The steady fashion for "SUVs" made the serious SUV Suzuki Grand Vitara before only outwardly resemble them. But in the end, he abandoned the classic principles of building jeeps.
No, of course, he did not lose his off-road qualities, but, as it turned out, he significantly reduced the requirements for them. So, on the previous generation of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, there were distinct signs of an SUV: small overhangs, a short “base”, a frame chassis, a “transfer case” with a lowering row and the possibility of hard connection of the second axle, a continuous rear axle. The Grand Vitara that replaced it, in addition to a more “parquet” appearance (you can’t call it otherwise than pretty), received other body designs, transmissions and suspensions. Now he can no longer boast of a separate frame: the body has become load-bearing, however, powerful spars and cross members are integrated into it. The suspension has undergone significant changes: it was made independent for all wheels. And although the Suzuki Grand Vitara still retains permanent four-wheel drive, the transfer case lever has disappeared - the pride of a serious SUV. From now on, transmission modes are selected by a selector on the center console. There are four of them: N - neutral position (completely disabling the drive); 4H - main (center differential divides the torque equally between the front and rear wheels: 47% forward and 53% back); 4H Lock - the central differential is additionally blocked; 4L Lock - a downshift is engaged in the "razdatka". Everything is controlled by electronics, and therefore, with the slightest failure (for example, a fuse failure), none of the indicated modes will come into operation. In addition, the “thoughtfulness” of the latter sometimes greatly puzzles the driver. However, many "all-wheel drive" have already switched to an electronic control drive for a "razdatka" for a long time, of course, if such is provided for by the design. And it doesn't seem to bother them much in real life.
The absence of a second lever on the central tunnel is not the only innovation in the interior of the Grand Vitara. The next generation of the "Japanese" received more solid plastic for decoration, and the front panel itself became much more solid. The standard audio system looks especially rich (by the way, it has very good acoustics, and for an extra charge you can put a six-disc CD changer), round wheels that control the air conditioning system, and an instrument panel with contrast scales and bright red arrows. But the main thing is that the functionality of the salon has not been disturbed. There were also pockets in the doors, and a niche with a lid in the center of the dashboard, and a "glove box" - an armrest, and, of course, cup holders. More importantly, the glazing of the body absolutely does not interfere with excellent visibility. Even the “spare wheel” that is brought out (like that of “adult” SUVs) does not cover the rear window, and large side mirrors allow you to clearly feel the dimensions of the car.
Salon Suzuki Grand Vitara is quite spacious, although the luggage compartment is not so impressive. The wide rear seat cushion is an undoubted advantage. But the fact that it stands upright when folded is not very practical: not every long length will fit. But the hinged tailgate made it possible to significantly lower the loading height and even hide a set of tools needed on the road under the raised floor. A comfortable driver's seat is height adjustable, allowing even a tall person to get behind the wheel, but the lack of a steering wheel adjustment for reach significantly limits the use of the entire horizontal range of seat adjustment. In any case, it took some time to find a compromise landing. Perhaps such a long device was "helped" by floor mats. The boots of the average size 42 always tried to catch their toes on the bottom of the front panel when working with the pedals. It turned out that ours was simply covered with "non-native" carpets, which significantly reduced the driver's legroom. At the same time, the wide pedal arrangement is a huge plus. Today, it is more often the other way around, as a result, “pedaling” is quite difficult - you have to sit behind the wheel in sneakers that tightly fit your leg.
Suzuki Grand Vitara is currently equipped exclusively with a 2-liter engine with a capacity of 140 hp, aggregated with a manual gearbox or "automatic" (for "three-door" only a 1.6-liter engine - 106 hp - and only with "mechanics"). Its power is quite enough for movement in urban traffic, although it is not as elastic as we would like. For sharp acceleration, you have to “poke” the gear lower, because already at the tachometer mark of 4500 rpm it noticeably “turns sour”. For the city, it is probably better to choose an automatic transmission - let it “think” on its own, less work for the driver.
The new chassis design with independent suspension made the Vitara more of a passenger car. He is now more collected, and therefore confidently moves in a straight line, quite clearly passes the turns, smoothly sliding the rear wheels in the direction of skidding. The car behaves predictably and perfectly holds even a slippery road due to the presence of permanent all-wheel drive. True, on steep turns you can get into a diagonal buildup. He does not “like” the Grand Vitara and sudden movements by the steering wheel - the information content on the “steering wheel” disappears. Although the above handling shortcomings are more likely caused by a high ground clearance of 198 mm, most SUVs of other brands do not have this. But on real off-road, such an impressive ground clearance will come in handy. Believe me, I successfully stormed the hills near Moscow right over rough terrain. Actually, a locking center differential and a two-stage transfer case are designed for this. In addition, the long-travel suspension allows you to move over bumps at a fairly high speed. In any case, not every "SUV" can drive so fast on such roads. A trial run on a Suzuki Grand Vitara on an autumn-winter primer showed that it behaves obediently and demonstrates a high energy intensity of the suspension. Although here it is not recommended to turn the steering wheel sharply so as not to “lose” the road. By the way, I really liked how Vitara kept comfort on bumps - in any case, passengers were not thrown up to the ceiling.
As a rule, any update of a particular model leads to an inevitable increase in the price of it. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was no exception. The car added in price by almost ... $ 10,000 against its predecessor. And this is serious! In a similar price niche today, a lot of cars are "performing" and larger, and not deprived of "handouts" to improve cross-country ability. So the Vitara market will have a hard time ...
The Japanese company Suzuki has been producing compact all-wheel drive crossovers for more than five years. Cars of this company combine sporty style and modern comfort. The car "Grand Vitara" is perfect for those who travel often and love outdoor activities. But even if you lead a measured lifestyle and prefer out-of-town family trips, then this car will also suit you.
See how to use all-wheel drive correctly.
