Suzuki Grand Vitara: Definitely Grander This Time Around

Oh, we know you’ve been aching to read about Suzukis. We even met up with the people from Suzuki Philippines a couple of months back just to show them your text messages demanding one Suzuki vehicle review after the other. So when we finally got the call to test drive the Suzuki Grand Vitara, we pounced on the opportunity. No questions asked. And, boy, are we glad we did.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara is all grown up now. It still seats five adults quite comfortably. However, since its dimensions have been altered dramatically, overall fit and finish reflect the added comfort you’ll notice immediately if you had the chance to ride or own a Grand Vitara in the past. It looks tougher than its predecessor and, with the introduction of the 2.7-liter V6 variant, instantly out-guns its predecessor as well. The test unit leant to us, however, was the more civil 2.0-liter automatic transmission variant, which still featured the ultra-efficient Suzuki 4x4 system (which, by the way, we did put to good use when the vehicle was with us).

The 185-horsepower V6 will set you back P1,570,000, but the adequately powered 4-cylinder variant we drove which featured 145 horses goes for a more affordable P1,278,000. What we really did like about the unit we drove, however, was the 193Nm of torque made available to us as we negotiated the up- and downhill off-road climbs and dives en route to our hideaway in Rizal (the V6 has even more muscle at 250Nm). And, despite the disc/drum set-up (we’re demanding, we know, four-wheel discs will always be tops in our book) the standard ABS fitted in our unit worked admirably as well.

Comparing the recently-refurbished Grand Vitara to vehicles like the class-leading Toyota Fortuner might seem unfair, but since this writer took the Rizal trip with Manila Times motoring editor Brian Afuang — who conveniently came in a Fortuner — the comparison became inevitable. While the Fortuner might have the edge in overall heft, the Grand Vitara pretty much held its own. We didn’t have the paraphernalia to compare the exact dimensions but at least in our immediate perception the Grand Vitara stood its ground. And, as Afuang himself so astutely pointed out, the Suzuki seemed to brim with more character. Not that there’s anything intrinsically wrong with the Fortuner’s exterior design (Heck, it’s pretty!) but as with any Toyota, the Fortuner is blessed with the gift (burden?) of almost outlandish familiarity. So, it just doesn’t seem to stand out in a crowd anymore. The Suzuki Grand Vitara does, thank you very much.

Inside, while the Grand Vitara’s seats and upholstery seemed to exude a more mature character, the entire set up still lacked the luxurious impact of wafting leather. Not all is lost, though. Idiot-proof panel controls, a very able air-conditioning system, a very smart black on grey color scheme and a pretty good sound system will still remind the Grand Vitara driver that he did actually invest some seven digits into his vehicle.

So who’s the target market of this suddenly grown up SUV? We’d wager he’s the adventurous type who doesn’t want to be labeled as typical. The Suzuki Grand Vitara has improved tremendously since it first came into our shores. Its buyers are going to be the ones that have improved their stock tremendously as well since they first gained the power to wield an SUV’s key and call it theirs.

The Good

• Improved exterior dimensions

• Improved interior appointments

• Able 4x4 capability

The Bad

• Ordinary upholstery

• Could use more pulling power, perhaps the V6 model is a better alternative

The Verdict

• The Suzuki Grand Vitara isn’t your typical SUV, but it has improved tremendously since it made its debut.