Indiacar.com - Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4

The last generation Grand Vitara had a two litre engine which produced a relatively low 120PS of power and 170Nm of torque. Compared to rival four-cylinder competitors including certain soft-roaders, the Grand Vitara felt winded when the going got tough. But now it comes with a new, significantly more powerful engine and here’s the wow factor, the price hike is a mere Rs. 40, 000. OverDrive (Sept. ’09) gives the low-down....

Design
Visually, there are no changes to the 2009 Vitara. The exterior and the interior design is the same. However you do get larger wheels and tyres which don’t make an impact on visuals but do offer vital mechanical benefits.

Ride & Handling

Off the road, the Grand Vitara is a respectable performer. The all-time four wheel drive with low ratio, a central differential lock and good ground clearance is very effective in overcoming demanding off-road conditions. On road, the first thing that comes to notice is the fair amount of roll. The suspension has a lot of travel, which aids tremendously while off-roading but takes its toll on the on-road dynamics of the car.

With the same brakes, no changes to the assist and very little change in the overall mass of the Vitara, the braking character has not changed but the speed sensitive steering could have been more communicative and direct.

Engine & Transmission
This all-aluminium 2.4-litre engine produces a decent 165PS at 6000rpm and a maximum torque of 225Nm at 4000rpm. It now has VVT (variable valve timing) which makes the engine rev happy. VVT is also what enables the Vitara to pull away with fervour says OverDrive (Sept. ’09).

The engine is mated to the same five-speed gearbox which offers three drive modes to choose from, 4WD high, four low and diff lock.

Performance & Efficiency
The Vitara registers the 100kmph sprint in 12.25 seconds and one does not need to push the engine too hard to build momentum and this in effect enhances the driveability considerably. The VVT also provides a flatter torque curve and the Vitara requires lesser gear-shifts around the city. As seen from the roll-on time in the OverDrive (Sept. ’09) test, 20-80kmph in second gear takes 13.16 seconds, while 40-100kmph in fourth and fifth are 18.59 seconds and 20.40 seconds respectively.

Overall fuel efficiency of 10.26kmpl with a city cycle of 8.3kmpl and a highway mileage of 17.1kmpl is pretty impressive for a car this size.

Verdict
The Grand Vitara, unlike most Maruti Suzuki’s, hasn’t written a success story for the company yet. With the new Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki is finally focused on doing the job in the SUV segment with a third innings of the Grand Vitara. With the new engine and a Rs. 16.92 lakh, ex-Mumbai price tag, it’s a far more lucrative buy than ever before.