Suzuki "Grand Vitara"
The SUV is produced in two versions at once: a three-door crossover 4 meters long and a five-door SUV that reaches 4.5 meters in length. The car "Grand Vitara" has become an improved model of the SUV Suzuki "Vitara". Now the new model has all-wheel drive and is equipped with a frame structure. It is made of transversely arranged metal beams.
The SUV has a four-cylinder engine, which is equipped with an electronic injection system. The volume is 1.7 or 2 liters, the power is 95 hp and 129 hp. Manufacturers also released a V-shaped six-cylinder engine, whose power is 146 hp and a volume of 2.5 liters. With such an engine, you can drive the car using a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual.
The car is equipped with two airbags, belts, fog lights, power windows, speakers, central locking, and power steering for comfortable driving. The SUV is equipped with anti-lock braking system, air conditioning and immobilizer.
The automotive range of Suzuki Grand Vitara cars should be divided into three types:
- SUV-station wagon;
- short base;
- convertible SUV, which is a maneuverable car with an open top.
The all-metal structure will ensure the safety of passengers in the event of an accident. Typically, such cars are driven on country roads or in the suburbs, where the modest size of a convertible will significantly increase the cross-country ability of an SUV. But even such advantages did not make this type the best-selling and popular, although the convertible SUV got a large audience.
The station wagon is a five-door vehicle that focuses on space efficiency and comfort. In this model, the front overhang is shortened, so the car moves smoothly and quietly enough, which ensures comfortable driving. 
Short wheelbase models were only sold in Japan and Europe. The cars were equipped with four-cylinder engines. Three-door SUVs excelled off-road and ensured safety even in the most dangerous situations. Cars of this version are incredibly maneuverable and mobile, they are perfectly controlled both in full off-road conditions and in the urban jungle. Another plus is the small turning radius, which allows you to turn around even in the narrow corridors of small streets. The "Drive Select" switch was first used in an SUV-station wagon. This allowed the driver to turn on the drive at speeds of more than 100 km / h on all four wheels. Under the audio system in the car is the transmission control lever. It has four positions: "N" - only the use of a winch, "4H" - all-wheel drive is turned on with an upshift, "4HLOCK" - all-wheel drive, but already with a downshift, the cross-axle differential is also blocked. At this time, the car is completely stable and is controlled without much effort. You also have the opportunity to choose the most suitable method of operation. You can drive the SUV in fuel economy or off-road mode.
Modification Suzuki "Grand Vitara"
But in 2010, a Japanese company decided to modify car models that were intended only for export. In this regard, the car did not have a spare wheel, and instead they began to use a special compressor and sealant for quick wheel repairs. Also, car engines began to comply with the Euro-5 environmental level. The brake force distribution system and the electrical wire in the transfer case have been improved to enable a downshift.
Active and passive systems guarantee complete safety when driving an SUV. And additional protection is provided by rigid impact-resistant beams that are installed in the doors of the car.
The Suzuki "Grand Vitara" SUV is quite affordable, unlike other SUVs of this level. Prices primarily depend on the city in which this SUV is produced, on the configuration, availability of additional equipment and, of course, on engine power. The price of a three-door car is 850 thousand, and a five-door SUV costs more than 950 thousand.
History of the legend
Suzuki began producing this SUV in 1997, which could overcome road difficulties and adapt to any weather conditions. Since the release of the car, painstaking and time-consuming work has been carried out to improve this model. Now the SUV is equipped with a 4x4 all-wheel drive system. You can drive the car in normal or neutral mode. You also have the opportunity to drive in extreme conditions or off-road.
Even in such harsh conditions, sufficient traction is provided by an evenly distributed force.
The car can be called an "off-road athlete" for its impressive dimensions and individual details that fully reveal the features of a modern and contemporary design. Due to the smooth corners, the car does not seem aggressive and oversized.
Exterior and interior harmoniously echo each other, and for its functionality and excellent ergonomics, many would call the Suzuki machine an “office on wheels”. Many drawers and all kinds of compartments will allow you to store useful little things. Each part performs one or even several functions. The interior is not teeming with a lot of details and looks minimalist.
A spacious interior will allow you to fill it with the necessary things that will be useful to you on your journey. A convenient information display built into the dashboard always reports on the operation of the SUV. The armrest, which has the function of horizontal movement, will help you ensure a comfortable ride. Suzuki brand cars are inexpensive and hardy, they are tested and improved almost every year.
And this car had a lot of me. At home, in Japan, it was called Escudo, in the USA - Sidekick (by the way, this word means not only "kick from the side", that is, Movashi-giri in the Anglo-Saxon version, but also "friend", "root" - in in general, a friend, and of course, in American slang) or Geo Tracker.
There is also a Russian trace in the history of Vitara: it is not in vain that the VAZ Museum has a brochure with a photograph of the novelty, presented to Pyotr Mikhailovich Prusov, the creator of our Niva, with the inscription: “To the Godfather of our car.” Some journalists agreed that Prusov allegedly accused the Japanese of plagiarism. Sorry, I don't believe in such nonsense. Someone, but Peter Mikhailovich, knew perfectly well that, even from the point of view of design, even from the technical point of view, there is nothing in common between Niva and Vitara / Escudo / Sidekick, except for the very idea of a light SUV with the comfort of a car.
One way or another, the car gained worldwide popularity, was produced in a great variety of options and lasted 10 years on the assembly line. In 1998, there was a generational change, and the word Grand appeared before the Vitara name.
Suzuki Grand Vitara" 1998–2005
The life cycle of this model turned out to be somewhat shorter: firstly, the era of crossovers was coming, and against the background of competitors, the plug-in front axle and dependent rear suspension looked like a terrible anachronism, and secondly, the “style of bath remnant” (aka “snowdrift” style) finally went out of fashion. In a word, in 2005 the next generation was born, with a design that is quite consistent with the trends of the times. But there are certain discrepancies with its number: some count from 1988 and the very first Vitara and consider it the third, others call it the second generation of the Grand Vitara model.
