Picture Gallery: 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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Okay, obviously I am joking (about the PR pull, not the snow), but I am glad that I do have a capable four-wheel drive machine this week with the weather turning for the worst, and me with my fingers crossed that we do not get another winter like last year.
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The last Grand Vitara I reviewed (2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara) was also a JLX model with automatic transmission. This tester, though, is the JLX-L model, with that extra “L” designating that leather is included.
Not a great deal has changed from 2008 to 2009, but there is one very significant difference, with a move away from the standard 2.7-litre V6 engine across the board to 2.4-litre I4 or 3.2L V6 engine choices. With this comes a new pricing structure as well, leaving me with a tester only $400 more than the 2008 model I tested but adding leather seating and door panels to spice it up.
2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara I4 JLX-L
MSRP as tested (including destination): $31,545
For more information on Suzuki and the Grand Vitara visit Suzuki Canada
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I think Suzuki used the wrong words in their press release for the 2009 Grand Vitara. The NEW 2009 Grand Vitara has a different set of engine options, some updates on the interior and apparently — although I can’t see the difference — a different front grille and bumper.
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Not to take away from the changes, though. The 2009 Grand Vitara has some silver trim on the door panels and around the dash area, which really brightens up the interior and freshen the look. The faux marble-look material on the centre console also gives it a classier look.
The newly-added extendable sun visors and sliding armrest help reduce fatigue on long trips; personally, I really love the sliding armrest. Also on the inside, an eight-speaker premium sound system (JLX models) with speed-sensing volume control and a centre-mounted speaker has been added.
The interior of the Grand Vitara really is a nice place to be and probably one of the best-in-class interiors as far as aesthetics and design go.
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I can’t comment on the new V6 engine, but I can on the new I4 engine my tester is equipped with. The old V6 sounded rough, unrefined and what I would describe as “truck-like.” It also made the Grand Vitara sound mechanical, while the new I4 is smooth, quiet and feels nearly as powerful as the old motor.
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Driving behaviour has not changed much, providing a small SUV flavour with smooth handling on road, with off-road capabilities provided by the four-wheel drive system and ladder frame.
The only odd bit about driving the Grand Vitara has to do with the driver’s side-view mirror. There is something strange about the mirror that distorts the view as you move your head around. At first I thought it was my new glasses but it seems it is not.
With the colder temperatures the last few days, I cannot forget the seat heaters in the Grand Vitara. I’d give them five out of five stars but they only have two settings (on and off), but these have to be the strongest seat heaters I have ever used, giving my back side extreme warmth after only three kilometres of driving — excellent!
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Gas mileage with the new I4 was disappointing. When I drove the 2008 V6 model, I averaged 11.1L/100km over the week, with the I4 I averaged 12.0L/100km. Of course there are a huge number of reasons why that number is larger (weather, traffic, driving behaviour, etc), but I do find it quite disconcerting that I did not even get close to the V6’s number, which I expected to surpass.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara I4 JLX-L
MSRP as tested (including destination): $31,545
For more information on Suzuki and the Grand Vitara visit Suzuki Canada
to our site.
October 29, 2008, 04:08:41 pm
read the october 24th article from thestar.com on getting ready for winter
tires provide grip...not all wheel drive, 4 wheel drive etc....these systems will help you when equipped with the proper tires...
i have for the past 15 years used 4 winter tires on all of my cars and continually out accelerate, out traction, and outcontrol any AWD or 4WD vehicle equipped with standard tires...yep...myths, myths and more myths
Does my statement exclude winter tires? Any regular on this forum knows the importance of winter tires (kind of like goes without saying thing).
October 29, 2008, 06:00:23 pm The 2.4 I4 comes with a 5 speed manual transmission, a feature that is disappearing on many new automobiles, small SUV especially. I wonder if that manual tranny would be any fun on this Suzuki...
October 29, 2008, 07:46:57 pm I'm sure the manual will provide better performance and less gear hunting over the auto. Just gotta train the wife on how to use that left leg!
I own a FWD '99 Ford Taurus and a '00 R/T Durango with full time AWD with all season tires on both. Winter performance is on par with both until it snows and the plows don't show up for 2-3 days, then the car sits with the block heater plugged in while I use the Durango to get to work and back. There is no substitute for 4wd nor winter tires, it just depends on the local conditions.
