The family-friendly SUV is comfortable and does exactly what it says on the box.
It feels like only yesterday that our long-term Suzuki Grand Vitara was delivered and yet we have already added almost 2 000km to its odometer.
That can only mean one thing. Our Suzuki Grand Vitara GLX automatic has gone about is business so effortlessly that we hardly noticed the time flying. Almost like the roof over your head which you hardly notice when it is not leaking.
Comfortable companion
While we’ve not had the time to do anything exiting with Suzuki’s flagship SUV yet, it has been a solid daily between the office, school, sports fields and grocery shop. Leg and headroom in the rear has never been an issue for this scribe’s two tallish teenage daughters, while the 310 litres of boot space comfortably swallows the regular load. The 1 147 litres on offer with the rear seats folded flat is almost big enough to fit a 29-inch mountain bike flat.
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Keeping the occupants comfortable is full leatherette trim, panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, 9-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice activation, wireless charging tray, front USB-socket and 12V socket and two rear USB ports and vents.
Added features include 360-degree surround view camera, head-up display and keyless start/stop.
Never-say-die engine
Our Suzuki Grand Vitara features bicolour paintwork which combines Splendid Silver paintwork with black side mirrors. GLX specific features also include silver roof rails, 17-inch machine polished alloy wheels to go with the standard three-point LED daytime running lights and a rear three-dimensional LED light bar.
Powering the SUV is Suzuki’s never-say-die KB15B 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. At one stage a few years ago, Suzuki’s manufacturing partnership with Toyota meant that 14% of all new local passenger cars features this trusty mill.
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It sends 77kW of power and 138Nm of torque to the front wheels via four-speed automatic transmission. Some would prefer the livelier five-speed manual over the auto box, but that will purely depend on your preferences. The auto goes about its business in heavy traffic without any fuss. It might be dated, but still superior to any automated manual transmission, CVT or inferior dual-clutch configurations.
Suzuki Grand Vitara GLX’s challenges
So far our fuel consumption has been 7.8 litres per 100km, some way off Suzuki’s claim average of 6 litres per 100km. But to be fair, we have hardly done any open road driving and that number is probably as bad as it is ever going to get.
While the Suzuki Grand Vitara GLX auto is a solid car overall, its biggest challenge is its R453 900 price tag. Toyota has down-specced its Urban Cruiser production sibling to come in under R400 000 and not compete with the Corolla Cross
Suzuki’s GL models fit into the same price range, but not the automatic-only GLX. It therefore not only falls squarely in Toyota Corolla Cross territory, but also open the dance floor to a myriad of Chinese players.
