Suzuki has enlarged the successful Grand Vitara range of four wheel drives to include seven three- and five-door models.

These machines have petrol engines standardised as either four cylinder DOHC 2.4L (122kW), and 3.2L quad cam V6 (165kW). They have been designed to replace the previous 1.6L, 2L and 2.7L engines, but the popular 1.9L diesel remains unchanged.

The new petrol engines offer considerable power increases over their predecessors, yet stringent tests have revealed increased fuel economy due to engine sophistication. The five-door premium Grand Vitara Prestige is now available with the new 2.4L petrol engine with the 3.2L V6 being available on the five-door auto Prestige. A four-speed auto is now available for the three-door four-cylinder model as well.

Electronic Stability Program is featured on all models along with a list of new safety features as standard. All five-door models come with cruise control; while petrol models also come equipped with rear disc brakes.

There are also some obvious styling changes across the range with a redesigned dash panel, a new front bumper and grille.

All Grand Vitara’s can now be flat towed behind larger vehicles, such as motor homes and similar. Prices start at $24,990 for a 2.4L petrol three-door Grand Vitara.