Suzuki Grand Vitara Prestige 2008 Review

Suzuki introduced the current generation of Grand Vitara compact SUV in 2005, following up the original well-regarded model with a vehicle now built on a monocoque instead of a full chassis and boasting an IRS system in lieu of the original's live rear axle.

If the new Grand Vitara's offroad prowess was diminished, it gained respect for its styling and improved comfort. Suzuki has now introduced an upgraded range that mostly addresses some of the 2005 model's shortcomings.

Along with the tangible specification and engineering gains, the upgraded Grand Vitara is getting a kick along from a more concerted marketing effort from Suzuki Australia. You only have to turn on a typical high-rating prime time TV program to see advertisements featuring the Grand Vitara ascending, understeering or splashing its way through terrain ranging from 'lifestyle escape' to 'sweeping vistas overlooking a national park'. Suzuki is pretty serious about building the Grand Vitara's profile in this country -- and achieving harder sales targets accordingly.

But there must be something solid to back up the marketing, and the new Grand Vitara boasts better engines, a higher safety specification with the inclusion of standard stability control, lower levels of NVH and added offroad driving aids such as hill descent control and hill hold control.

Visual changes to distinguish the upgrade from the superseded model are subtle. The front bumper sits 30mm further forward to clear a new, larger-capacity V6 engine. Suzuki has located the front fog lights further apart and revised the grille. High-grade Prestige models feature side indicators integrated into the external mirror shells.

The Grand Vitara range is based on two levels - a base grade and the Prestige grade. Suzuki has dropped the entry-level V6 variants and the only way to obtain a Grand Vitara with the new six is to opt for the Prestige level of trim -- and those variants are only available in the five-door wagon style.

2.4-litre three-door variants and base-grade five-doors have risen $1000 over the earlier models, but Suzuki argues the specification enhancement is worth well more than that sum.

With a new engine, revised transmission, HDC and xenon headlights, the V6 Prestige model has jumped $3000 beyond the price of the former 2.7-litre Prestige model.

Pricing starts at $24,990 for the Grand Vitara three-door manual and rises to $40,490 for the Grand Vitara Prestige V6 five-door with optional 18-inch alloys. Automatic transmission is a $2000 premium over the manual variants. The base-grade five-door manual is $5000 more ($29,990) than the three-door manual, and a 17-inch alloy wheel option takes the price of the entry-level models $2000 higher still.

Trimmed to the entry-level grade, the turbodiesel remains at $34,990. The five-door Prestige grade is only available with automatic transmission and the 2.4-litre four in that grade is priced from $36,990, with the optional 18-inch alloys adding a further $500 to the total. Moving up to the V6-engined Grand Vitara Prestige (also five-door/auto-only) will cost $39,990.

At the entry level, standard features include stability control, traction control, six airbags (including curtain), rear disc brakes, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows/mirrors, remote central locking and remotely located (steering wheel) controls for the MP3-compatible audio system.

Beyond the basic specification, the Grand Vitara Prestige adds keyless start, leather trim, sunroof, MP3-compatible six-disc CD audio system, fog lights, Hill Descent Control, Hill Hold Control and xenon headlights.

A new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine replaces both the 1.6-litre unit in the three-door model and the 2.0-litre four in the five-door variants. V6 variants are fitted with a 3.2-litre engine, in lieu of the 2.7-litre V6. The 1.9-litre turbodiesel continues without change, other than improved fuel economy -- by eight per cent to 7.0L/100km.

Both petrol engines have been developed in-house and rely on variable valve timing to broaden the power band and flatten the torque curve, as well as bringing fuel economy gains. In the case of the 2.4-litre four, the variable valve timing modulates the intake valve operation, but varying-length intake manifold runners complement the system. The V6's variable valve timing operates on both inlet and exhaust systems.

The petrol four produces peak power of 122kW at 6000rpm and 225Nm of torque at 4000rpm. In Suzuki's estimation, the 2.4-litre engine develops 18 per cent more power and 23 per cent more torque than the 2.0-litre engine, or 67 per cent more power and 62 per cent more torque than the 1.6-litre engine.

