Mk3 Grand Vitara

SUZUKI'S third-generation Grand Vitara four-wheel drive wagon arrived in Australia in September ’05 brandishing improved space, safety and quality, plus better on-road behaviour and new V6 firepower.

Two body shapes were available immediately – a 1.6-litre four-cylinder two-door wagon and a four-door wagon in 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 2.7-litre V6 guises.

Featuring a monocoque body mated to a ladder chassis, the all-new Grand Vitara is substantially longer and wider than the 1998-vintage Mk2 and boasts 40mm-wider front and 60mm-wider rear wheel tracks, plus 29-degree approach and 27-degree departure angles.

Wheelbase is up 160mm on the five-door, while 2.0 and 2.7-litre variants of Grand Vitara III offer switchable "on the fly" 4WD with low-range gearing, a locking centre differential and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system.

All variants use independent front and rear suspension (comprising MacPherson struts up front and a new multi-link rear suspension), rack-and-pinion steering, ventilated front disc brakes, drum rear brakes and a limited-slip differential.

Exclusive to the three-door entry variant - and mated exclusively to a five-speed manual transmission - is a 78kW 1.6.

In a Suzuki first, it drives through a permanent, single-mode high-ratio AWD system.

A 107kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit powers the base four-door wagon Grand Vitara while the 2.7-litre V6 flagship delivers 138kW.

Both five-door models are available with a five-speed automatic as well as a five-speed manual gearbox and come standard with a four-mode 4x4 system operated via a dash-mounted switch.

Modes include four-wheel high-range (4H), four-wheel locked centre differential (4H Lock) and 4L Lock, which engages the lower ratio in the transfer case.

For 2008 SUZUKI Australia has added a new turbo-diesel model to its Grand Vitara off-roader range. The Grand Vitara DDiS with a standard five-speed manual gearbox priced at $34,990.

The new 1.9-litre common rail direct-injection intercooled and turbocharged diesel engine produces 95 kW of power at 3750 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm.

This compares with 103kW/183Nm for the 2.0-litre petrol four and 135kW/250Nm for the 2.7-litre petrol V6.

Fuel consumption is rated at 7.6L/100km versus 9.4L/100km for the manual-equipped petrol four and 10.6L/100km for the V6.

The Grand Vitara turbo-diesel packs a full complement of safety equipment, including ESP with traction control, six airbags and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

Standard features include cruise control, MP3 compatible CD player, climate control air-conditioning and power windows and mirrors.