Mk3 Grand Vitara Series II

The Grand Vitara nameplate is one of the longest serving in the compact SUV market and while it has not seen the stellar 1000-per-month sales figures of its key soft-roader competitors, the Grand Vitara has something more potent than the opposition - real of-road ability, thanks to its low-range transmission.

This new model, essentially a mid-life makeover of the clean-sheet new 2005 Grand Vitara, features new engines and new features such as ESP. It also gets traction control, which promises an even better off-road performance.

The new 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder, which is the entry-level engine for both three-door and five-door variants, develops a peak of 122kW at 6000rpm and 225Nm at 4000rpmThe new 3.2-litre V6 available in the five-door Prestige model only also features variable-valve timing. Its outputs are 165kW at 6200rpm and 284Nm at 3500rpm.

In August 2012, Suzuki added an entry-level two-wheel drive variant to the Grand Vitara range and gave its aging compact SUV a fresh face.