Suzuki Grand Vitara" 2005–08 In fact, it is not so important whether it is the second or third. It is important that the model has undergone truly revolutionary changes. In terms of design, the first two generations were traditional frame SUVs of the "universal" type with independent front and dependent rear suspension and part-time all-wheel drive with a plug-in front axle. The third (well, or second) Grand Vitara received permanent all-wheel drive with a reduction gear in the transfer case and a lockable center differential, the rear suspension became independent multi-link, and the frame became integrated.
The model was distinguished by a fairly wide range of engines: gasoline "fours" with a volume of 1.6 liters (106 hp), 2.0 liters (140 hp) and 2.4 liters (169 hp), 3, 2-liter V6 (233 hp) and a 1.9-liter diesel engine (not officially supplied to the Russian Federation, but such specimens come across on the secondary market). They were paired with either a five-speed manual or a four- or five-speed Aisin automatic transmission.
To some extent, the car found itself in a unique niche created by itself. On the one hand, structurally, it was a real SUV. At the same time, it differed from most representatives of this class in compactness, and therefore, in a lower price. On the other hand, in terms of overall body architecture, dimensions, and ground clearance, Grand Vitara competed mainly with crossovers, favorably differing from them in cross-country ability, reliability of permanent all-wheel drive and the absence of a clutch that tends to overheat in difficult road conditions.
As a result, from the very beginning of sales in Russia, the Grand Vitara has become the company's main volume-forming model in this market, and every year our fleet of these cars has been replenished by 10-15 thousand units. This situation was crippled by the crisis and a sharp appreciation: Suzuki never acquired its own assembly plant in Russia, and the successor to the hero of our story, the new Vitara, has not yet found its buyer, being at the very bottom of the sales rating. Last year, 3,492 such cars were sold, and the deputy general director of Suzuki Motor Rus, Takayuki Hasegawa, in an interview with our publication, considered this a major achievement ... Nevertheless, the good old Grand Vitara not only remains quite a mass car, but also enjoys a certain popularity on secondary market. So why do owners love the Grand Vitara, and what causes their justified criticism?
Hate #5: “Modesty is beautiful?”
The Grand Vitara has a reputation for being modest, utilitarian, and unpretentious as a workhorse. The model is of no interest to whistle and striped wand workers or car thieves. But the interior of the car is just as modest and utilitarian! The panel is made of hard plastic, and where there is hard plastic, “crickets” readily start up there. Not always, but they do. The glove box and mirrors in the visors are not illuminated. The dashboard is simple to archaic. There is an on-board computer, but its modes are switched using "stumps" directly on the dashboard, to access which you have to put your hand through the steering wheel. Accordingly, it is not recommended to do this on the go ...
The vast majority of copies sold in Russia do not have a touch-screen media system as a class, but only the most ordinary radio tape recorder, and its sound is rated either as “disgusting”, or, at best, as “none”. The device does not have an input for a signal from an external source (however, it can play MP3 from CDs). In general, many advise immediately after the purchase to throw out the regular "head" and speakers, if the previous owner did not do this. And this applies even to the performance of the “expensive version with a screen” ... However, if a familiar bear stomped on your ears for a long time in childhood, and today you are used to listening to “news” radio stations like “Business FM” on the road, then the quality of “music” you will not worry.
Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present But the fact that the seat upholstery can be either black or black in combination with another black will definitely annoy you. All this Japanese asceticism and minimalism seems not very appropriate for a car that does not fit into the category of “very budget”.
Love #5: "Don't be born beautiful, but be born happy..."
In fact, very few owners of the Grand Vitara rate their car as “beautiful”, but almost everyone speaks positively about its appearance.
Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present Indeed, Suzuki designers managed to create an image "out of time and space." The car, born 13 years ago, does not seem seriously outdated today. At the same time, the model is distinguished, so to speak, by fantastic gender and age universalism. Behind the wheel of a Grand Vitara, a young mother with children, a fan of some extreme sports, a manager in a business suit, and a pensioner with seedlings and fishing rods look equally organic.
The spare wheel hanging on the fifth door caused some criticism, and in 2010 it moved under the floor of the luggage compartment. By the way, not everyone liked it: it turned out that many liked the “reserve”, located “like a real jeep”.
In general, Suzuki designers have their own philosophy: “We don’t care about fashion trends in auto design, we just make cars to move in space, and we do them perfectly!”. And who doesn’t like it - the market is full of beautiful ...
Hate #4: "And you, friends, no matter how you sit down..."
Ergonomics is a statistical science, so the workplace of a car is always best adapted to a person with a certain "average" figure. But people are all different ... And so many owners of the Grand Vitara complain that the seats are hard, that adjusting the steering column only by the angle of inclination does not allow you to choose the optimal position of the driver's seat: either the legs do not reach the pedals, or the steering wheel blocks the instruments, and that on a long journey they experience fatigue after 4-5 hours behind the wheel.
Some lack lower lateral support, causing the right leg to come into contact with the hard edge of the center console - colloquially referred to as a "beard". The leg has to be kept in tension, which, as you understand, does not increase comfort. The owners struggle with this problem in different ways: some put a pillow, some glue the foam rubber to the edge, but this does not radically solve the problem.
Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present Even more inconvenient is the “self-lowering” driver’s seat: the mechanism for fixing its vertical adjustment is really not reliable enough, so that in three or four days the seat drops to its lowest position, which, as you understand, not everyone needs. And here, too, the time comes for technical creativity: who tightly welds the gear of the adjustment mechanism, who drills an additional hole and locks the position of the seat with a bolt, who fixes the mechanism in the lower position, but raises the chair to the desired level with the help of spacers.
