Everyone in the 4WD scene has got a Suzuki Vitara story of one kind or another. Usually they involve tales of daring-do out in the bush along the lines of an old Mark Twain quote; “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
The original Vitara was one of the first ‘serious’ 4WD vehicles with the ladder chassis incorporated into a ‘monocoque’ body with suspension front and rear by coil springs.
The new fourth-gen model couldn’t be more different.
It uses conventional transverse-engine/front-wheel-drive architecture like a Swift – or more specifically the recently released S-Cross ‘Crossover’ - on which it is directly based and shares key dimensions with.
Five versions of the new-look model are on sale here with the choice of two and four-wheel-drive, two specification levels and the option of manual or automatic transmissions.
In two-wheel-drive JLX specification, the manual retails for $27,990, or $29,990 with the automatic option.
The four-wheel-drive JLX AWD Allgrip auto is $32,990, and the two-wheel-drive LTD auto is also $32,990 or $33,790 when specified with the two-colour body finish.
Topping the range is the four-wheel-drive LTD AWD AllGrip ($35,990) which can be specified with the contrasting roof colour ($36,790).
As active rather than passive users of their vehicles 4WDers are second only to motorcycle riders in their appreciation of vehicle dynamics.
It mightn’t say it anywhere in the brochure but it is in this ‘active’ area the Vitara really shines.
Even on the most ho-hum of days/drives it will put a smile on your face.
Nice one Suzuki!
To read the full story in the December 2015 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (on sale November 16) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.
