Many travel junkies probably fondly remember road trips undertaken in the previous-generation Suzuki Vitara 2.4 Summit. Mine is when my brother and I drove all the way from Cape Town up to Keetmanshoop in Nambia a few years back, but not without stopping at the Kalahari Desert Speedweek first where we camped with fellow petrolheads and did a speed run in the Grand Vitara on the very same surface (Haakskeen Pan), where the Bloodhound would set the new world land speed record a few years later.
Find out how reliable the previous-generation Suzuki Vitara is, here.
The previous Grand Vitara, or GV, as it’s fondly referred to, was a bit of an off-road legend, while the new Grand Vitara which is relatively capable, is an altogether different kettle of fish. For starters, its DNA is a blend of Suzuki and Toyota strings; the new GV was developed by Suzuki but it rolls off the production line at the Toyota Kirloskar factory in India.
The new Grand Vitara is slightly bigger than the Suzuki Vitara but not quite as large as the aforementioned GV 2.4 Summit, while the Vitara Brezza has now been discontinued to make way for the new Suzuki Fronx which is coming a little later this year. It is clear from the entry-level model’s pricing that the gap left by the Vitara Brezza can be sufficiently filled by the cheapest GV models on offer.
Read more about the Suzuki Fronx here.
Styling
The new GV fits right in with the latest, trendy Japanese automotive design language with its multi-level grille, elongated 3-point daytime running lamps at the top and jewel-effect headlamps below, with a sculpted lower bumper at the bottom.
Viewed from the side, the profile looks quite boxy which is useful when designers need to carve out interior space. The rear end echoes the futuristic front with a thin lighting strip that connects east and west via the central S-emblem. Turn signal/reversing lights are located at the bottom edges. GLX models have stylish roof rails and alloy wheels, and GL models have painted alloys.
Inside the new GV
The new Grand Vitara’s interior is a far cry from the no-frills cabin of its predecessor. It is obvious from all the bells and whistles, like the slick touchscreen (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), chrome brightwork, and glossy piano black bits that the new GV is aimed at everyone, not just the bundu-bashing set. Interestingly, only the flagship Grand Vitara 1.5 Hybrid GLX AllGrip (seen below), allows for engaging all four wheels. The rest are all front-wheel-driven!
All variants feature keyless access, keyless start/stop, electric windows, automatic climate control, cruise control, a leather-covered steering wheel with satellite controls and a decent audio system. A TFT display between the rev counter and the speedometer is standard fare. The GL model’s touchscreen is 7 inches (see image above).
GLX models (see below) have a bigger, high-res (9-inch) touchscreen that allows you to see every side of the vehicle as well as the view from above, which is just as useful on a trail path as it is trying to park in the city. GLX models also offer other luxury mod-cons such as a wireless charging tray for your Qi-enabled phone (but bear in mind that charging is slow), ambient lighting in the footwells, an additional USB port in the rear, as well as a panoramic sunroof, and paddle shifters in the hybrid model.
The faux leather seats (GLX model-specific) are plush and comfortable, and space on row two is enough to offer two average-sized adults a comfortable journey, while a child would easily fit in the middle. After the boot swallowed our overnight bags and camera gear, there was ample room left for more stuff. Families who need to have a pram or stroller on board will appreciate the available space and the GV’s low loading lip - see below.
Driving the new Suzuki Grand Vitara
There is one engine with two flavours available in the new Grand Vitara range: The K15B (petrol) which is also in the Jimny, and the new K15C with mild-hybrid electric power - but it’s very, very mild.
Power figures for the non-hybrid K15B are rated at 77kW and 138 Nm, while the hybrid model has 76kW and 137Nm on tap, which begs the question - why bother at all? Well, apparently its only purpose is to help you conserve fuel - the AllGrip 4WD system adds a hefty 125 kilograms and this is likely to be reflected in your fuel bill.
We had the opportunity to sample the Vitara 1.5 Hybrid GLX AllGrip auto (also the only model with a 6-speed automatic gearbox), which proved to be a smooth and comfortable ride on tar but it’s rather bumpy on the rougher stuff. Much of the launch route consisted of deeply rutted dirt roads and we also traversed a rocky 4x4 track up the mountain in the late afternoon (Pro tip; If you have a tendency to get carsick, the front seat is your friend if you’re on an unruly trail). My co-driver also put the hill-descent control to the test on our journey back down but found that it was a bit fast for the angle at which we were travelling. Quite impressively, there were no flat tyres or any Grand Vitaras getting stuck on this short journey.
En route to our first destination, I locked the wheels in permanent 4x4 mode for added surefootedness on the slippery dirt road. A selection of offroad driving modes allows for safe and comfortable driving across a variety of surfaces, and there’s a handy Auto mode that allows the GV’s sensors to decide when to lock the centre differential when grip is needed. Our off-road tenure in the afternoon proved that the all-wheel-driven GV is good for slightly harder softroading, but if you’re into more concentrated ‘four-by-fouring’, the Jimny is still your best bet - but space-wise, it’s hardly a family car. That’s a bit sad because the robust Grand Vitara 2.4 Summit would eat most 4x4 trails for breakfast and it was a spacious car - and there’s nothing in the Suzuki lineup that now caters to this crowd. The flagship model is also rather pricey.
Performance and fuel economy
My next issues with the Grand Vitara are that its performance is lacklustre, and the hybrid system doesn’t help that much with fuel economy. On Prince Alfred’s pass (which, admittedly, has seen better days) our average consumption went as high as 10 litres per 100 km - and I am not used to seeing double digits on any new Suzuki’s trip computer. The next morning’s trip to the airport on smooth tar yielded a result of around 7.8 litres per 100 km but open-road driving will always make your average figure drop. When we have the GV for a full week we’ll be able to get a better idea of consumption.
Should you opt for one of the other automatic models in the lineup, you’ll have to be prepared to live with a four-speed auto, which leaves only the Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL and GLX manual with a five-speed manual transmission. I would spend my money on the 1.5 GL, because at R339 900, it’s a steal, and you can stir the gearbox yourself in order to extract every last kiloWatt from the engine. Let’s take a look at the lineup below:
- 1.5 GL manual - R339 900
- 1.5 GL 4-speed auto - R359 900
- 1.5 GLX manual - R397 900
- 1.5 GLX 4-speed auto - R417 900
- 1.5 Hybrid GLX 6-speed Allgrip auto - R529 900
The GV will be going up against some stiff competition - the Renault Duster 1.5dCi Zen 4WD (R422 999) may not be as spacious on the second row, but it's highly capable off-road and its boot is also very spacious. (Search AutoTrader for all Duster models here.)
Then there is also the slightly smaller Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GLX which also sports the brand's AllGrip all-wheel-drive system, at R438 900.
Should you not care about all-wheel-drive, the roomy, locally-assembled Toyota Corolla Cross also poses a threat, with a starting price of R392 900.
Verdict
I love how the Grand Vitara looks, and I am impressed with the number of features on board - especially the entry-level model which offers serious value (this is where I’ll be shopping), but as far as the Grand Vitara heritage goes, I expected a little more ‘hardcore’.
In the same breath, the Grand Vitara will be very good at the daily grind, whether it’s driving kids around (it's very safe, with 6 airbags and a variety of safety kit), running errands in the city or going on far-off road trips. Mind you, that boot will be ideal for your scuba diving/kitesurfing equipment too. And, hopefully, that fuel consumption figure should come down once the engine has been broken in.