But the rear seats have backrest adjustment for tilt, which, in principle, makes the level of comfort for rear passengers acceptable. But many consider the rear sofa not very comfortable, but travel lovers complain that the interior transformation scheme does not allow organizing a full-fledged sleeping place in it.
Love #4: “I can see everything from above...”
That's what no one has any complaints about - it's visibility, especially back. Many brands equip their crossovers with side mirrors that are more appropriate for a purely passenger car. Mirrors Grand Vitara have quite a decent "off-road" size, do not distort the distance to objects and are equipped with electrically adjustable and heated. At the same time, the aerodynamics of their bodies is such that they almost do not get dirty on the go, eliminating the need for the driver to constantly go out and wipe them with a cloth. This is especially true in the conditions of our "salty" winters, when sticky abomination flies from under the wheels, and the consumption of the "washer" is comparable to the consumption of gasoline.
The owners like the salon mirror a little less, since it is blocked by both the headrests of the rear sofa and the spare wheel cover. This casing itself protrudes behind the size of the car and requires special attention when parking.
As for the forward view, then, as a rule, everything suits everyone, and only a few picky people mention that the A-pillars still block visibility in sharp turns. But everyone without exception praises the light - both near and far.
Hate #3: "Left, left come in!"
Not too happy with the owners and the capacity of the car. This does not mean passenger capacity - in any case, four adults get into the car without any problems (although many consider landing in the back row uncomfortable). The main complaints are the volume of the trunk, which is 398 for the five-door version, and only 184 liters for the three-door!
Interior Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present For comparison, in the trunk of the good old "Niva" VAZ-2121, about which they said that she had no trunk from the word "absolutely", 320 liters of luggage fit. What is 184 liters? A few bags from the supermarket will certainly fit there. But in order for a family of four to go on a trip to the Grand Vitara - well, at least on a vacation to the south, and take everything they need with them, the car will have to be equipped with a luggage box on the roof. Naturally, this will worsen aerodynamics and increase the already not the lowest fuel consumption.
Plus, the back door of the car opens sideways. But the car is Japanese, so the door opens in Japanese, blocking the approach to the trunk from the sidewalk.
Love #3: "We'll get through it all..."
At least four out of five Grand Vitara owners consider cross-country ability one of the main advantages of their iron horse. True, here you need to take into account that finding hardened jeepers in the crowd of Vitarovods is by no means an easy task. Most of the owners of this car moved to it either from passenger cars or from classic crossovers, against which the Grand Vitara can really seem like a real tank.
However, the most sensible of them give a very accurate assessment of the off-road potential of the model: go to the country, go fishing, drive to the village to visit relatives on a broken primer - this is all right, with all the pleasure, but more serious tasks are not up to her. Grand Vitara is a city car, which should have bumpers in place and bags from Auchan instead of a hijack in the trunk. This is neither good nor bad - it's a fact.
First, 200mm of ground clearance is not that much. He sat the car on his belly on arable land, a muddy meadow or in virgin snow - and that's it, a shovel will no longer help, you need to run after the tractor.
You should not meddle in deep fords either: the breathers of the bridges are only a dozen centimeters higher than the bridges, so the chance that the gearbox cooling in the water will suck in a lot of water with a mud suspension through it is quite large. In the best case, you will have to change the oil in the gearbox, and in the worst case, you will end up with repairs costing from 40 to 60 thousand rubles.
Many believe that nothing is being done to permanent all-wheel drive, slip for at least a day. Alas, this is not so ... The transfer case seals do not like heavy loads, so if you wallow in clay for several hours or decide to “drag a hippopotamus out of the swamp” - in the sense of helping out a stuck comrade, then most likely the seals will leak and they will need to be changed. And there are three of them in the transfer case, and only one changes without removing the box, and replacing the shank oil seal does require its complete disassembly.
Plus, it is worth considering that the rear towing eye is made and fixed to the side member in such a way that, under solid loads, it begins to “float” and, unbending, can reach the edge of the bumper and even hush it up.
In a word, you need to remember that the Grand Vitara is an SUV with the soul of a crossover, and you should not make it jump above its head and do something that the car was not intended for at all. He can easily drive through a snowy field along a track from a snowmobile or overcome a washed-out country road where cars do not shove, but to turn into a real off-road conqueror, he lacks not only the “tanks are not afraid of dirt” stickers.
Hate #2: Shaking in a smoky train car...”
In preparing this material, I read at least a hundred and a half reviews of Suzuki Grand Vitara owners about their car, and literally in almost every one you can find references to excessive suspension stiffness. Someone is quite satisfied with this rigidity, someone is ready to put up with it, but there are also those who mention it among the main shortcomings.
On a rough road, a single-driver Grand Vitara performs the jump-jump dance with pleasure, and its owner literally feels every hole and every pebble with his whole body. Some hint of a smooth ride appears only when fully loaded, preferably with luggage, but that's exactly what a hint. A typical review goes something like this: “Recently I went to Belgorod and back, 1,400 km. The car shook my soul! And this is not my personal feeling - all four people in the car said so. It is annoying that it is small joints on the asphalt that are transmitted to the body. A little the quality of the road surface deteriorates, there is a feeling that you are driving on a washboard ... ".
Love # 2: "I'm rolling fast on cast-iron rails ..."
However, the rigidity of the suspension also has a downside: even its most vehement detractors confirm the very good handling of the Grand Vitara.
The car really holds the trajectory very well, not paying attention to either individual bumps or longitudinal ruts. Of course, the Grand Vitara does not steer as sharply as the “driver” cars, but there are no rolls, buildup or “catching” of the trajectory at all. Everything is simple, reliable, and, importantly, very predictable. Compared to the frame predecessors, which were very rolly, and they didn’t really know how to drive on ice and gravel roads (well, maybe only at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour), Grand Vitara very tenaciously clings to the road at high speeds, turns well, and on the ground allows the use of rally techniques.
