Marking the celebrations for the 20 years of the Vitara and Grand Vitara models, Suzuki launched the facelifted version of its latest generation compact SUV in Europe this week. The 2009 Grand Vitara which is available in both three and five-door body styles, features subtle styling tweaks and most importantly, a new 2.4-litre petrol engine matted to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission that replaces the 2.0-liter unit. -ContinuedBoth the exterior and interior of the 2009 Grand Vitara have been given a mild facelift that includes a slightly revised front end treatment with and new door mirrors with integrated turn indicators. Inside the cabin sports new chrome and wood-effect inlays, together with improvements to the design and operation of some of the dashboard controls, including a new multi-information display and revised air conditioning control panel.
The new flagship model in the European Grand Vitara range is equipped with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine developed from the 140 HP 2.0-litre petrol unit that it replaces. In the 3-door model, the 2.4L engine delivers an output of 166 HP while in the five-door model, 169 HP. When matted to the standard five-speed manual gearbox, the three-door Grand Vitara 2.4 accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in 11.2 sec (5d: 11.7 sec) and goes on to a top speed of 180 km/h or 112 mph.
Though standard equipment differs from country to country, the Grand Vitara 2.4 will be offered in most markets with ESP, 17 (3d) or 18 (5d) inch alloy wheels, electrically-operated glass sun-roof (5d), in-dash 6CD player with MP3 compatibility, and leather seats (5d) as standard.