October 30, 2008, 01:46:33 am Calling the '09 Grand Vitara "all new" is unfortunate bs. Like the last version of the first generation MPV with the squared snout, which Mazda called "all new" despite very little of it being new. Or Subaru touting the first Outback as the world's first sport utility wagon. What about the AMC Eagle?
Anyway, on to other things. Other new aspects of the '09 GV are: rear disc brakes, optional 18" rims, turn indicators on the mirrors, a redesigned rear suspension, a front end less likely to harm pedestrians, and extensive additional sound insulation. Which makes a half decent list. The other side of the coin is that for the target market, the thing was pretty much a bullseye anyway. The new grill and front bumper look a bit different, and apparently stick out about an inch more.
"How heavy is the I4 AWD?"
"3,693lbs about 300 lbs lighter than the V6 "
It seemed very odd to me that the 2009 V6 Grand Vitara would weigh 300lb more than the 4-cyl. People here know a lot more about cars than I ever will, but no one spoke up about this seemingly questionable number. So I checked the Suzuki Canada website, which rates the 4-cyl version at 3599lb, and the V6 at 3653.
Since the earlier 2.7 V6 model was about 3700 lb, it was hard to see why the new V6 version would be 4000lb. The correct figures don't put the power/weight ratio into ego stroking territory, but don't justify being depicted as inadequate.
It'll be interesting to see what the combined mileage is. Suzuki claims the '09's are better, but it's hard to tell because the way the epa ratings are done, have changed. Seems to me the previous version averaged 11l/100km.
My experience with the '06 GV is that with 25% of the weight on each tire, the snow capabilities are amazing. We do our test driving on snowed-in logging roads and in the winter on the Coquihalla, which has the biggest climbs of any major highway in North America and is completely notorious for bad winter conditions. You get to see how all the other makes are doing. During the last really bad trip, at Christmas last year, only an Audi Quattro and a Murano passed us, and I don't think I was being a maniac. That's with half worn original tires also. The Rav4's and Foresters were creeping along with the 2wd's.
October 30, 2008, 07:24:29 am From suzuki.ca:
JA (I4, Man, 4WD): 3,599 lbs
JX (I4, Auto, 4WD): 3,649 lbs
JLX (I4, Auto, 4WD): 3,684 lbs
JLX-L (I4, Auto, 4WD): 3,693 lbs
JLX V6 (Auto, 4WD): 3,950 lbs
JLX-L V6 (Auto, 4WD): 3,959 lbs
October 30, 2008, 07:46:25 am X-traction, your V6 number is obviously wrong, not sure where you got it, but carcrazy has the right numbers and if you compare JLX to JLX it's close to 300lbs (266lbs to be exact).
October 30, 2008, 08:20:43 am Hey Wing, does the "new" Grand Vitara still has the "ladder frame"? My guess is yes, since it's not quite a new design and going by its weight, but just checking.
October 30, 2008, 08:29:02 am Yup
October 30, 2008, 02:36:47 pm Speaking of correct use of words (in "Day 2"):
It's "classier", not "more classy." It's amazing how often "more" is misused in this way these days.
October 30, 2008, 02:49:53 pm Oh, good catch! Fixed.
October 31, 2008, 12:08:49 am Just to throw my 2 cents in, my 2000 Chevy Tracker (rebadged Suzuki Vitara) with winter tires is my winter beater and after 8 years it still has no squeaks or rattles. Nothing stopped it last year. Nothing. If only it had a limited slip rear diff I'd be uber happy.
October 31, 2008, 01:55:00 am
I used the comparison tool on Suzuki.ca, to compare different models of the GV to similar suv's. The weight was listed, and is still what I quoted. I didn't use the more direct specification pages because they wasn't working for me yesterday. They are working today and verify your numbers. Could the new engine plus some sound insulation and thicker side glass add up to 300lb over the outgoing 2.7 V6 version? Where would all that weight go? Did Suzuki make signficant other changes they're not talking about?
I checked the Suzuki USA site, but it still has the 2008 models. Suzuki Japan lists their 2009 model range as 1830kg to 1940kg (for the diesel). The latter is a whopping 4268lb. That's the same as a first generation Pathfinder. (Which had a real frame, steel skidplates and all sorts of heavy duty underpinnings.) I agree this degree of weight gain is enough to slow the thing down.
The extendable visors are something owners have wanted, especially since the GV lacks a sun band across the top of the windshield. (Despite the fashionable abundance of blacked out windows)
I noticed in a photo of the black interior, the leather seat bottom cover of the drivers seat is stretched. This seems to happen to some of them (including mine) and Suzuki has a mixed record of correcting it.