The correct operation of the stabilization systems also contributes (especially in icy conditions), which, by the way, is automatically turned off if a downshift is engaged and the center differential is locked and is automatically turned on again if the speed exceeds 30 km / h. But ESP never turns off completely, so if you want to go out on the ice in winter and play pranks, go crazy and start the car into a skid, then you are unlikely to succeed: ESP will deal with drifts in all known ways.
Grand Vitara and its owners generally feel good in winter: the car starts without problems even in severe frosts, is able to park in snowdrifts, behaves well on slippery roads and does not freeze the driver and passengers. Only the absence of a heated steering wheel and windshield annoys.
Hate #1: “Eats and doesn’t ride, doesn’t ride, but eats!”
Regarding the assessment of the dynamic characteristics of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, as they say, "the opinions of scientists are divided." Some argue that everything is fine, especially in city traffic, while others whine that "the car does not drive at all." And everyone unanimously scolds the “vintage” four-speed automatic - both for thoughtfulness and for unwillingness to switch to higher gears in time. One of the forum comedians described the situation as follows: “It accelerates not quite nauseatingly, but only up to 100 kilometers per hour. Then retirement and relaxation.
At the same time, the most common topic for snorting about a car is fuel consumption. In particular, the combination of a two-liter engine with an automatic is often scolded, and in fact it was he who accounted for the lion's share of sales. It is understandable - as I said, many owners switched to Grand Vitara from compact cars, so they got used to completely different numbers. For those who managed to drive heavy SUVs, a consumption of about 14 liters in the city and 10 on the highway seems quite acceptable.
But the driving style also depends on the prevailing habits, and many note that if you “fly” and press the pedal heartily at every traffic light, then the consumption can reach up to 18-20 liters, and if you drive calmly, it is unlikely to exceed 12 .
The situation is aggravated by insufficient sound insulation of the engine compartment. More precisely, in normal modes, it does not cause any particular enthusiasm or serious complaints, but when overtaking, when the box switches from fourth gear immediately to second during kickdown, the noise level instantly rises to the “frightening” level.
Love # 1: “This is such music, such is eternal youth ..”
And yet, the main advantage of the Grand Vitara collective mind considers endurance and reliability. The car does not have so many congenital sores.
For engines, usually a two-liter one, the timing chain stretches to 150 thousand kilometers, especially if the owner did not keep track of the oil level. Often the mechanism of the attachment belt tensioner roller fails, so experienced vitar owners recommend always having spare belts and rollers with you.
At the turn of 40 to 100 thousand km, the converter in the exhaust system can “die”, and its death manifests itself in a very strange way: the Check Engine lights up on the panel (which is natural) and the cruise control stops working (but this is already incomprehensible).
The bushings of the front stabilizer “run out” very quickly, and many complain that they have to be changed almost every 15 thousand kilometers - that is, with every MOT.
There are problems with silent blocks of levers, which, alas, change only with the levers. The power steering tube needs to be replaced every three to four years due to wear at the attachment points to the body. There are also a number of characteristic breakdowns, but ... this whole anamnesis is greatly extended in time, so the total cost of owning a car turns out to be quite acceptable, the reviews do not resemble price lists for repairs with a final six-figure sum, and there are a lot of instances on the roads aged 10-12 years of age, still in good spirits.
The Vitara market will have a hard time ...
The steady fashion for "SUVs" made the serious SUV Suzuki Grand Vitara before only outwardly resemble them. But in the end, he abandoned the classic principles of building jeeps.
No, the car, of course, did not lose its off-road qualities, but, as it turned out, it significantly reduced the requirements for them. So, on the previous generation of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, there were distinct signs of an SUV: small overhangs, a short “base”, a frame chassis, a “transfer case” with a lowering row and the possibility of hard connection of the second axle, a continuous rear axle. The Grand Vitara that replaced it, in addition to a more “parquet” appearance (you can’t call it otherwise than pretty), received other body designs, transmissions and suspensions. Now he can no longer boast of a separate frame: the body has become load-bearing, however, powerful spars and cross members are integrated into it. The suspension has undergone significant changes: it was made independent for all wheels. And although the Suzuki Grand Vitara still retains permanent four-wheel drive, the transfer case lever has disappeared - the pride of a serious SUV. From now on, transmission modes are selected by a selector on the center console. There are four of them: N - neutral position (completely disabling the drive); 4H - main (center differential divides the torque equally between the front and rear wheels: 47% forward and 53% back); 4H Lock - the central differential is additionally blocked; 4L Lock - a downshift is engaged in the "razdatka". Everything is controlled by electronics, and therefore, with the slightest failure (for example, a fuse failure), none of the indicated modes will come into operation. In addition, the “thoughtfulness” of the latter sometimes greatly puzzles the driver. However, many "all-wheel drive" have already switched to an electronic control drive for a "razdatka" for a long time, of course, if such is provided for by the design. And it doesn't seem to bother them much in real life.
The absence of a second lever on the central tunnel is not the only innovation in the interior of the Grand Vitara. The next generation of the "Japanese" received more solid plastic for decoration, and the front panel itself became much more solid. The standard audio system looks especially rich (by the way, it has very good acoustics, and for an extra charge you can put a six-disc CD changer), round wheels that control the air conditioning system, and an instrument panel with contrast scales and bright red arrows. But the main thing is that the functionality of the salon has not been disturbed. There were also pockets in the doors, and a niche with a lid in the center of the dashboard, and a "glove box" - an armrest, and, of course, cup holders. More importantly, the glazing of the body absolutely does not interfere with excellent visibility. Even the “spare wheel” that is brought out (like that of “adult” SUVs) does not cover the rear window, and large side mirrors allow you to clearly feel the dimensions of the car.
