Suzuki GRAND VITARA GV1600
The Look Of Delight On My Seven Year-Old Nephews Face Said It All. The
Suzuki Grand Vitara Soft Top Is a Fun Car Which Kids Will Love. But What Will Their Mums Think?
If you've set your heart on a small, affordable four-wheel drive model for under £13,000, then Suzuki's cute little three-door Grand Vitara is worth more than a second glance. It leads this rather small sector, not only in Britain but across the rest of Europe, so has gained a significant vote of approval from quite a number of women - and men - already. Let's leave aside, for the moment, why you want a 4x4 instead of the ever-practical hatchback or estate car. If we are to be absolutely honest, most 4x4 drivers never really put their off-roaders through their paces off the road. But if you want to be different and to give the kids a real treat, then the Grand Vitara will happily fit the bill. When I stepped up into the snowy white GV1600 Soft Top model which I borrowed this week, I did feel as if the world was my oyster.
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You sit high up with good all round vision, especially with the top down. So what if you really should be up a mountain track instead of in the middle of town to take full advantage of its attributes? Unrivalled off-road ability isn't what you'd get with your Grand Vitara anyway, so the experts would say, but if you do take it into the forest to walk the dog, then it should handle the softest mud patches and rockiest inclines with ease.
I did wonder, however, how my rather short and stocky little boy would manage to heave himself up into the passenger
seat, but he did so with alacrity. When I picked him up from school to take him for a spin, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was obviously much more to his taste than my staid little family hatchback! Inside, there's plenty of room for four people, but your dog would have a hard time in the back, as the boot has less depth than a parcel shelf. What little space there is all but taken up once you put the top down too. That back door, with the characteristic spare wheel neatly on show, is very heavy - especially with your hands full of carrier bags - and you would have to pack your weekly groceries with precision to fit more than a few bags in. I would also question how comfortable the third passenger
Suzuki say should fit into the back seat would actually be, but for short journeys, who will mind? My other problem is the hood.
Its relatively easy just to fold the top bit back, but taking the whole thing off is such a performance that I cant imagine ever wanting to bother.
On the motorway, its rather noisy, even with the top up and you feel rather vulnerable in amongst heavy lorries and in cross winds. In fact, this is actually quite a heavy little car, compared to an average family hatchback, though is one of the lightest 4x4s. It accelerates away nicely at traffic lights and handles well in tight places, too. But you will have to learn to make allowances for that extra width across the front, compared to the traditional car bonnet.
The power steering, which luckily comes as standard across the entire Grand Vitara range, is a must. Suzuki's 16-valve engine gives added oomph, always a bonus for mums on the run. The suspension, dare I say it, could be better. In towns beset with speed bumps (which I applaud in principle I quickly add), even at snail's pace the Grand Vitara proved a bit of a boneshaker.
At the end of the day, if you want a 4x4 which cuts a dash but is easy to handle, then the final consideration will be your budget. The model I was driving, the GV1600 Soft Top, would set you back £11,995. Theres also a hard top version at the same price. If you want a roomier Grand Vitara, then you need to look to the five-door range, priced from £14,995 and offering the option of four or six cylinder petrol power or a turbo diesel.
Suzuki have even developed a stretched version for large families the XL-7. In fact, for me, the longer wheelbase five-door options would make the Grand Vitara a much more practical proposition altogether (without losing any of the panache). Whichever Vitara you choose, it will come covered by Suzuki Shield, a three-year/60,000-mile new vehicle and six-year corrosion warranty, and Suzuki Sentinel, a policy which provides 24-hour roadside assistance, vehicle recovery and associated services for twelve months.
In honesty, the dashing little two-door GV1600 which I enjoyed for the day would not suit many working mothers lifestyles, rushing from work, to school, to Sainsbury's and back, with endless bags to take to the childminder, PE kit for school and the odd box of own brand bitter for the long-suffering other half. The five-door version would be a different matter however if I could afford it which is doubtless why you see so many on the roads. I can easily see just why, image apart, so many women opt for a four-wheel drive - to inject a bit of spice and fun into the daily routine. The more practical options can be so very dull.
And speaking personally, practical considerations aside, I certainly wouldn't think twice about the Grand Vitara. Especially for when we set off to seek the peace of the Scottish glens or the Welsh mountains.
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