Right from the start the Vitara’s looks were controversial – you either loved them or hated them; there was no middle way. Suzuki has received lots of feedback on this, and like good car manufacturers do, has moved to address the criticisms. The all-new 2008 Grand Vitara is sleeker, with a more muscular, sporty stance. Flared wheel arches and large, wide tyres give an aggressive look to the car. It is a tribute to Suzuki’s design team that this has been achieved without sacrificing the car’s nimbleness in traffic and ease of parking, or its genuine off-road capabilities. The Vitara can show many of its larger SUV competitors, the way home.

How was this achieved? The old Vitara was built on a traditional body-on-chassis design. In contrast the new model has a unibody set-up incorporatinga built-in ladder frame. The result is a more refined on-road performance without sacrificing off-road surefootedness.

Inside, the new Vitara is a delight. Because it is a tad larger and heavier than the model it replaces there is more room for passengers – whether they are in the front or the rear. One of the previous model’s failings was the limited cargo space. Whilstobviously one cannot expect the cavernous capacity of a full SUV, the new Vitara is sufficiently capacious for the needs of most families. The seat designhas been greatly improved offering more comfort and support when cornering fast. Gone is the old plastic, economy look. The interior appointments and automatic climate control are of a quality comparable to much more expensive vehicles. A state-of-the-art MP3 sound system comes as standard. The new Vitara designhas all but eliminatedvibrationand mechanical noise – it has a solid, quality feel to it – due in part to hydraulically-damped engine-mountings.

Although this new offering is heavier, Suzuki has worked on the engine poweroutput. There are a few more horses on board, this 2.0 litre engine and the low-end torque havebeentweaked to give an eager, responsive feel through the gears.

The gearbox on our test model showed an excessive enthusiasm for kicking down but we have been assured that this setting can beadjusted. The controls for the audio-system are steering-wheel mounted for safeoperation while driving.

In these days where the thought of visiting the gas station invokes the same dread feelings of impending pain as a trip to the dentist, there are obvious disadvantages to buying a full-sized SUV.At the same time there continues to be a demand for off-road performance and plenty of storage space. With its miserly fuel consumption, quality feel and improved storage capacity the new Vitara may well move from its past comfortable niche into the mainstream SUV marketplace. We predict a bright future for this new offering.

Grand Vitara Sepcifications:

• Engine 2 Litre, 4 cylinder, 16 valve DOHC, multipoint injection
• Maximum output: 140PS
• Maximum torque: 183 Nm
• Electronic Accelerator Pedal
• CAN System (Controller Area Network)
• Independent Suspension
  - Front: Independent Mac Pherson Strut
  - Rear: Independent Multi-link
• HID projector headlamps
• Heater Ventilation Aircondition System
• Monocoque body with built-in Ladder frame
• Dual Airbag - Driver and passenger
• Keyless start system & Keyless entry system