Salon Suzuki Grand Vitara is quite spacious, although the luggage compartment is not so impressive. The wide rear seat cushion is a definite plus. But the fact that it stands upright when folded is not very practical: not every long length will fit. But the hinged tailgate made it possible to significantly lower the loading height and even hide a set of tools needed on the road under the raised floor. A comfortable driver's seat is height adjustable, allowing even a tall person to get behind the wheel, but the lack of a steering wheel adjustment for reach significantly limits the use of the entire horizontal range of seat adjustment. In any case, it took some time to find a compromise landing. Perhaps such a long device was "helped" by floor mats. The boots of the average size 42 always tried to catch their toes on the bottom of the front panel when working with the pedals. It turned out that our car was simply covered with "non-native" carpets, which significantly reduced the driver's legroom. At the same time, the wide pedal arrangement is a huge plus. Today, it is more often the other way around, as a result, “pedaling” is quite difficult - you have to sit behind the wheel in sneakers that tightly fit your leg.
So far, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is equipped exclusively with a 2-liter engine with a capacity of 140 hp, aggregated with a manual gearbox or an “automatic” (for “three-doors” only a 1.6-liter engine is offered - 106 hp - and only with "mechanics"). Its power is quite enough for movement in urban traffic, although it is not as elastic as we would like. For sharp acceleration, you have to “poke” the gear lower, because already at the tachometer mark of 4500 rpm it noticeably “turns sour”. For the city, it’s probably better to choose an automatic transmission - let it “think” on its own, less work for the driver.
The new chassis design with independent suspension made the Vitara more of a passenger car. He is now more collected, and therefore confidently moves in a straight line, quite clearly passes the turns, smoothly sliding the rear wheels in the direction of skidding. The AV car behaves predictably and perfectly holds even a slippery road due to the presence of a permanent all-wheel drive. True, on steep turns you can get into a diagonal buildup. Does not "like" the Grand Vitara and sudden movements of the steering wheel - the information content on the "steering wheel" disappears. Although the above handling shortcomings are more likely caused by a high ground clearance of 198 mm, most SUVs of other brands do not have this. But on real off-road, such an impressive ground clearance will come in handy. Believe me, the car successfully stormed the hills near Moscow right over rough terrain. Actually, a locking center differential and a two-stage transfer case are designed for this. In addition, the long-travel suspension allows you to move over bumps at a fairly high speed. In any case, not every "SUV" can drive so fast on such roads. A trial run on a Suzuki Grand Vitara on an autumn-winter primer showed that the car behaves obediently and demonstrates a high energy intensity of the suspension. Although here it is not recommended to turn the steering wheel sharply so as not to “lose” the road. By the way, I really liked how Vitara kept comfort on bumps - in any case, passengers were not thrown up to the ceiling.
As a rule, any update of a particular model leads to an inevitable increase in the price of it. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was no exception. The AV car added almost... $10,000 in price against its predecessor. And this is serious! In a similar price niche today, a lot of cars are "performing" and larger, and not deprived of "handouts" to improve cross-country ability. So the Vitara market will have a hard time ...
Text: Andrey KONSTANTINOV
The third generation of the Grand Vitara, or Escudo, as it is called in its historical homeland, we unexpectedly managed to fight with the giants of the “crossover” market. Such as Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
Her car could not win due to objective reasons, but it made a lot of noise. The battles of fans of permanent all-wheel drive and the longitudinal arrangement of the engine, fans of “lowering” and blocking, fans of suspension lifts and similar tuning and the opposite side (supporters of light and practical “all-terrain” cars with nominal all-wheel drive) continued for a long time. They subsided only after a sharp increase in prices for Suzuki in 2008 and its virtual disappearance from the focus of user interests. The market was divided among themselves by localized cars, and Grand Vitara was no longer among them. What is the secret of this short period of model success?
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2005–08
In addition to the typical off-road values that Suzuki compact SUVs carry, this generation added a more voluminous and practical body, a more pleasant interior and significantly improved the car's behavior on asphalt. Of course, the car turned out to be quite complicated, but the company knows how to make such designs inexpensive, and Japanese quality allows you not to upset customers very much in the first years after purchase. And, of course, for fans of "real SUVs" in a compact form factor, problems with handling, ride and fuel consumption were not so important. Of course, the car was far in popularity from the Ford Focus or Mazda 3, but it had an army of loyal fans. And this army stubbornly bought Vitara for many years, allowing the company to sell an already fairly outdated design. However, this is quite typical for Suzuki, they always had enough “long-livers” in their lineup.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara "2008–12
Having survived three restylings, the model left the assembly line only in 2016, when it was replaced with a simple crossover with a transverse power unit and low fuel consumption.
For all the time the car has not changed so much. During the second restyling, only the range of engines was updated and the appearance was slightly ennobled, during the third, the interior and a set of service electronics were slightly changed.
The design itself at the time of launch was extremely "classic". This does not mean "outdated", it's just that in our time such a layout is not used on machines of this class. Cars with it have a large mass, many vibration sources that are difficult to decoupling, and a large volume of units. And besides, such a design is not technologically advanced during assembly, which entails additional costs both when creating a car and during its operation. On the other hand, such a layout has great potential for bringing to mind both cross-country ability and handling, which is clearly seen in the example of European premium crossovers.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present I note that with a 3.2 liter engine, which became available after 2008, the car turned out to be quite dynamic: about 9 seconds to hundreds with a non-alternative automatic transmission. And it has no less opportunities for towing trailers than SUVs that are a class or two higher, which is also an important factor for many.
However, with standard two- and 2.4-liter engines, dynamics can not be expected. And economy too: even on the highway, a rather heavy car with permanent all-wheel drive and a high body “eats” its 9-10 liters per hundred, and in the city, the appetite of cars with automatic transmission easily goes beyond 15 liters. If you want a fast and economical Suzuki, then you need to buy a two-wheeled GSX-R, and the company's four-wheeled cars are generally not about that.
