An Originator among Sport Cutes
As that old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Suzuki engineers took that sentiment to heart in their approach to a redesign of the 2003 Grand Vitara. They wisely left the exterior, engine and working bits alone to focus on the one sore spot on the compact SUV -- the interior, particularly the dashboard and instrument panel.
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| New user-friendly intrument panel and controls replace the difficult to use interfaces from prior models. (Photo: Suzuki) |
Gone are the difficult to read and operate controls that have been the frustration of Grand Vitara owners since the compact SUV's debut in 1990 -- it replaced the Sidekick that year. In their place is a slick and stylish, user friendly cockpit that includes a new instrument panel, new console design, overhead storage console, in-dash CD player with seven speakers, and automatic climate control system.
For 2003, the Grand Vitara is available in two trims: JX and JLX, with a five-speed manual transmission available only in the JX.
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| The Vitara JLX receives a 165-hp 2.5-Litre V6 instead of a 4-cylinder, the engine configuration most often found in its class. (Photo: Suzuki) |
My tester was the JLX with four-speed automatic tranny mated to the sole engine available in the Grand Vitara, a 165-horsepower 2.5-litre V6. It provides good pep and pull, but at highway speeds I found the engine to be rather buzzy, particularly when in the passing lane. Still, the V6 is a good engine to put in this compact SUV -- I've always found four-bangers in this class of vehicle to be not quite up to the job of hauling a carload of people and stuff.
Another solid attribute of the Grand Vitara is its drive select 4x4 system, allowing the option to switch from two to four-wheel drive by the pull of a shifter on the centre console. The fact that this feature is found on a vehicle in the $25,000 range tells just how far the technology has come. Only a few years ago such 'shift on the fly' 4x4 systems were the bastion of off-road luxury SUVs only.