Suzuki Grand Vitara keen to show why its the grandest of them all
Our Suzuki Grand Vitara is clad in bicolour Splendid Silver with black roof and side mirrors. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
Our popular Suzuki Fronx compact crossover SUV departed our long-term fleet in June after a six-month stay, making way for its bigger sibling the Grand Vitara.
As the Vitara part naming has been applied in various of the Japanese manufacturer's products, a quick run-down of its history is in order. Local history at least, as it is much less complicated than its global history.
South Africans first encountered the nomenclature in Grand Vitara guise when Suzuki opened its local doors in 2008. This badge eventually made way for the Vitara and for a while was offered alongside the smaller Vitara Brezza. But then Maruti Suzuki in India, which manufacturers the car in collaboration with production partner Toyota Kirloskar Motor, stopped exporting the second generation which was renamed to Brezza.
ALSO READ: Suzuki Grand Vitara makes grande return to Mzansi
Suzuki Grand Vitara returns
The export void was filled with the reintroduction of the Suzuki Grand Vitara badge, albeit it is a bigger car than the Vitara Brezza was. The Grand Vitara is 4 340mm long, where the Vitara Brezza conformed to India's tax friendly sub-four metre rule.
Since the Grand Vitara's reintroduction just over two years ago, the Vitara has since been dropped from Suzuki's portfolio. This left the GV as the manufacturer's flagship SUV, with the Fronx crossover SUV coming on board as a spiritual replacement for the Vitara Brezza.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara GLX rides on 17-inch machine polished alloy wheels. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
Over in the Toyota stable, the Grand Vitara's production sibling has kept the Urban Cruiser moniker which was also used for its own version of the Vitara Brezza. The Starlet Cross has joined as Toyota's version of the Fronx.
The Citizen Motoring's long-term Suzuki Grand Vitara in GLX automatic trim is at R453 900 the second most expensive model in the line-up after the top-of-the-range mild hybrid all-wheel drive variant which comes at a R99 000 premium. But as both these two is kitted out in GLX trim, our tester is currently the best-specced Suzuki product money can buy barring the mild electrical assistance and all-paw grip.
Familiar petrol engine
Up front is the familiar KB15B 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that features in so many of Suzuki's local cars and is in our opinion one of the reasons for their remarkable sales success in recent years. It produces 77kW of power and 138Nm which is sent to the front wheels via four-speed automatic transmission. The dated box isn't everyone's cup of tea comparted to the easy-shifting five-speed manual. But it's the job done just fine if you are not in a hurry.
ALSO READ: PODCAST: Why Suzuki Fronx stays ahead of Toyota Starlet Cross
Suzuki claims that it will sip six litres per 100km which we'll put to the test over the coming months.
While our GV does not feature all-wheel drive, its ground clearance of 210mm is the same as the go-anywhere Jimny. Suzuki says the seats, suspension and electric steering have been created for a comfortable ride on rough and uneven surfaces.
In GLX trim, the Suzuki Grand Vitara comes standard with 9-inch infotainment system. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
The GV features good looks, which according to the manufacturer pays homage to the original Grand Vitara. Exterior highlights include a multi-level grille flanked by three-point LED daytime running lights and a rear three-dimensional LED light bar. GLX specific silver roof rails and 17-inch machine-polished alloys round off the picture.
Loads of features
Our tester is finished in bicolour which combines Splendid Silver paintwork with black roof and side mirrors.
Inside, the GLX features full leatherette trim and 9-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Plus 360-degree surround view camera, wireless charging tray, head-up display, keyless start/stop, ambient lighting and panoramic sunroof.
Safety comes in the form of six airbags, electronic stability control, ABS with EBA, hill-hold assist and rear parking sensors.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara comes standard with six-year/90 000 km service plan and five-year/200 000 km warranty.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
5 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Almost R1-billion to fuel Ford's journey to transform dealerships and keep customers for life
After 103 years in South Africa, Ford is doubling down on its dealer network and customer experience in the face of economic pressures, global disruption and a changing local market. Ford has weathered world wars, oil shocks and economic downturns since setting up shop in South Africa in 1923. Now it faces a market hit by affordability pressures, global supply shocks and a tidal wave of overseas competitors. Ford South Africa president Neale Hill believes the answer to this is a better customer experience. 'The experience we want to give our customers is not only in terms of the vehicles that they drive, but the ownership experience coming into dealerships needs to match that positioning in our vehicles,' Hill said. This repositioning comes after Ford ranked fourth in Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) market share with 6.5% and 3,058 units sold, trailing Toyota, Suzuki and Volkswagen in June. A 'family promise' Central to Ford's strategic pivot is its so-called 'Ford family promise' – a set of 22 initiatives aimed at smoothing out the pain points of owning a car. Unlike a guarantee, Hill calls it a 'proactive approach'. This ecosystem leans on Ford dealerships across the country with the goal of covering the entire customer journey, such as servicing, extended plans, warranties and finance under one roof. As Ford shifts up in terms of its market positioning with vehicles it describes as 'premium quality', the service experience needs to match the positioning of its vehicles, said Hill. In June 2025, Ford overtook Hyundai in new vehicle sales volume, according to data from the Automotive Business Council. (Data visualisation: Kara le Roux ) R900m and a new look Big promises demand big money. Ford's dealership partners are investing more than R900-million into upgrades and new facilities by 2027. In 2024 alone, 20 projects were on the go, said Ford network operations manager Kuda Takura, valued at R292-million. The company operates across 118 dealerships, supporting 10,600 jobs, according to Takura. Investments are split between 'greenfield projects' (new builds) and 'brownfield' upgrades to existing facilities. Ford is rolling out a new 'signature design' across its network, a concept dreamed up with input from its research team in the US. Forget showroom floors packed with cars. 