At 8.9L/100km, the 2.4 runs three per cent more efficiently than the 2.0 with a manual (five-speed) transmission and two per cent more efficiently coupled to the four-speed auto, returning a figure of 9.9L/100km.

The 3.2-litre V6, which drives through a five-speed automatic, develops 165kW at 6200rpm and 284Nm at 3500rpm. According to Suzuki, the new V6 is 22 per cent more powerful than the smaller 2.7-litre V6 and raises the ante 14 per cent for torque -- but it's also nine per cent more frugal than the smaller engine, recording a fuel consumption figure of 10.5L/100km.

Five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions for the 2.4-litre Grand Vitara are both carried over from the 2.0-litre variants. The five-speed automatic specified for the new V6 is an upgrade of the unit matched to the 2.7-litre V6.

Changes to the five-speed auto are limited to shift points and coupling ratios, improving efficiency and launch feel. The turbodiesel model makes do with the existing five-speed manual transmission.

All variants of the Grand Vitara feature a lockable centre differential and dual range transfer system. At the high end of the range, the Grand Vitara Prestige V6 now comes equipped with Hill Descent Control and Hill Hold Control. To activate the two features, the driver selects lock mode in four-high or four-low and presses a dash-mounted switch.

To reduce NVH in the upgraded Grand Vitara, Suzuki has adopted a balance shaft for the 2.4-litre engine. Other NVH countermeasures include sliding CV joints for the propeller shaft, a secondary seal on the lower door of the five-door variants and thicker side glass in the front doors (raised from 3.5 to 4mm in thickness). These changes are claimed to have reduced noise levels in the cabin by as much as 2dB.

16-inch steel wheels are the standard fitting for the entry-level variants, but 17-inch alloy wheels of a new design can be optioned for the five-door four-cylinder variants. Grand Vitara Prestige buyers can also opt for 18-inch alloys (for both the four-cylinder and V6).

In respect of packaging, the LWB (five-door) Grand Vitara offers plenty of head and legroom for rear-seat passengers, but at the expense of luggage capacity, which is not much better -- if indeed, better at all -- than a small hatchback.

It's certainly not up to the standard set by the X-TRAIL, but it's easy to load, at least.

In the case of the three-door (SWB) variants, luggage space is even more at a premium and struggles to match the luggage capacity of even the tiniest of light cars. Worse still, the rear-seat legroom in the three-door also suffers.

Leaving aside the lack of luggage space generally -- and the three-door's stingy legroom, the interior of the Grand Vitara remains a sensible (if somewhat conservatively styled) example of ergonomic efficiency and comfort.

Stability control, now standard across the range, eliminates any need for the limited slip differential fitted previously. The ESP system works at all times other than those occasions when the vehicle is operating in locked low-range transfer.

Five-door models are upgraded with side-curtain airbags for both the base-grade variants as well as the Prestige models. Previously, the side curtains were only available in the Grand Vitara Prestige variants. Rear disc brakes replace the drums previously fitted.

Without change to the pricing of the diesel model and despite the added features and slightly increased pricing for the other variants in the range, Suzuki claims the Grand Vitara is still priced as much as $2000 below its principal competitors. That shows the careful analysis of the compact SUV situation Suzuki has undertaken to bring the upgraded Grand Vitara to market.

The company freely admits the brand cachet is worth about $1500 less than better known companies in the same segment, so the $2000 discount more than offsets the $1500 brand value deficit.

Among the Grand Vitara's competitors, Suzuki explicitly states the new Grand Vitara five-door represents $3000 better value than Honda's CR-V and Toyota's RAV4, $2000 better value than the Nissan X-TRAIL and $1500 better value than the Subaru Forester. While those four models are the 'big four' of the compact SUV segment, we would also add to the list the Mitsubishi Outlander for those going shopping.

Both the new V6 and four-cylinder engines are responsive, but -- particularly the latter -- are let down by fuel-efficient gearing and too few gears for on-road overtaking. Both engines are quite refined and willing to rev. The torque curve is linear in both cases.

The manual transmission gear shift is easy to use and light. It's a significant improvement on the truck-like shift of the diesel Grand Vitara driven recently, although this view is based on the manual petrol variants, rather than the manual diesel.

