GV Now Grandest Of Them All

Suzuki: Grand Vitara Carmaker's Flagship Product

- Charl Bosch

Our popular Suzuki Fronx compact crossover SUV departed our long-term fleet in June after a six-month stay, making way for its bigger sibling the Grand Vitara.

As the Vitara part naming has been applied in various of the Japanese manufacturer's products, a quick run-down of its history is in order. Local history at least, as it is much less complicated than its global history.

South Africans first encountered the nomenclature in Grand Vitara guise when Suzuki opened its local doors in 2008. This badge eventually made way for the Vitara and for a while was offered alongside the smaller Vitara Brezza.

But then Maruti Suzuki in India, which manufactures the car in collaboration with production partner Toyota Kirloskar Motor, stopped exporting the second generation which was renamed to Brezza.

The export void was filled with the reintroduction of the Suzuki Grand Vitara badge, albeit it is a bigger car than the Vitara Brezza was. The Grand Vitara is 4,340mm long, where the Vitara Brezza conformed to India's tax-friendly sub-four-metre rule.