Body
Suzuki's perfectly corrosion-protected machines are not. But this generation of Vitara in this indicator significantly exceeds the first and second generations. For those, it happened that the doors under the plastic lining simply rotted into dust, like the thresholds, and the body supports broke off. No such horrors can be found even on cars before the first restyling. But still, corrosion on machines is almost always present.
A typical place where problems appear is the rear arch. Regardless of the presence of a rubber seal along the edge of the arch, the metal in this area rots. Installing gum on cars after restyling did not help, but rather even accelerated the appearance of problems: sand is simply stuffed under the seal, and the process goes even faster, only at first it is not noticeable from the outside. Inside the arch itself, processes are also going on, slowly but surely.
In the fourth or fifth year of a car's life, corrosion begins to break through at the attachment points of the fuel filler tube and suspension brackets. Especially if the wheel arches aren't washed often in the winter or after off-road exploits.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 At the same age, pitting becomes clearly visible in the rear of the side members above the exhaust system, corrosion of the brake line mounting brackets, the transfer case mounting bracket and suspension parts. In especially advanced cases, you can find violations of the seam sealant at the seams in the rear arches. They are here of a complex shape, and in the lower part they are connected to the spar, which increases the load on this part.
original price
29 703 rubles
You can not look at the upper part of the rear doors under the seal, there is almost certainly corrosion there, the only question is how much the door frame has rotted. If it is visible from the inside, then this is serious, and if only under the seal, then it can still be restored.
Nasty pockets of corrosion on the front of the roof, windshield pillars and hood edge are almost certainly found on cars with decent highway mileage. Chips from stones inevitably bloom if they are not painted over immediately. Over time, “bubbles” appear on the paintwork, and the damage zone can grow to a good few centimeters in diameter.
Corrosion of the suspension elements on the Vitara sometimes leads to trouble. The ball joint mount in the front arms is one-piece, but corrosion can “fix that problem” for you. If the lever coating is scratched, it corrodes at an astonishing rate. And even without this, it quickly becomes covered with rust dots. It happens that the lever has to be changed due to the destruction of the ball joint landing, even when it is still quite alive. However, the ball joint itself on five-door cars usually has a small resource.
If the levers are reworked for a removable ball joint, then first of all they will take care of painting the restored part.
Rusting shock absorber cases are a definite success for Suzuki, such an anecdotal malfunction has never been seen in my memory. Fortunately, only the outer case rusts, and mainly at the bottom edge in places where dirt accumulates. Theoretically, this can lead to the destruction of the shock absorber, but we could not find any mention of such cases. The reason lies not only in the weak metal and its poor processing, but also in the complete absence of anthers on its stem. On other machines, the installation of such parts from the "eights" helps a lot, I believe this advice applies to the Vitara as well.
Of the minor, but typical troubles, it is worth mentioning the drawdown of the rear door hinges on cars before the third restyling. This is due to the weight of the heavy "reserve" and the lack of unloading guides. The castle is also having a hard time, after five years of operation, it is likely to require repair.
Wet floors in the front and internal corrosion of these panels are typical for cars after restyling. There is a somewhat unsuccessful design of the air conditioning drain tube, which cracks in the cabin and clogs from the outside. As a result - a wet floor carpet, misted glass and an extra center of corrosion.
Moisture in the trunk is typical mainly for three-door cars, it is much less common on five-door cars. It’s more difficult to figure out the reason, but it’s worth checking the side niches and the central trunk panel. In the presence of moisture, be sure to check the fastenings of the railings, their fastening caps break, and the fastening holes usually leak just in the back.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2012–present In general, the body is painted well, but it requires timely repair of damage to the paintwork and careful monitoring of hidden areas. If galvanization is present, then not to the same extent as on European cars. The metal cannot withstand two years without paint, after a month one can expect the appearance of under-film corrosion near the damage site. And as usual for SUVs, check the internal cavities for dirt and soil. Not washed in time, they greatly accelerate the “decomposition” of the car body, and Vitara is often taken for “riding” on serious off-road, and not for commuting in the city.
Windshield
original price
20 028 rubles
A weak windshield is not the biggest problem, there are enough inexpensive analogues of decent quality. Here are the door stops - the problem is a little more serious. The original ones, after 40-50 thousand mileage, almost certainly no longer hold the door in intermediate positions, and if handled carelessly, they can simply break out with damage to the door panel itself. The problem is more relevant for three-doors; for five-doors, a breakdown simply causes some inconvenience, and nothing more. Of course, the limiters can be sorted out and repaired, but you must admit that on a three-year-old car this is simply a shame.
At the back door, the problem is different: the sealant strives to erase the paint around the perimeter, and if you do not touch up in time, then corrosion will appear.
There are many complaints about the smallest door - the gas tank hatch. Its lock is made of plastic, and the locking pin wears out and begins to wedge when opening and closing. I recommend changing on time so as not to be left without gasoline at the most inopportune moment.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2008–12 If water is not pouring onto the rear window, then check for water under the fuse box under the hood. If there is, then your washer hose has very successfully flown off. Here you can easily connect it and drive on, without consequences. But if he flies in the back door, then the work will be added. The reason is most often the use of too viscous antifreeze fluid.
Salon
The salon is quite simple, and, as practice shows, very high quality. In any case, the seats are quite strong, although not particularly comfortable, the handles, buttons and power windows do not break, the climate works well, and even its fan does not buzz, whistle or wear out the brushes until runs of one and a half to two hundred thousand. But it's not without minor annoyances.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2005–08 The fastening of the upper cover of the armrest is weak, it starts to roll back and forth due to the breakage of the limiters. And the light bulbs in the buttons are quite expensive, if they change at all. Their resource is not too big, five or six years - and the backlight goes out. However, the problems are not great, you can replace the LEDs yourself or use the services of detailing workshops, the armrests are repaired, the peeled handles are replaced or covered with leather.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 A variety of squeaks and crickets of the cabin are also a completely removable thing. The most difficult thing is to eliminate the creaking of the driver's seat, sometimes the welding of the frame fails, and sometimes the fastening tapes simply rub, which is quite difficult to detect. But a typical problem is the breakage of the sled.
