Suzuki Grand Vitara Road Test

Suzuki Grand Vitara

The test car housed the diesel unit, which produces 95Kw at 3,750rpm, which is the way we should now express it. In old money, that’s 127bhp or 129PS. Torque output is quoted as 300Nm or 221lb ft at 2,000rpm and these give the GV5 a 0-62mph time of 13.2 seconds and a top speed of 106mph.

The Grand Vitara isn’t going to take your breath away, but then it isn’t that sort of car. While the sprint time is adequate and the speed is more than enough for this country, the torque is what it is all about for towing and off-roading. Whereas, the 3-door with the 1.6VVT engine has permanent 4WD, it lacks the centre differential lock that appears on the other combinations. That means that it isn’t quite as capable and is therefore considered a ‘soft-roader’.

The rest of the range (with diff-lock) has low range gearing, selectable via dial. There are four settings; 4H for most road conditions; 4H Lock engages the centre diff-lock so there is no speed difference between the front and rear wheels for use in deep snow or mud; 4L is for the seriously heavy stuff, and N is used if the car needs to be towed for any reason.

Despite the permanent 4WD, the test car’s fuel consumption figures are reasonable at 30.1mpg for the urban cycle, 42.2mpg for the extra-urban, resulting in a combined of 36.7mpg and CO2 is emitted at a rate of 205g/km.

As well as ABS with EBD, safety measures come in the form of front and side airbags, along with curtain airbags front and rear and ISOFIX child-seat anchors on the outer rear seats, are standard. In the event of an accident, crumple zones and door impact bars play their part in helping to keep occupants from harm. The pedals are designed to keep from protruding into the footwell and the steering column is collapsible.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara, despite it’s new looks, is not a car to set pulses racing but neither is it another ‘me-too’ 4x4. It is very capable and easy to live with, whatever your lifestyle. It’s elegant enough to fit in around town and, with prices ranging from £11,999 to £17,025, you really can’t go wrong.

Suzuki Grand Vitara