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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 17, 2006 - 23 Grand Vitara reflects Suzuki's new look and attitude By JIM ROBINSON Rarely can I say a vehicle is so new the only thing it shares with its predecessor is the name. The 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara marks more than just a new model. Probably Japan's most conservative carmaker (note I didn't say motorcycle), Suzuki has an aggressive new Canadian president in Mark Harano who comes at a time when Suzuki is boldly coming out with a spate of new vehicles that are going to change a lot of preconceptions. The first of these is the Grand Vitara. For more than a decade it had been a simple yet solid SUV that was long on reliability but short in recognition in the sea of SUVs that have inundated North America. The Grand Vitara is sold in four model trim versions starting with the Grand Vitara JA at $24,495 and equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. The Grand Vitara JX five-speed manual has an MSRP of $26,495. The JLX lists for $28,995 and the top of the line fully loaded JLX-Leather model sells for $29,995. While others claim to have pioneered four- and all-wheeldrive (4WD,AWD) in this country, it should be remembered that Suzuki was offering four-wheel-drive in a small, affordable package more than three decades ago in the form of the SJ410/SJ413. This pint-size 4X4 evolved into the Suzuki Samurai that begat a myriad of Sidekick-based SUVs and on up to the XL-7 and the previous Grand Vitara. There are two available four-wheel drivetrain systems, a full-time four-wheel-drive system for the JA, JX and JLX models and a four-mode, dual-range four-wheel drive system for the JLX-Leather. All Grand Vitaras feature the same lightweight, stiff unibody construction, bolstered by a robust built-in ladder frame. This "double chassis" concept provides a comfortable on-road ride and the ability to go offroad where the 7.9-inch ground clearance means you can take your Grand Vitara down a lot meaner trails than mere cottage roads. Suzuki has constantly been refining the 4WD/AWD part of their business. An example is the JLX-Leather tested here that has Suzuki's most advanced system. With four-mode full-time 4WD, it has the same road-going capability and ease of use as the full-time four-wheel-drive system. Where it differs is the driver can lock the centre differential in both a 4HI mode as well as a 4LO mode for more demanding offroad situations. Grand Vitaras equipped with the four-mode system also can be towed with four wheels on the ground in neutral mode to reduce driveline wear and tear. There is one engine, a 2.7-litre, 24-valve V6 producing 185 hp and 184 ft/lb of torque with a choice of a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Canada Energuide rating for the manual is 13.0L/10 km (22 mpg) The 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara reflects a new look and attitude for the Japanese carmaker and heralds a host of new products coming in the near future. city and 9.5L/100 km (30 mpg) highway while the automatic is 12.4L/100 km (23 mpg) city and 9.3L/100 km (30 mpg) highway. Tow rating is 3,000 lb or 1,360 kg, enough for a small boat or a one-horse trailer. Suspension is MacPherson struts at the front and an independent multi-link at the rear. The front brakes are ventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear. The list of standard features on the JLX-Leather as tested here is three columns long and too lengthy to list here but some of the highlights are heated front seats, ABS with electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), climate control, traction control and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that can be turned off by a simple, large button on the centre controls stack. Because Suzuki has primarily been a maker of compact and subcompact vehicles, they have always been a bit of a tight fit for large people. The Grand Vitara is a break away in this regard with an interior volume (without sunroof) of 3,500 litres or 125.4 cu ft. The interior is multi functional with a 60/40 split back seat that can be folded flat or the rear seat cushion can be flipped forward so it is flush against the front seats. The rear seat back can also be folded down to create a flat cargo floor. From the driver's seat, the instrument panel isn't a hodge-podge of shapes (like that found in the older Sidekicks and Vitaras) but is very clean with three central gauges for the speedo, straight ahead, flanked by the tach on the left and fuel, temp and illuminated gear selection indicator on the right. The centre stack holds the AM/FM/CD/MP3 sound system control and is XM satellite radio ready. Beneath that are three, large, round switches for heating and cooling and below that on the left is the drive mode selector with an on/off button for the stability control on the right. It's very neat and works intuitively with the driver/passenger. I had the Grand Vitara JLX-Leather model for close to three weeks that saw the first large snowfall of the year in the Toronto area. I spent the time in 4HI and never needed 4LO despite the little mountain a municipal snowplow left across the entrance to my driveway. The 2.7-litre V6 has a very solid power delivery with no howl of protest when being taxed, as was the case with the previous Grand Vitara. For a 4WD vehicle the ride and steering was positive without much of the dead on centre feeling that is a part of having four driven wheels. The Grand Vitara is a major step forward for Suzuki. It looks as good as it goes and is very well priced to boot. 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