Suzuki Canada brags in announcing the 2006 Grand Vitara that the new model has nothing in common with the previous model except the name, and they are right about that.
Even the starting price is new (and lower), and there are two more trim levels than their used to be. So now the sport-cute starts with the new JA trim at $24,495, goes to JX at $ 26,495, and JLX at $ 28,995, and finally to the new JLX-Leather model at $29,995.
For this money, you'll get what looks on paper to be a vastly improved car, with more interior space, better styling, a more powerful V-6, more safety equipment, useful technology, and improved handling characteristics on- and off-road.
The 2.7-liter, 24-valve, DOHC V-6 generates 185 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, giving the Grand Vitara enough grunt to haul small recreational boats or a pair of personal watercraft, which Suzuki Canada will be glad to sell you.
The first thing you notice is that the 2006 Grand Vitara -- outside and inside -- looks more upscale and more refined than anything you've ever seen from Suzuki, which has a well-deserved reputation for building low-cost, low-class vehicles for young people and others with restrained financial situations.
Then you spot the liberating sense of extra elbow room made possible by a five-seat vehicle that's 1,810 mm wide, 4,470 mm long and 1,695 mm high on a 2,640-mm wheelbase.
Suzuki Canada's marketing manager, Mike Kurnik, says the exterior shape is "chiseled" and that the interior is "thoughtfully designed with materials, fit-and-finish standards, safety, and technology features that compete with vehicles costing thousands more."
Kurnik's right about that, and that's clearly going to be Suzuki's trump card in a segment that is already overflowing with lots and lots of excellent offerings.
Kurnik maintains that, "from roof-mounted, side-curtain airbags to help protect occupants in side impact crashes to an available SmartPass keyless entry and start system (where you don't have to put the key in the ignition for the car to start, just have it nearby), the Grand Vitara reaches a new level of sophistication in this price range."
Also new for 2006 are two four-wheel drivetrain options -- a full-time four-wheel-drive system (on JA,JX, and JLX), and a four-mode, dual-range four-wheel drive system on the JLX-Leather.
Kurnik says that all models feature the "same lightweight, stiff unibody construction, enhanced with a robust built-in ladder frame to offer the best of both worlds -- a refined on-road ride and the rugged off-road performance expected from Suzuki SUVs."
The stiff, lightweight frame structure is teamed with a fully independent suspension system that features MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link system in the back.
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| 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara (Photo: Suzuki) |
For this money, you'll get what looks on paper to be a vastly improved car, with more interior space, better styling, a more powerful V-6, more safety equipment, useful technology, and improved handling characteristics on- and off-road.
The 2.7-liter, 24-valve, DOHC V-6 generates 185 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, giving the Grand Vitara enough grunt to haul small recreational boats or a pair of personal watercraft, which Suzuki Canada will be glad to sell you.
The first thing you notice is that the 2006 Grand Vitara -- outside and inside -- looks more upscale and more refined than anything you've ever seen from Suzuki, which has a well-deserved reputation for building low-cost, low-class vehicles for young people and others with restrained financial situations.
Then you spot the liberating sense of extra elbow room made possible by a five-seat vehicle that's 1,810 mm wide, 4,470 mm long and 1,695 mm high on a 2,640-mm wheelbase.
 |
| 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara (Photo: Suzuki) |
Kurnik's right about that, and that's clearly going to be Suzuki's trump card in a segment that is already overflowing with lots and lots of excellent offerings.
Kurnik maintains that, "from roof-mounted, side-curtain airbags to help protect occupants in side impact crashes to an available SmartPass keyless entry and start system (where you don't have to put the key in the ignition for the car to start, just have it nearby), the Grand Vitara reaches a new level of sophistication in this price range."
Also new for 2006 are two four-wheel drivetrain options -- a full-time four-wheel-drive system (on JA,JX, and JLX), and a four-mode, dual-range four-wheel drive system on the JLX-Leather.
Kurnik says that all models feature the "same lightweight, stiff unibody construction, enhanced with a robust built-in ladder frame to offer the best of both worlds -- a refined on-road ride and the rugged off-road performance expected from Suzuki SUVs."
The stiff, lightweight frame structure is teamed with a fully independent suspension system that features MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link system in the back.