Maruti Grand Vitara MT
Maxabout Review
Maruti's Answer To Honda CR-V
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Overview
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a small SUV that attempts to deliver the often mutually exclusive attributes of off-road ability and on-road comfort. In its first generation, the Grand Vitara featured a trucklike chassis, V6 power and low-range gearing. The new model has a similar powertrain but features a body structure that blends car and truck chassis designs.
The vehicle is a completely built unit (CBU) import. Grand Vitara is built in Hamamatsu in Japan, small car capital of Japan. The current Suzuki Grand Vitara represents the model's second generation and has been available since the 2006 model year. This compact SUV has seating for five passengers, V6 power, a long list of standard features and available four-wheel drive with low-range gearing.
Design & Styling
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is positively good looking, comfortable, fully loaded SUV. With a length of more than 14 feet and a wheelbase of more than eight feet, the Grand Vitara looks sturdy and muscular.
Its front fascia is marked by a big body-coloured bumper, a wide grille with the company's insignia in the middle and distinct multi-reflector, halogen projector headlamps. It also comes standard with a headlamp leveling device and front and rear fog lamps.
Update: Grand Vitara Silver Edition
Now, Maruti India has come up with a limited edition variant Grand Vitara. The Silver Edition Grand Vitara comes with thirteen new accessories and is available in only one colour - Silky Silver Metallic.
Following Additions Have Been Made In New Grand Vitara Silver Edition:
- Bumper Corner Protector
- Body Side Moulding
- Chrome Door Sill Guard
- Front Guard
- Front & Rear Mud Flaps
- Silver Finish Grille
- Chrome Mirror Cover
- Rear Upper Spoiler
- Tail Lamp Garnish
- Instrument Panel Trim
- Antenna Cover
- Muffler Extension
- Full Leather Seat Covers
The silver edition is also available with option of manual or automatic transmission.
Interiors
Maruti Suzuki has raised its game when it comes to interior quality. The cabin is solidly built, stylish and the materials all look like they’ll stand up to hard use. The previous model’s reliability was no better than average, so Suzuki will be looking for improvements in this area.
Grand Vitara provides a more flexible driving position, since it has driver’s seat-height adjustment as standard. The dash is sensibly arranged and has big, bold switches, while visibility is excellent.
The Grand Vitara provides plenty of leg- and headroom in both the front and back seats, and five adults will fit comfortably thanks to the low central tunnel.
The boot is a useful size, too, but it has a side-hinged door, which can make it tricky to load up if someone parks behind you or if you're towing. The rear seats tumble forward should you need extra load space, but they stack behind the front seats instead of laying flat, so the space isn't especially long.
It offers the comfort of automatic climate control and comes standard with power windows, central door locking, and remote controlled door locks. The windows come fitted with green tinted glass to protect from heat and harmful ultraviolet rays.
The Grand Vitara comes standard with a urethane, power steering wheel, which can be tilt-adjusted. It also features a steering lock, a day/night rear-view mirror, and dual front and rear cup holders.
A gear position indicator is exclusive to the automatic transmission variant. It also offers ample storage options such as a centre console box, an overhead console, and a luggage room under-floor compartment.
Engine & Handling
Grand Vitara is powered by a 1995cc, DOHC petrol engine which develops maximum power of 120 Bhp @ 5500 rpm with maximum torque of 170 Nm @ 3500 rpm. The engine is mated to 5 speed manual transmission and automatic transmission is 4 speeds forward & one reverse.
Now Maruti Suzuki India is also planning to launch a much more powerful model with 2.4 litre petrol engine.It will generate maximum power of 166 Bhp with maximum torque of 225 Nm. It is expected that the price of 2.4 model will be increased by about 50000.00 for both the manual and automatic variants.
The Grand Vitara is available in an all-time four-mode 4-wheel drive (4WD) configuration. The four modes are: 4 High, for normal driving; 4 High Lock, for medium off-roading; 4 Low Lock, for when the vehicle is stuck in mud, sand, or snow; and Neutral, when the vehicle is being towed.
It is maneuvered by a power assisted hydraulic rack and pinion steering, which offers crisp, prompt responses. It rides on McPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, which soak up the impact of bumps and road irregularities, thereby giving a smooth ride. It comes equipped with front disc and rear drum brakes, which bring it to a quick, smooth halt upon pressing the brake pedal, without screeching.
With a turning radius of 5.5 metres and ground clearance of 200 mm, the Grand Vitara can be driven, turned, and parked on all kinds of roads with considerable ease. All these attributes make the Grand Vitara a good off-roader.
Safety
It also comes fully loaded with active and passive safety measures. Some standard safety features include
- Front and rear side impact door beams
- Head impact protection structure
- Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
- Front dual airbags
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Electronic brake-force distribution (EBD)
- Brake assist
- 3-point emergency locking retractor (ELR) seatbelts with pre-tensioners, force limiter and height adjusters in the front and 3-point ELR seatbelts in the rear
- ISO FIX child-seat anchorages
- Child-proof rear door locks
- Engine immobiliser.
Variants & Price
Grand Vitara is available in two variants:
- Grand Vitara 2.0 Manual
- Grand Vitara 2.0 Automatic
It is priced at Rs. 1405000.00 & 1505000.00 for manual and automatic trasmission respectively. These prices are ex-showroom Mumbai.
The Grand Vitara is cheaper to buy than Nissan X-trail and Honda CR-V, but it doesn't hold its value as well. Running costs are on the high side, too - it's expensive to service and attracts comparatively high insurance ratings.