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26 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 5, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Suzuki Grand Vitara thrives in the middle between full-on truck-based 4x4 SUV and unibody AWD crossover By Michael Goetz OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF DO THE RIGHT THING AND HAVE FUN DOING IT! DRIVE A SAFE, FUEL-EFFICIENT SUZUKI. 0 $100 BONUS G GR E E N G R EE N $500 BON U S $ 379 1.8 0 LEASE FROM FOR 60 MONTHS ** % FINANCING %*** PER MONTH DOWN PAYMENT $2,055 MSRP $30,995* FOR 48 MONTHS MOTORING TV BEST NEW LARGE SUV Available AWD / 3.6 litre, V6 engine / Seating for seven Front and side curtain airbags / Climate control A/C ESP with Traction control ABS with EBD / Cruise contro 5-speed automatic / Towing capacity: 3,500 lbs Power steering, windows, mirrors and door locks Remote keyless entry / Tire Pressure Monitoring System AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with 6 speakers / Engine immobiliz WINNER $ 179 1.8 0 0 LEASE FROM LEASE RATE ** % DOWN PAYMENT $ PURCHASE FINANCING %*** ER MONTH FOR 60 MONTHS MSRP $13,895* FOR 60 MONTHS SUZUKI.CA AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with 4 speakers / Tachometer Rear window defroster / 1.6 litre, 4 cylinder engine Dual front and side airbags / Tilt steering / Power steering eating for fi / Rear window wiper and washer five plit-folding rear seatbacks / Engine block heater Child-proof rear door locks / Digital clock FUEL ECONOMY: City­12.9 L/100 km; Hwy­9.0 L/100 km FUEL ECONOMY: City­8.9 L/100 km; Hwy­5.9 L/100 km XL7.CA Suzuki of Oakville 2219 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, ON L6L 5L7 905-469-2429 Toll Free 1-866-229-3897 Fax 905-469-4562 CONSUMERS SHOULD READ THE FOLLOWING: Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. *MSRP for the 2007 Swift+ with manual transmission (model H5MS5A7) / the 2007 Grand Vitara with manual transmission (model LLN81S7) / the 2007 XL7 with automatic transmission (model 6E1D8A7). Destination and Delivery ($1,195 / $1,395 / $1,395) not included in MSRP. Registration fee, license, insurance, administration fees and applicable taxes are not included. **Limited time offer to qualifi ed retail customers on approved credit (O.A.C.) available through FinanciaLinx to lease a new 2007 Swift+ with manual transmission (model H5MS5A7) / 2007 Grand Vitara with manual transmission (model LLN81S7) / 2007 XL7 with automatic transmission (model 6E1D8A7) for 60 months. Total lease obligation of $10,693.25 / $21,387.96 / $24,790.55 including down payment of $0 / $3,450 / $2,055, or equivalent trade-in, with 100,000 km total mileage allowance ($0.10/km for excess mileage). $0 security deposit. First month's lease payment is required at lease inception. Lease payments include Destination and Delivery ($1,195 / $1,395 / $1,395). This offer does not include license, insurance, acquisition fees of $350, administration fees, PPSA of $60 + taxes and any applicable taxes which are due at lease inception ***0% purchase fi nancing is available for 60 months on 2007 Swift+ and for 48 months on 2007 Grand Vitara and 2007 XL7. Finance example: $10,000 at 0% APR for a 60 / 48 month term; the monthly payment is $166.66 / $208.33; cost of borrowing is $0; total obligation is $10,000. Down payment may be required. Suzuki Canada will give on purchase or lease a green bonus of $500 for the 2007 Swift+, $1,000 for the 2007 Grand Vitara and $1,000 for the 2007 XL7. Suzuki Green Bonus applies only to retail customer purchase, lease, or fi nance agreements for new 2007 Swift+ ($500.00), 2007 Grand Vitara or 2007 XL7 ($1000.00). Concluded respectively with Suzuki Canada Inc. between July 3rd and August 31st 2007. The Suzuki Green Bonus includes PST, GST, HST, QST where applicable. Some conditions apply. Subject to change or cancellation without notice. ****These offers cannot be combined with any other offer except for the Suzuki Graduate Program. With the Suzuki Graduate Program, recent university or college graduates may be eligible for an allowance on the purchase or lease of certain models. Fuel economy based on Transport Canada ratings. ESP is a registered trademark of Daimler-Chrysler AG. Dealers may lease or sell for less. See participating dealers for details. The Suzuki Grand Vitara is an intriguing mix of SUV ideologies, so we very much wanted to experience one on a long-term basis. Suzuki Canada obliged and delivered to our offices a JLX model garbed in splendid silver. The Power Point presentation on Grand Vitara would start with these salient bits: All new for model-year 2006; In the hope of adding on-road refinement, Suzuki adapted a unibody structure and independent suspension; In the hope of also maintaining some off road credentials and some towing capacity, Suzuki welded to this structure a quasi-ladder frame; Only