As a kid growing up in the ’80s, any Suzuki we knew about was a motorbike, nothing more.
Wow, how that’s changed over the years and especially so in South Africa and on the South Coast in recent years.
The brand is now gaining an increasingly strong reputation in the motor vehicle industry, with a wide variety of affordable vehicles on offer.
I was fortunate enough to spend some time cruising around in the Grand Vitara recently.
I realised, with a bit of a shock, that it’s the first time I’ve had the chance to drive a Suzuki – and I was more than pleasantly surprised.
The first response I had when hopping into the car was that of comfort. Sublime and luxurious. I’d imagine that on a long haul, it’s the kind of vehicle that won’t leave your passengers feeling tired.
Then the space, there’s more room that it may appear from the outside, or at first glance.
There are all kinds of features, an abundance of them, but not completely over the top in the sense that you can’t find anything.
Some of the more interesting features included the 360 degree camera, which is a great help getting in and out of parking spots, especially at local shopping centres.
Then there’s the heads up display (HUD), which shows info on a small panel, viewed on the windscreen.
I found this a touch distracting, but that could be because I’m a bit old-school.
But the highlight, for my children at least, was the easy-to-use sunroof.
As for myself, I’m not a mega-fan of a sunroof. I noticed a photo of myself the other day (where I was sitting) and it appears someone has hit a golf ball off the old head and left a divot.
So, blazing mid October sun and an emerging bald spot? Probably best to keep it closed.
But it is there for those who enjoy the air through their hair.
On the road, it’s fun to drive – a smooth ride with crisp road handling, something that’s important on our roads littered with potholes and speedbumps.
With it’s impressive 1.5-l engine, there’s enough power to get up the hills quickly enough and for an overtake.
Fuel efficiency is a strong point, obviously dependent on how energetically you zip through traffic.
The dash is quite something, with just about everything on display immediately.
Keyless entry and start is great and the regular handbrake is something I prefer.
It is extremely competitively priced but I don’t want to give too much away.
For more in the stats, specs and prices pop in at the Suzuki dealership in Port Shepstone.
HAVE YOUR SAY
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