2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara

The general stereotype for American SUVs brings forth visions of gas-guzzling monoliths carrying one baby seat, two dogs and the entire starting line up of the favorite local little league team. Although these land-faring luxury liners may be the unquestionable answer for a rare few in need of transporting countless minions to and from the local baseball diamond, most of us require somewhat less from our daily drivers.

Style

Breaking free of this automotive paradigm is a new breed of compact and mini sport-utes specifically designed to counter large SUVs with easy-to-drive, around-town convenience. One of the first entries into the increasingly popular world of small SUVs is the Suzuki Grand Vitara.


Hailing from the same company that brought us the Samurai, today the Grand Vitara is Suzuki's best selling model, and it's redesigned for 2006. Complete with high-end amenities like front and rear curtain airbags, a next generation keyless entry system and optional full-time four wheel drive with electronic stability program, this latest Grand Vitara is loaded with value.


At the heart of this Suzuki's modern bravado is a sleek, decidedly metropolitan exterior, with smooth lines and sharp edges. Up front a subtle grille blends with angled headlights that cut promptly into a steep hood and windshield, providing the foundation for the Grand Vitara's vertical, yet aerodynamic facade. Toward the rear, the slow curving roofline turns downward to reveal a stern mounted full-sized spare, undoubtedly a strategy to maximize interior cargo space.

Interior

Motivating the Grand Vitara is a small-bore 2.7-liter DOHC V-6, standard on all trims, which delivers 185 hp and 184 lb-ft. of torque. Our top-of-the-line Luxury trim tester came with a 5-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment, as does the X-Sport version. A 5-speed manual is standard on the base and Premium trims, with automatic shifting available as an option.