Stamping frozen feet and reaching for the door handle, I sought blessed retreat from the bitter cold within the still-warm vehicle. You'd think I'd learn not to be fooled by unseasonably warm spring weather. Mother Nature always returns with one last nasty blast--just to remind us who's boss.
The tree-studded park hillside provided a picturesque backdrop for shooting the Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX-L I was currently testing, but offered no protection from the vicious wind.
There was no fumbling for ice cold keys with fingers made stiff and useless as carrots by the cold. As long as the key fob is in the driver's possession, the Grand Vitara is accessed without a key, and started by turning the ignition. A rather neat feature usually found on far more expensive vehicles, and since it requires the same basic twist of the wrist that turning a key would--it's a reflexively similar action. Still, to me, a start button would have been even cooler.
I gave blissful thanks for the warmth beginning to radiate from the heated leather seat and put the vehicle into gear. Clambering over the deep ruts didn't pose a problem since the Grand Vitara's 4-mode AWD includes a locking differential and low-range gearing.
The original Grand Vitara appeared in 1999 as a replacement for the Sidekick. It continued through 2005 until the second generation, or current model debuted in 2006. It remains unchanged for 2007 other than adding a trip computer and a tire-pressure monitor.
I'd driven it shortly after its introduction, at the annual AJAC Testfest. The SUV class was huge that year--nine vehicles with vastly different price tags were being tested. The Grand Vitara was rated third overall against competitors costing nearly three times as much. I remember being impressed with the way it clambered over huge logs, greasy with mud, in the off-road section.
The tree-studded park hillside provided a picturesque backdrop for shooting the Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX-L I was currently testing, but offered no protection from the vicious wind.
 |
| The fully independent suspension insures a comfortable ride. |
There was no fumbling for ice cold keys with fingers made stiff and useless as carrots by the cold. As long as the key fob is in the driver's possession, the Grand Vitara is accessed without a key, and started by turning the ignition. A rather neat feature usually found on far more expensive vehicles, and since it requires the same basic twist of the wrist that turning a key would--it's a reflexively similar action. Still, to me, a start button would have been even cooler.
I gave blissful thanks for the warmth beginning to radiate from the heated leather seat and put the vehicle into gear. Clambering over the deep ruts didn't pose a problem since the Grand Vitara's 4-mode AWD includes a locking differential and low-range gearing.
The original Grand Vitara appeared in 1999 as a replacement for the Sidekick. It continued through 2005 until the second generation, or current model debuted in 2006. It remains unchanged for 2007 other than adding a trip computer and a tire-pressure monitor.
I'd driven it shortly after its introduction, at the annual AJAC Testfest. The SUV class was huge that year--nine vehicles with vastly different price tags were being tested. The Grand Vitara was rated third overall against competitors costing nearly three times as much. I remember being impressed with the way it clambered over huge logs, greasy with mud, in the off-road section.
 |
| The Grand Vitara's 4-mode AWD includes a locking differential and low-range gearing. |