New drivers who need practicality and space and have a relatively big new-car budget, will do well with the new 2023 Suzuki Grand Vitara (read our launch report here). Here are our top 5 reasons why.
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1. The cabin is ergonomic
The cabin is designed with a focus on driver comfort and ease of use. Buttons, control and displays are positioned within easy reach and the infotainment system is intuitive and simple, but not lacking in features. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wireless), enable the driver to give commands to the system which negates the need to pick up the phone to respond to messages or look for music to play, which is one of the leading causes of accidents these days.
Find out how popular the Suzuki Grand Vitara is, here.
2. There's space for all your friends and their luggage
Young drivers often drive with their friends on board. Or, if you're a newly-licensed driver who has recently become a parent, with children and all their paraphernalia, so the large cabin and especially the boot are great selling points, whether you use if for holiday luggage or a baby stroller, or snacks and drinks for a party. Three average-sized adults easily fit side by side on the back seat with legroom to spare. This was not the case in the Suzuki Vitara Brezza (search for one here!) which was much more compact.
3. It's fuel efficient - if you don't have a heavy foot
The Grand Vitara is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine known for its fuel efficiency. With a combined (claimed) fuel consumption of 6.1 litres per 100km, new drivers can benefit from cost savings on fuel expenses as they adapt to driving in the real world.
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro vs. Suzuki Grand Vitara vs. Toyota Corolla Cross - running cost shootout
4. It's safe and doesn't shy away from dirt roads and potholes
The latest safety enhancements in the Suzuki Grand Vitara include VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and HAC (Hill Assist Control) across the board. Additional standard safety features consist of a rear-centre headrest and a third three-point seatbelt, so the rear-middle passenger is protected too.
The new Grand Vitara is easy to drive with great all-round visibility and is pretty competent off-road too, as long as you don't take it too far off the beaten track. If you like to take the road less travelled, we suggest you go with the top-spec model with selectable four-wheel-drive and terrain modes.
5. It's packed with features
Suzuki has endowed the new Grand Vitara with comfort and convenience features that new (and old) drivers will love.
All variants of the GV (Grand Vitara) offer keyless access and keyless start/stop functionality, along with electric windows, automatic climate control, cruise control, a leather-covered steering wheel with satellite controls, and a decent audio system. The standard configuration includes a TFT display positioned between the rev counter and speedometer. (The GL model is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen display with the aforementioned Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).
GLX models feature a larger and higher-resolution 9-inch touchscreen display. This advanced display provides a bird's-eye view of the GV from different angles, including a top-down perspective, which is perfect both in off-road scenarios and during city parking manoeuvres. The GLX models also offers a wireless charging tray for Qi-enabled phones, ambient lighting in the footwells, an extra USB port in the rear, a panoramic sunroof, and steering-mounted paddle shifters (in the mild-hybrid model.)
Buying a previous-generation Grand Vitara? These are 5 extras you should retrofit on a used model.
Pricing (June 2023)
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL manual – R339,900
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL auto – R359,900
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual – R397,900
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX auto – R417,900
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 Hybrid GLX AllGrip - R529,900
Verdict
The Suzuki Grand Vitara (search for the 2023 models here) is great choice for a new driver, but let's face it - most new drivers struggle to buy used, entry-level cars.
If your budget is smaller, why not search for an older Grand Vitara on AutoTrader here? Just be careful of fuel consumption - larger engines in older models usually equate to higher fuel bills.
We still think the now-discontinued Vitara Brezza was perfect for new drivers, but the new Suzuki Fronx will fill that gap soon. The smaller Suzuki Ignis, however, is still one of our favourites for new drivers.
