Although Suzuki announced they would stop selling vehicles in the United States (Canada is still a go), operations elsewhere continue to manufacture and sell vehicles. In Grand Vitara’s 24 year history the vehicle has seen three major facelifts. At Unfinished Man, we love off-roading and the Suzuki Grand Vitara has always been seen as an affordable option when it comes to a vehicle with 4WD capability. It’s a vehicle that’s a little rough around the edges but does the job well enough.
Suzuki has given the new 2013 Grand Vitara a minor facelift which will hit showroom floors this month in the United Kingdom. The prices for the 2013 model will start at £15,995 ($25,635 USD) for the three-door version of the Grand Vitara (SZ3) featuring a 1.6-liter engine.
The latest Grand Vitara was first seen at the Moscow International Motor Show this past summer with its restyled front fascia featuring a new grille, slight changes to the front bumper with different fog lights, and black accents in the headlights for the five-door, SZ5 model. Depending on the model, the Grand Vitara will also sit on new wheels available in 17-inch or 18-inch allow wheels.
One welcoming change is the use of a 16-inch spare wheel which is wrapped in a 225/790 tire on the tailgate. The larger spare wheel increases the overall length of the Grand Vitara by 7.8-inches on the SZ5 and 6.7-inches on the SZ3 model.
The biggest interior change for the 2013 model can be noticed on the SZ5 (five door model) which now features a 6.1-inch touchscreen navigation system as a standard accessory. And both the SZ3 and SZ5 have newly designed seat trims.
The 1.9-liter DDiS diesel engine features an improved emissions control system resulting in the reduction of CO2 emissions and improving combined fuel economy.
I’ve always been a fan of the third-generation Grand Vitara and one of my friends actually owns one. They may be a bit on the basic side but they are also very affordable and I have not heard of any major complaints from my friend. An entry level Kia or Hyundai can be purchased in the same price range with better exterior/interior styling but the Grand Vitara has proven itself when it comes to reliability. The Grand Vitara is a good vehicle but it’s definitely time for a fourth generation version to come out.
