End of the Grand Vitara Hybrid, for now, leaves conventional combustion engines as the sole method of motivation for all Suzuki models.
Suzuki has quietly discontinued the only model in its product range priced above half-a-million Rand.
No longer present on its website, the removal of the Grand Vitara Hybrid leaves the automatic variant of the still available previous generation Swift Sport as not only the new flagship Suzuki model, but also the priciest at R493 100.
K15B now the only option
Part of the revived Grand Vitara range that returned to South Africa two years ago, the first, and so far only, hybrid Suzuki combined the brand’s newer 1.5 K15C petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack for a total output of 76kW/137Nm.
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Down one kilowatt and one Newton Meter on the conventional 1.5 K15B petrol that powers the rest of the Grand Vitara range, the hybrid also featured the AllGrip all-wheel driver system and the six-speed automatic gearbox – a combination not offered in any other market.
GLX manual also gone
Priced at R529 900 at the time of its launch, the hybrid’s final recorded sticker was R542 900, which, as mentioned, made it the only Suzuki priced above R500 000.
In a statement to The Citizen, Suzuki Auto South Africa said its removal, “is part of an ongoing optimisation of our model line-up. This is a routine process in which we review positioning, demand, and broader product planning considerations”.
Seemingly attributed to less than expected demand, the conventional petrol engined GLX equipped with the four-speed automatic ‘box, which The Citizen currently runs as part of its long-term test fleet, now tops the Grand Vitara range priced at R453 900.
In addition to the hybrid, the manual GLX has also been delisted from the brand’s website, which leaves the entry-level GL as the sole variant to offer a three-pedal layout.
Tough year
So far this year, Grand Vitara sales have tampered off significantly compared to other Suzuki models, as a total of 1 651 units have been sold between January and October.
By comparison, its sibling, the Toyota Urban Cruiser, has amassed sales of 8 109 units over the same timeframe.
Price
A line-up now spanning three derivatives and two trim grades, GL and GLX, the Grand Vitara range is covered by a five-year/200 000 km warranty plus a six-year/90 000 km service plan.
- Grand Vitara 1.5 GL – R359 900
- Grand Vitara 1.5 GL AT – R381 900
- Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX AT – R453 900
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