The previous generation Suzuki Grand Vitara lingered on for some time in the South African market and others. This generation released in 2005, came to South Africa in 2008 and stayed on until 2019. This was for a good reason though, the cars were so robust. We reviewed the facelifted Grand Vitara here.
Related: 5 extras you should retrofit on a used Suzuki Grand Vitara
This generation of the Grand Vitara featured a unibody construction with a customised built-in ladder frame which improved chassis stiffness, ground clearance and even reduced the floor and roof height. The improvements didn't stop there, another significant change included a sophisticated fully independent multi-link suspension setup. With regards to powertrains, at first, you had the choice between a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine or a 3.2-litre petrol V6 which stopped production in 2010. All models came with permanent all-wheel-drive. Transmission-wise, you had the choice between a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto for the 2.4 and a 5-speed auto for the 3.2-litre.
Price
Here's what the Grand Vitara range costed as new.
Pre-Facelift
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 manual (2008) | from R349 900 (2008 pricing) |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 auto (2008) | from R364 900 (2008 pricing) |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 3.2 V6 auto (2008) | from R387 900 (2008 pricing) |
Prefacelift Models came with a 6-year/90000km service plan, 3-year /90000km warranty (3-year /100000km for the 3.2 V6), 3-year roadside assistance and 6-year anti-corrosion warranty.
Facelift
We've quoted pricing here on the final version of this generation Grand Vitara in 2017.
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Dune manual (2017) | from R391 900 (2017 pricing) |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Dune auto (2017) | from R384 900 (2017 pricing) |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Summit manual (2017) | from R465 900 (2017 pricing) |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Summit auto (2017) | from R485 900 (2017 pricing) |
The facelift Grand Vitara came with a 5-year /200000km warranty, 6-year /90000km service plan, 3-year roadside assistance and 6-year anti-corrosion warranty.
Buying a used Suzuki Grand Vitara
Looking at the pre-facelift Grand Vitara 2.4 manual, you can typically expect to find these models for around the R140 000 mark with an average mileage of 150 000km. A Grand Vitara 2.4 auto will cost around the R100 000 mark with an average mileage of 180 000km. The Grand Vitara 3.2 V6 can cost around R200 000 with an average mileage of 100 000km. The facelift 2.4 Grand Vitara Dune manual and auto models can cost around R160 000 with an average mileage of 160 000km. The 2.4 Grand Vitara Summit Auto can cost around R330 000 with an average mileage of 40 000km.
The previous generation Suzuki Grand Vitara is a fairly robust car and provided the vehicle has been maintained according to its maintenance schedule or better., you should be in for a good ride. Since this vehicle is geared for recreational usage mostly, the usual inspection areas for vehicles used offroad shall apply here. Such as checking the underbody, suspension and brakes to name a few. We checked out the reliability of the Grand Vitara here.
Verdict
The previous generation Suzuki Grand Vitara is not a bad car to consider if you need a recreational vehicle that can do it all with confidence reliably. The Grand Vitara is quite robust and a few good examples are floating about. If you're sold on a Grand Vitara after reading this article, you can search AutoTrader for the latest used and new offerings. While you're at it, why not try out our Instant Offer tool to sell your current car quick and easy?