available engine is the 2.7-litre V6 with 185 hp and 184 lb-ft or torque; Lots of standard safety systems, such as full-time fourwheel drive, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control with traction control, and with electronic brake force distribution. You can have all of the above, and more, for as low as $24,495 (JA model with five-speed manual). The model hierarchy is JA, JX, JLX, and JLX Leather. Our JLX, at $28,995, was only one rung below the all-conquering JLX Leather model ($29,995), so had lots of gear on board -- most notable were the all-new fivespeed automatic transmission, 17-inch aluminium wheels, power sunroof, and the six speaker six-CD stereo. In Canada, all models come with a full-time 4x4 system (in the U.S. and other markets, there are rear-drive 2X4 models). On dry pavement, the system sends torque to the front and rear wheels in a 47/53 split, and readjusts torque as necessary when the wheels start slipping. On the JLX Leather models, the 4x4 unit also offers the capability to electronically lock the differential, and drivers can also shift the system into a low range -- so that model would be the one to get if you want to get really dirty. For 2007, Suzuki will put this "fourmode" system on every model except JA. Not sure why Suzuki didn't offer this system on less luxurious models right off the start, but we're not here to second-guess the automaker ... Hey, wait a minute, yes, we are here to second-guess the automakers, that's our job. But it's also our job to tell you what impressed us, so let's start with that first. It's more polite. The friendly price was a common refrain in the logbook. "Fully under $30K for a fully loaded full-time 4x4 SUV," is how one driver summed up the value quotient. Another thought it fulfilled a relevant niche: "It's a step up in both capability and amenities, from most compact SUVs and crossovers, and yet keeps you from falling into the clutches of that pack of larger and more pretentious SUVs." We didn't test its 4x4 capabilities to the limit, but did take it mildly off-road on several occasions, with predictable results -- it did the job just fine. What we did do a lot was place our butts into the driver's seat and hit the highway. Here's a selection of what was said by the owners of those butts. "Nice firm suspension, handles well, and doesn't lean too much for an SUV" ... "Nice, smallish V6, not fussy, good low-end torque"... "Love the steering wheel, nice and fat and solid, and gives the whole vehicle a feeing of stoutness" ... "Firm suspension and full-time four-wheel drive conspire to give the Grand Vitara an extremely well-planted feel on the highway" ... "Nice and tight, no rattles" ... "Quality seats, both in terms of materials and performance. Experienced no bum fatigue whatsoever, after a particularly long day in the saddle." Other aspects of the interior also endeared themselves to the testers, such as the rear seating area, which was cited as having good leg and headroom, and seats that reclined generously. The rear cargo area was noted for being "not huge," but like those on all SUVs, it opened wide, and offered floor-to-ceiling piling of stuff. One of our testers took his family of four for a week's camping with the Suzuki, and said the Grand Vitara swallowed every last thing on the packing list. Another tester noted the thoughtful details in the cargo area, like the 12-V power outlet, cargo hooks, and a welldesigned cargo cover. And everybody seemed to like its looks. One person called it "chiselled and muscular." Another referred to it as "modern." Yet another recalled two parking lot encounters, where the drivers (one in a Volvo, the other in a Saab) remarked how great the Suzuki looked. Now, on to the middle ground, where the test notes have caveats and where one's man's rave is another man's rant. First on this list is the swing-out tailgate, which is not all that common on SUVs. Compared to a lift gate, its obvious advantage is an easier "open and close" -- no stretching or reaching involved. But with the spare tire fitted on said tailgate, a few testers noticed its heft. It also swings out to curbside, which can be problematic on tight and/or busy streets. The V6 got mixed reviews as well: some thought it was perfectly matched to the truck, while others thought it a bit thirsty for its size (more on that later), and lacking a bit in both refinement and power when compared to some competitors. A lot of drivers loved the keyless entry and start feature, but thought the vehicle should have an obvious place to put the key fob. It doesn't need to, or is designed to, stay in the ignition, so you have to pocket it, or store it. Sometimes, testers didn't have the right kind of pocket, and its small size and blackness often made it hard to find in the various cubbyholes where drivers had randomly thrown it. Continued on Page 27