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Suzuki Grand Vitara wagon can take the off-road rough stuff
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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OCOTILLO WELLS, Calif. -- Rivers of sand dusted with tire-sized lumps of desert rock meandered past banks of sage and scrub brush at a park devoted to four-wheeling fun in the Borrego Sink of California's low Anza Borrego Desert.
The sandy chutes -- functioning as highways to link vast expanses of desert dunes, rocky promontories and tightly wound canyons cut through hills at the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area -- became our sandbox playground for four-wheeling tests of the four-door Grand Vitara, latest sport-utility wagon from Suzuki of Japan.
This specific wagon, with subcompact dimensions but a V6 engine mounted below the hood, conforms for off-road forays in a body design of high stance with front and rear overhangs angled acutely to make approaches and departures easy in climbing over the rough stuff. For traction on slippery trails, it packs a two-speed transfer case in the four-wheel-drive mechanism with shift-on-the-fly convenience at highway speed.
In two-wheel-drive mode with all engine torque shooting to the rear axle, the Grand Vitara easily handles hard paved surfaces, as we experienced on a two-lane blacktop running from the Salton Sea to Ocotillo Wells. Yet Suzuki's top wagon does its best work when you crank it down into four-wheel-drive and head away from pavement.
It slithered through those rivers of sandy desert washes in our off-pavement tests.
Gears meshed, the healthy engine hummed and nubby tires spewed sand in our tracks as one Grand Vitara rolled across that slippery wash. We skirted rocks when we could but scooted over smooth tops of buried boulders when necessary, bumping and groveling for every inch of ground gained.
It also handled steep and slippery inclines confidently and exhibited a sure-footed agility when crawling over trail obstacles or dipping through ditches, actions not possible in several car-based competitors that lack a low range in four-wheel-drive for serious off-road travel.
This Grand Vitara in four-wheel-drive mode and deluxe trim caps the Suzuki lineup of eensy-weensy wagons as replacements for the former Sidekick.
New generational editions, wider in track and longer in form than the Sidekick, contain more refined mechanical components and more comfortable appointments. In effect, they ride better and handle with a certain sophistication not evident in Sidekick, but Suzuki still holds the line on prices so all of the variations of Vitara fall into the affordable column.
The Sidekick label at Suzuki traces back to 1988 when a two-door convertible version appeared as an improved alternative to Suzuki's original sport-ute, the crude Samurai. By comparison, Sidekick measured longer, wider, higher and heavier than Samurai, toted a stronger engine and behaved in a more stable manner. A four-door Sidekick came in 1990, and in 1996 Sidekick's hardtop wagon spawned the Sport off-shoot with boosted power and more components.
Now substitute the Vitara name for Sidekick, with new structure and equipment but similar configurations as 2-door soft-top and four-door wagon powered by one of two four-cylinder engines.
The Grand Vitara, as deluxe treatment for the four-door wagon, goes further with the addition of a 2.5-liter V6 engine, plus specific exterior dressings and interior equipment not available on the four-cylinder Vitara models.
With an aluminum alloy block, four cams and four valves in each cylinder, the Suzuki V6 musters up to 155 hp at 6500 rpm, with best-in-class torque production of 160 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. It can handle a half-ton payload or tow a small trailer rig weighing up to 1500 pounds.
Despite the word "Grand" attached to the name, this wagon is still subcompact in size and modest in capacity. So what's the point?
It provides a rugged platform and the mechanical gear to travel off pavement for a modest price, but also works with active lifestyles. When properly rigged, the Grand Vitara can haul a trailer of dirt bikes or ski scooters and with the hardtop wagon format for cargo can function as a weekend plaything for camping or traveling to reach places a conventional car or car-based wagon could not go.
Its strength starts with a sturdy steel frame which stretches for the length of the vehicle and has ladder-type cross members which resist twisting to stabilize the platform when navigating through off-road terrain.
Then add malleable suspension elements -- like front MacPherson-type struts with coil springs and stabilizer bar, and a rigid rear axle of five-link design with lower and upper trailing arms, plus large 16-inch wheels and tires -- to set up a vertical ground clearance of eight inches, which enables the wagon to avoid obstacles like rocks, stumps and bumps when running on dirt.
Brief front and rear body overhangs also help with off-pavement work -- the front approach angle totals to 32 degrees and the rear departure angle comes to 29 degrees.
Suzuki's two-speed transfer case splits engine torque and applies it to front and rear axles to prevent slippage. It can run in two-wheel-drive mode on pavement, but has both high and low gears for four-wheel-drive, with the latter reserved for serious off-road trekking.
A pneumatic actuator engages the front differential and front axle when shifting from two-wheel to four-wheel mode, and it works while rolling at speed. To shift into low gear of four-wheel-drive requires stopping and pulling a lever.
The Grand Vitara has a power-assisted steering system improved with rack and pinion design, with power also supplied to brakes for front discs and rear drums, plus anti-lock controls on deluxe editions.
For safety, the wagon gets dual air bags to shield front seat riders from frontal crashes. A steel frame forms a protective safety cage around the passenger compartment, with front and rear crumple zones built into the chassis, plus reinforced beams in doors, and daytime running lamps.
The cabin contains two front bucket seats and a rear folding bench which could squeeze three people aboard. At the rear, the cargo area contains more than 22 cubic feet of space, with access through the rear side-hinged door.
Grand Vitara stocks a long list of standard equipment, ranging from analog instruments with tachometer to air conditioning with micron air filtration, power windows and power mirrors, central locking and a remote keyless entry system, plus an audio package with stereo AM/FM radio, cassette deck and four speakers.
Models extend to two trim levels for both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive editions. Price tags start at $17,999 for the base two-wheel-drive model and climb to $21,000 for the top 4x4 with an automatic transmission.
1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA WAGON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact sport-utility |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact sport-utility |
| Wheelbase: |
97.6 inches |
| Overall Length: |
164.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.5-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
4x2 (rear), 4x4 |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum,
opt. ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 19/22 mpg
A/4: 19/21 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 18,000 to $ 21,500 |
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