SUZUKI’S Grand Vitara has always been an exception to the general compact SUV rule in that it offers off-road ability that’s arguably the best in class, without compromising its role as a user-friendly urban getabout with a ‘command’ driving position – which is what many people buy small crossover wagons for. In its first facelift since emerging here in third-generation guise in October 2005, the GV scores a subtle cosmetic upgrade, mainly to accommodate a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder that replaces both 1.6 and 2.0-litre units, and a new 3.2-litre V6 that replaces the 2.7-litre V6. It’s not perfect inside, where refinement has also taken a forward step, but throw in stability/traction control plus front and rear side airbags as standard across the revised range, and the Grand Vitara makes an even more persuasive argument as Australia’s most versatile small SUV.
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Suzuki Grand Vitara
Released: October 2005
Ended: August 2008
Family Tree: Grand VitaraThe third-generation Grand Vitara arrived on an all-new monocoque chassis with, for the first time, all-independent suspension. The three-door had a 1.6-litre engine developing 78kW at 6000rpm and 139Nm of torque at 4100rpm, and was available as a five-speed manual, with a single-range transmission only. The five-door model was sold as a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, with 103kW at 6000rpm and 183Nm at 4000rpm (in either four-speed auto or five-speed manual) or a 2.7-litre V6, with 135kW at 6000rpm and 250Nm at 4500rpm (with a five-speed manual or optional auto). Both the 2.0-litre and 2.7-litre had a full-time, dual-range four-wheel drive system. At launch in 2005, the Grand Vitara three-door 1.6 was priced at $23,990 and the GV five-door 2.7 V6 cost $30,990.
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