'One would think the first thing you want to see when you walk into a dealership is a motor vehicle. Instead, you see what we call the 'social hub', a space where you come together,' Takura said. It's designed to be a comforting space customers want to spend time in, as an emotionally connected customer tends to spend twice as much and stay loyal, said Michael Zahariev, co-founder of Luxity, a designer reseller in South Africa. 'While the product might get you through the door, the experience is what keeps you coming back.' Ford's data seems to align with this retail trend. 'Dealers who invest in retail design and design standards see an uptick in their vehicle sales together with overall profits,' Takura said. A game of 'three-dimensional chess' Hill describes the auto industry as being in 'a very interesting state of flux' – a diplomatic way of describing a sector in which automakers are playing 'a game of three-dimensional chess', he said, with propulsion choices, new energy vehicles and battery electric in the mix. Indian and Chinese imports are flooding South Africa. In 2024, India accounted for 57% of imported passenger cars and lightweight vehicles; China was second at 17%, the Automotive Business Council's (Naamsa) data shows. South Africa now has 14 Chinese brands in play, Naamsa said, six of them launched last year alone. Growth is strongest in passenger vehicles and mini and small utility segments, according to Ford sales director Ryan Searle – categories Ford no longer serves. That shift has cost Ford market share, though it still grew sales by 8% year on year, said sales chief Ryan Searle. Its workhorse Ranger bakkie remains the backbone, making up 70% of volume, with the Territory SUV gaining traction. Tariff wars, protectionist policies and fractured supply chains have turned the industry into a geopolitical pressure cooker. 'It's going to take quite a while for this to settle down and for absolute clarity to come to the fore in terms of what the auto industry as a whole looks like at the end of it. You've got markets that are now seeing that tariffs are an acceptable form of defence,' Hill says. 'The first six months of Mr Trump being in the White House, he's certainly thrown the proverbial – I wouldn't even call it a cat, I'd probably call it a fox or a lynx – among the pigeons.' What this means for you Ford dealerships will start to look and feel more like luxury lounges than showrooms. Servicing your vehicle might become easier with online bookings and pickup options. Imported brands may keep vehicle prices competitive, but tariffs could change that. Local auto jobs remain at risk if manufacturing slows. An industry on edge South Africa's auto sector is one of the country's largest manufacturing segments, employing about 112,000 people directly and supporting about 320,000 jobs when you include the supply chain, according to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition's 2035 Master Plan. That's why Hill bristles at the idea of losing local production to imports. 'When you lose a manufacturing sector, you never get it back,' he warned, pointing to Goodyear's recent decision to shut its Kariega plant. 'That's testament to low to no growth rates, no economic development and an economy that is stagnating.' The fear is that if local OEMs falter, the ripple effect will gut suppliers, jobs and export earnings. Hill argues that some form of government intervention – incentives, support – is non-negotiable to keep the industry viable. DM
TimesLIVE
17 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Denny Hamlin picks up Cup Series-high fourth win of year at Dover
Dover Motor Speedway used to be Denny Hamlin's worst track, but that's not the case any more. Hamlin waited out a one-hour red-flag delay, won three restarts on older tyres inside of 10 laps to go, and took the overtime checkers in Sunday's rain-interrupted AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover, Delaware. In the second overtime, Hamlin lined up beside Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who was on much fresher tyres. The Toyotas made contact coming to the white, allowing Hamlin's No 11 to nose ahead and beat the No 19 by 0.310 seconds for his series-leading fourth victory. Hamlin, who led 67 of the 407 laps, also fended off teammate Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson in late restarts — in regulation with eight laps left and the first overtime, respectively — to help him repeat at Dover and give Toyota its third straight win there. 'Winning here in Dover is super special to me,' said Hamlin, who last pitted for tyres on lap 326. 'This is a place I've not been very good at in the first half of my career. To have back-to-back [wins] over the last few years is amazing. 'I just studied some of the greats here. I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex [Jr.] as a teammate ... [and] watch Jimmie Johnson. You learn from the greats.' It was Hamlin's third career win at the Delaware track and his 58th overall victory in the Cup Series. 'We've still got a lot left,' he said. Briscoe wanted to make sure a JGR car won but said he did everything he could running below Hamlin.
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- TimesLIVE
Solberg wins maiden WRC title in Estonia
Sweden's Oliver Solberg claimed a stunning maiden World Rally Championship (WRC) victory at Rally Estonia on Sunday, nearly 20 years after his father Petter Solberg won the last of his 13 WRC races. The win marked Toyota's 100th in the WRC. Solberg extended his lead with composure to seal a 25.2 second win over home favourite and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak and the Estonian's Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville finished third. On his debut in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the 23-year-old Solberg and Briton co-driver Elliott Edmondson were drafted in for a one-off drive a few weeks prior to the rally and had only two days of testing. "After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and Elliott finally made it," Solberg said. "I just want to say thank you to Toyota, to the test team who helped me get so comfortable, for all the help this weekend from this beautiful, beautiful team. I've never had such a good time in my life." Solberg got off to a flying start, winning Friday's opening stage and taking a lead he did not relinquish all weekend. He carried a 21.1-second overnight lead into Sunday's final three stages, where he emerged untroubled by the tricky grip in slick, damp conditions. Hyundai's Tanak battled inconsistent grip and Neuville, who started the day four seconds behind, was handed a 10-second penalty for a false start on special stage 18 and finished 23.1 seconds back in third. However, Tanak snatched the championship lead from Toyota's Elfyn Evans by a single point, with the Briton managing a sixth place finish in Estonia. Toyota, who have won every rally so far this year except for Greece, also tightened their grip on the manufacturers' race with 399 points to Hyundai's 347. Solberg's father Petter, who represented Norway, won 13 WRC races from 2002 to 2005.