The Grand Vitara's steering and general handling are among the best of the current crop of compact SUVs. There's more feel in the steering than the diesel X-TRAIL tested a few weeks ago. Given the GV's offroad ability, the on-road ride and handling balance is particularly impressive. The ride is well controlled on the road, with just a bit of wallow at higher speeds -- the sort of speeds that could only be accomplished legally in the Northern Territory.

Much of the launch program involved driving the GV on badly corrugated unsealed roads, and this was exactly the sort of environment to cast the vehicle's suspension in the optimum light.

At slower speeds, on bitumen, the GV V6 was more prone to understeer. We didn't get the opportunity to try the 2.4-litre variant around the same corners, but suspect it's a bit lighter on its toes. On fast, winding dirt, the GV's handling was agile and the stability control was not too interventionist.

It might be argued that Suzuki hasn't made much capital from the interior re-style, when the dashboard and instrument layout were already of a high order. Suzuki, if determined to fix anything, might have done something about the lack of steering reach. Still, it has little direct impact on the driving position, which is both practical and comfortable. A clear view of the instruments is very slightly obstructed by the steering wheel, and this tester found that was mostly resolved by setting the driver's seat height adjustment at the lowest setting and the steering column rake at the highest setting.

The seats are very comfortable and supportive, both on and offroad. There's more than enough adjustment, fore and aft, to suit tall and short drivers equally well.

Being a Japanese vehicle, the Grand Vitara's control and instrument placement meets the required standard for a right-hand drive market such as Australia.

On the open road, the GV 2.4 averaged about 10.0L/100km.

The V6 was smooth and willing to rev, but with a reasonably flat torque curve right up to its rev limit of 6500rpm, where it will stay until the driver selects a higher gear. This is useful for those occasions offroad when the driver doesn't necessarily want the transmission to change up (as in tackling a very steep ascent). The engine just maintains that maximum speed. It's not a particularly sporty-sounding engine, but it is purposeful.

Average fuel consumption was 13.2L/100km for this engine with automatic transmission.

Offroad, the drive-by-wire throttle (for both engines) is too sensitive and can give you more revs than you want or need in parts, where too much torque will just dig the car into the softer mud or sand terrain.

Ground clearance is a little lacking, but approach, departure and ramp-over angles are commendable. Wheel articulation, although not tested in this drive program, is not what it was in the old Grand Vitara, with its live rear axle (from 1998 to 2005). Suzuki suspension engineer Fujimoto-san tells us that suspension travel in the IRS system is 210mm and PR chief Andrew Ellis says there are lift kits on the market that will improve travel by a further 50mm. Of course, the risk there is a lift kit may change the ride, roadholding and handling characteristics for the worse.

Overall, the suspension set-up on the Grand Vitara makes a pretty fair effort at addressing a multitude of conflicting needs. The five-door model is a little more poised than the three-door model at open-road speeds. In fact, the LWB models are very adept at high-speed cruising and one presumes that autobahn-style touring was an important criterion for the suspension tuning. The SWB model doesn't feel nervous or twitchy; it's just not quite as 'planted' as the LWB Grand Vitara at the straight-ahead.

Conversely, it's less throttle sensitive in corners. The V6 models run ever so slightly wider in a turn than the four-cylinder models, but the nose will pull in with some engine braking.

While in no doubt that the two new engines represent a substantial gain, they could be better still with extra cogs in the transmissions. The five-speed manuals should be six-speeders and, while the four-speed auto is surprisingly smooth and doesn't detract from the performance too much -- relative to the five-speed manual -- on-road performance could be significantly improved with a five-speed auto box, at the very least. With the low-range engaged, the widely spaced ratios are of less consequence, but drivers will note the lower level of performance for overtaking at open-road speeds, although the V6 is obviously better than the four in this regard.

Overtaking aside, the Grand Vitara remains an accomplished package in most areas -- and the latest improvements build on that. As a bonus, there is a sufficiently diverse range of variants to suit a wide range of consumers and we fully expect the Suzuki's sales to reflect the vehicle's broader market appeal.