The rattling of the backs of the rear seats is eliminated quite easily, you just need to tighten the loops and cover the upper mount brackets with heat shrink or electrical tape, but it will not help for a long time. A permanent solution to the problem is more complicated and simple options have not yet been observed.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present. Knocks and noises of the climate system on older cars are also found, dampers are tapping somewhere in the depths, the air is making noise at speed ... Finding the cause is more difficult than fixing the problem, usually you just need to switch modes a couple of times and that's it. Particularly meticulous, you can try to tighten the fastenings of the white rollers of the central air ducts, this will require “only” to disassemble the entire center console, risking damaging the side panels sitting on the clips. However, it is most difficult to drive in complete silence. With good noise isolation against the background of classmates, the noise of the front gearbox and transfer case is well heard, which pisses off perfectionists and just people with increased suspicion.
Pictured: Interior of Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 Not quite a “salon” problem - a breakdown of the gear knob on cars with manual transmission - turned out to be very common. The company even announced a revocable company to replace shift rod 28104-78K01. If your part has obvious traces of welding, then just contact the dealer, they will change it for free. Well, be careful with the car, the previous owner obviously did not follow the news and did not go to the dealer.
Electrician
This part of the car is far from perfect. Like all SUVs, the chances of damage to the wiring by sand are increased, you should carefully check the cleanliness of the corrugations. Otherwise, failures and "glitches" due to fractures and corrosion of the wires inside overtake the owner of the car already in the "childhood" age, literally after 5 years.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2005–08 Cars with more than a hundred thousand miles are already at risk of a generator. Insidious rivals from Mitsubishi supply Suzuki with a unit with a very bad rear bearing. It does not lubricate well and does not have a reliable separator. As a result, the generator rotor "walks", damaging the current collector brushes and touching the stator. It is recommended to replace the bearing with a sealed European one.
Check radiator fans. The design is quite delicate, both its mechanical part and electrical.
The transfer box control unit is very vulnerable. It is not very tight and is often damaged by moisture when overcoming fords or simply when completely depressurized.
Body level sensors for cars with xenon are a delicate thing and require careful handling, sometimes they do not survive even one trip to serious off-road.
Brakes, suspension and steering
The braking system of the Grand Vitara is quite reliable. Corrosion of the tubes usually does not lead to leaks yet, the front disc brakes work pretty well. But still, it is better to change the caliper fingers every 50 thousand, otherwise souring of both the sliding part and damage to the threaded part is possible.
Disc brakes at the rear differ little from the front ones, they are just as unpretentious, but require replacement fingers.
Active riders on cars with a 3.2 liter engine have problems with early failure of cylinder seals, after 40-50 thousand calipers can wedge, but most owners of 2.0-2.4 liter engines are not threatened.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2005–08 Well, those who have drums behind them should not worry either. The mechanism is simple, runs for a long time, and often after hundreds of thousands it will have to be sorted out not because of the wear of the pads, but because of the corrosion of the springs and guides. And from the outside, the drum does not look aesthetically pleasing for such a run.
ABS is reliable and does not fail, it even knows how to slow down well on loose surfaces.
If the ESP icon is on on five-door cars, then it is likely that after disconnecting the battery or starting in a hard frost with a voltage drop in the on-board network, they simply forgot to “train” the steering wheel position sensor. All you need to do is turn the steering wheel several times from lock to lock.
The suspension of an SUV is a surprisingly dualistic thing. On the one hand, it withstands the most severe tests, and on the other hand, it has a very small resource of front suspension ball bearings, strut mounts and wheel bearings. These components are heavily loaded with wide wheels, high vehicle weight and sometimes serve less than 50 thousand kilometers.
Front lever
original price
8 902 rubles
An additional nuance is the corrosion of the suspension arms. They are made of black metal, which corrodes very well without painting. The front levers are in the area of special risk, the ball joint mount can rot in them over time, and the rear ones occasionally “wipe” the spring support cup due to corrosion. In general, this should be monitored.
Breakup bolts corrode just as much, they need to be lubricated every year if you don’t want to once again do wheel alignment with a grinder.
Suspension springs also have a limited service life, their breakdowns are not uncommon, so when buying a car, you should check the number of turns, and then monitor their condition. Again, corrosion is often the root cause of problems. Do not want extra expenses - wash the suspension, renew the anti-corrosion coating on it.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present A special nuance is associated with the suspension lift. With a lift of up to 45 mm, only the front strut mounts and the rear trailing arm mounting brackets will require replacement. In this case, the wheel alignment will be maintained, and the car will retain quite acceptable behavior on the road. If for some reason there is not enough ground clearance of 245 mm, then you will seriously spoil the car. On taller tires or other suspension changes, handling is nothing. By the way, larger wheels are the main reason for the early failure of wheel bearings. Even installing heavier tires leads to a sharp reduction in their resource, not to mention games with a crash.
The stabilizer bar bushings and struts are a “consumable”. Just try to get used to the idea. You will have to change at every second MOT or even more often. Take high-quality parts, and it is better to replace the bushings with the brackets with restyled ones.
The steering on the Suzuki is moderately simple. No newfangled features: just power steering, just a rail. And the latter sometimes flows and knocks. But he rarely does this and does not present unexpected surprises. But the resource of steering rods and tips is small, after a run of 30 thousand, you need to carefully check for backlash and monitor the safety of the seals.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present Let's summarize the intermediate result: Suzuki Grand Vitara III is a car with a "zest", but so far there is nothing that would make you refuse to buy this car. Now it remains only to see how things are with engines and gearboxes, after which you can start calling the sellers of used Vitars.
