lock the central differential for the real slippy stuff.
I took the Vitara across my heather moor test track and, not surprisingly, it passed the test with flying colours dispatching the heather-wading with ease and romping up the slippery grass slope in true 4x4 fashion.
So, while it is at home off road, I found the Vitara rather uninspiring on-road companion. The floppy gear lever seemed to find the right one out of the five gears for me, but it just didn’t feel good. Similarly the steering does the job, but just feels a bit lifeless. In saying that, I am recognising that off-roaders (thanks to their taller tyres with flexible sidewalls) are never going to feel as sharp as a low-profile tyres on a sports hatch or saloon.
Power output on the 2.4 Grand Vitara is 169 bhp. Combined fuel consumption is 31.3 mpg while CO2 emissions are 208 g/km. Acceleration 0-62 mpg is quoted at 13.2 seconds.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 SZ5 is the top-of-the-range model at £18,475. But price is where the Grand Vitara really can compete. Forego some of the nice things on the SZ5 specification (like heated leather seats , upgraded stereo, brighter headlights and a sunroof) and you can get a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 for £14,600.
That’s almost £6,700 less than the cheapest Land Rover Freelander 2, or almost £4,500 less than a Toyota RAV4. Bear in mind, also, that neither of these cars offers the real off-road equipment of a low ratio gearbox let alone a lockable central differential.
Suddenly the Suzuki Grand Vitara makes more sense. Here is an opportunity to buy a powerful 4x4 with real off-road ability for a very competitive price.
Like many really distinctive and individual cars since. Businesses were quick to seize the opportunity to livery Vitaras to promote their business. (More recent examples of cars that are likely to bear company names are, the Mini, the Volkswagen Beetles and of course the Smart For 2.)
In its latest incarnation, however, the Suzuki Grand Vitara has, to my eye at least, lost that distinction.
It now looks like a generic, small 4x4. Neat it may be, but it doesn’t shout Vitara. Indeed there are bits of the design that are quite reminiscent of other 4x4s. For example, the “clamshell” bonnet is very Land Rover, especially with the little vent slot at the back.
My test car was the Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 SZ5 in its latest 2009 specification, which means modifications to the engine, the dashboard and improvements to refinement thanks to modified door seals and sound insulation.
There can be no doubt that the Grand Vitara has the specification for the job. The 2.4-litre engine provides plenty of grunt for heavy-duty work.
Also, the Vitara proves it is not all ‘green wellies and show’. It really does have the credentials to take to the rough stuff. Unlike so many others in this class, the Grand Vitara has a low-ratio on the five-speed gearbox and you can also lock the central differential for the real slippy stuff.
I took the Vitara across my heather moor test track and, not surprisingly, it passed the test with flying colours dispatching the heather-wading with ease and romping up the slippery grass slope in true 4x4 fashion.
So, while it is at home off road, I found the Vitara rather uninspiring on-road companion. The floppy gear lever seemed to find the right one out of the five gears for me, but it just didn’t feel good. Similarly the steering does the job, but just feels a bit lifeless. In saying that, I am recognising that off-roaders (thanks to their taller tyres with flexible sidewalls) are never going to feel as sharp as a low-profile tyres on a sports hatch or saloon.
Power output on the 2.4 Grand Vitara is 169 bhp. Combined fuel consumption is 31.3 mpg while CO2 emissions are 208 g/km. Acceleration 0-62 mpg is quoted at 13.2 seconds.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 SZ5 is the top-of-the-range model at £18,475. But price is where the Grand Vitara really can compete. Forego some of the nice things on the SZ5 specification (like heated leather seats , upgraded stereo, brighter headlights and a sunroof) and you can get a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 for £14,600.
That’s almost £6,700 less than the cheapest Land Rover Freelander 2, or almost £4,500 less than a Toyota RAV4. Bear in mind, also, that neither of these cars offers the real off-road equipment of a low ratio gearbox let alone a lockable central differential.
Suddenly the Suzuki Grand Vitara makes more sense. Here is an opportunity to buy a powerful 4x4 with real off-road ability for a very competitive price.