Road Test: Suzuki Grand Vitara Sport

Review by Tristan Tancredi - 18/November/2011

The Grand Vitara, winner of the 2009 4X4 Australia SUV of the year, has added a Sports version to its range.

Suzuki Australia has released a sleek, sexier mini-SUV onto the Australian market in perfect time for the summer season.

This family orientated SUV features 18 inch alloys, Silver roof rails and side fins and a spacious interior making it great value for money.

The GV Range has undergone drastic changes through its 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation and this Sport is the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot. 

Built for on-road and off road 4X4 Driving, the Sport has enough to please a wide target audience.

A 2.4 litre VVT engine powers this stylish car. It may have the looks but how does it perform? Let's take a look.

Drive: 3/5

The Suzuki GV Sport grips the road effortlessly. 4X4 mode enables the smooth transmission of power to all four wheels allowing the GV Sport to glide across the tarmac with an enormous amount of grace.

A strong, reliable chassis holds the car firmly to the road to stablise the vehicle and absorb shock.

Take the vehicle off road however and it's quite a different story. The GV sport struggled. We felt every bump, every hump and every stone the tyres traversed. The 2.4 litre VVT struggled to push the car up the steeper inclines.

Despite the GV Sports smoothness on flat, long roads it did lose traction taking corners at higher speeds. On the odd occasion the back of the car would swing out around sharper bends.

Considering this is a family car, taking corners at speed is probably not a priority for Suzukis target audience.

However, for the adrenaline junkies out there, the GV Sport struggles for real speed. With the foot firmly down on the accelerator, the GV will meander along with little guts.

The 6 Speed automatic transmission delivers what is needed for a car with little grunt and we can only expect the manual transmission to offer more in terms of power.

Engine: 3/5

The 2.4 litre VVT engine is as quiet as a mouse.

The Variable Valve Timing Engine (VVT technology improves engine power and torque and also reduces emissions) delivers 122 kw of power yet, as mentioned, the car feels sluggish moving from 0-60 km/ph.

On a steep hill the car struggled to smoothly ascend the incline, often dropping back a gear and lurching forward.

A 4X4 mode is easily switched on or off with a button neatly placed in the centre console. The 4X4 mode is barely noticeable during on-road driving. 

Take the vehicle off road to experience the GV Sport 4X4 driving experience.

At the reported 8.9 litres to 100 kilometres, the GV Sport doesn't burn through the fuel. A full tank got us a return trip down the coast to Somers (approx 200 km's) in Victorias South East with heaps in reserve.

Exterior: 4/5

18" Alloy Wheels support the GV Sport and do improve the basic aesthetics of the Grand Vitara range.

Combined with an improved bold new front grille, the GV Sport rocks a new, fresh look. The harder styled exterior design give the car more of a "gangster" feel then its predecessors.

The use of HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lights illuminate a wide area in the driving range and act as a clearer and brighter alternative to standard Halogen lights.

Silver Coloured Roof Rails offer a sleek, sexy look. Aligned with an upgraded front grille and new side hood fins, the GV Sport turns the occassional head.

From behind, only an experienced eye will note the differences between the Sport and standard GV. Front on, the differences are stark and the improvements are immense.

Despite lacking the youthful look of the Jeep Wrangler (competitor), the GV Sport does offer a sporty, sleek alternative.

Safety: 4/5

Anti-Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist Systems (BAS) allows the driver to control the vehicle under extreme braking conditions.

During testing we hit a few corners late to test the brakes of the GV Sport and they held up well.

Despite losing the back end a few times, the car was never completely out of control thanks to the braking safety features.

Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control, available only for the Automatic version allow for more control on the steeper inclines.

Airbag protection is installed in the variety of Dual Front SRS Airbags as well as head impact protection in all pillars and upper cabin surfaces. The standard 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara scored a safety ranking of 4 / 5 with perfect scores for the side impact tests.

Seatbelt pretensioners are activated in the event of a crash to firmly hold passengers in place. Load limiters are also installed in most new Grand Vitaras.

Interior: 4/5

This 5 Door 4WD has a neat interior dash, not overly complicated, yet enough to please everyone.

Sporting comfortable water repellent Bombora Aqua seats, there is plenty of leg space for front and rear passengers.  Packed to the rafters with luggage and 5 people in tow, there was enough space to sit comfortably for a decent stint.

Packed with heaps of storage facilties and reclining seats, space isn't a problem. Added with numerous cup holders, the Sport is relaxation on wheels.

The speaker system was quite weak. Pumping the tunes at any generous level left the speakers crackling and short of delivering any real thumping noise. Audio controls on the steering wheel allow easy volume and track changes. There are also capabilities for Bluetooth and an AUX input in the middle console.

Climate control air conditioning gives the Grand Vitara Sport great internal comfort. The easy to use Air Conditioning System really impressed on a long road trip with outside heat in excess of 30 degrees.

The GV Sport offers a comfortable, smooth, relaxing journey.

Overall: 3.5/5

The Grand Vitara Sport adds that extra bit of style to the GV range. A well designed new front grille, supported by 18 inch alloys gives the range a fresh new look. On the inside, the car is stylish and comfortable as you recline in Bombora Aqua seats.

The GV Sport comes with a mountain of safety features to protect all passengers including 6 airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and ABS with EBD and BAS.

Despite running smoothly on-road, the GV Sport struggles with acceleration from 0-60kph. Climbing an incline, the car will also lack the guts to reach the summit with ease.

Starting at $31,990 drive away, the GV Sport is truly good value for money.

“With this new pricing, there has never been a better time to see why the 4x4 experts rate the Grand Vitara – the original compact SUV – as best in class,” said Suzuki Australia GM Tony Devers.

A well designed family car with a 2.4litre VVT Engine, the GV Sport is a solid, safe car that just lacks that extra bit of grunt.