Suzuki still doesn't offer skidplates, even as an option.
To comment on Day 3. Some new generation GV's seem to have intractable alignment problems. They wore out tires on the back end like crazy, and I would imagine that would involve forces on the drivetrain. Suzuki also had to replace parts in a number of customers' drivetrains. This was far from universal. Ours shows normal tire wear, and has no odd driveline noises except a faint droning at 1500rpm.
The seat heaters may come on hot, but after a while they almost shut off for a while, then come back warmer. It would be nicer to have a 2-temperature switch. But, hey, it cost less than a Lexus.
Ah yes, the drivers mirror. I saw this the moment I drove ours home in December of 2005. I took it back, and after a day with it, the dealership said it was not warped. Now, I could SEE it was warped. And warped the wrong way, making things wider. I could understand it if they said it was warped but within specs. But, I have one of those little wide angle mirrors on it. I could tell they had removed it because I could tell it had been moved. So they'd removed it. Why would they remove it if they saw nothing wrong? So they must have been untruthful with me when they said they found nothing wrong with it. They also failed to do anything about the stretched leather seats. That was the last time I took the GV to them for service. But, the alternate dealership has been no better. Now they're failing to deal with squealing rear brakes, and a corroded rim. All these things are known problems. Would it cost Suzuki a whole lot to stand behind these minor warranty matters?
October 31, 2008, 02:11:57 am I apologize for going on and on, but I have to mention a couple of other things.
One is that with the swing tailgate, tailgate glass that doesn't open, back seats that don't fold flat, and a front passenger's seat that doesn't fold flat, you can't carry anything very long in this UTILITY vehicle. I'd like to see removable back seats ala minivans, and/or a fold-flat front passenger seat.
Second is that one GV owner towed a trailer up a long steepish hill in the US, with the thing revving at about 5000rpm. Days later he wondered why the heel of his shoe was melted! Turns out the GV's exhaust and catalytic converter are just under the drivers footwell, and he'd melted through all the layers of carpet etc.
Last month I was installing sound insulation under the carpet in our GV. I found minor but definite signs of melted materials in the same place. We've never towed a trailer with ours, and have never pushed it as hard as the fellow who melted his shoe. I checked a 2008, and nothing has been done to shield against this heat. Seems to me something should be done.
October 31, 2008, 07:43:59 am X-traction the 300lbs difference is between the 2.4 and the new 3.2 so the engine and transmission much weight that much more with the bigger engine.
October 31, 2008, 04:08:47 pm I don't often think of Suzuki, but the few times I've seen the Grand Vitara up close I've come away impressed with the solidity of the vehicle. Don't know about reliability and such, but overall feel the vehicle is plenty competitive and the I4 should reinvigorate sales somewhat.
November 01, 2008, 01:06:21 am
I thought maybe the weight gain was to get the frontal crash score to 5-stars from slightly under 5-stars. But then the 4-cyl version should show the same weight gain, which it does not.
Thanks for the fair and perceptive articles about the 2008 and 2009 Grand Vitaras. That's generous coverage for a vehicle that just can't seem to catch on with North Americans, regardless of how good it is. But then, people drink more Coke than milk, I suppose.
November 01, 2008, 01:12:21 am
This doesn't exactly respond to your post, but it got me started again.
We know people who bought a new Volvo, and others who bought a new Outback. The Volvo owner had so much trouble they swore they would never again buy a Volvo or even any new car. The Outback owners had so much trouble with it they demanded a buyback that included getting a new Forester. They disliked the Forester so much they replaced it with a Matrix, which they really like.
If the new generation Grand Vitara had hit the market in the guise of a new Rav4 or Forester, journalists and buyers would have been falling over themselves to praise and buy it. The latest Rav4 and Forester probably are better vehicles, but whether they are better value is debatable. And of course if you need a low range, there's no comparison. No one has acknowledged the substantial safety advantage of the GV being in 4wd all the time.
Since we need and use the low range, the only other small suv candidate with a low gear on the market is the Patriot. Which was not available when we were shopping, and whose quality could be dodgy. Besides, the Patriot could be terminated within days. Although I tend to list the issues we've had with our Grand Vitara, overall we're quite satisfied with our choice (or I wouldn't be speaking up for it).
Suzuki sells diesel and 2-door versions in other markets. Hard to tell if they'd sell here, or if the I4 will help a whole lot, since the brand in general is under the radar in North America.
For those dying to read more about the Grand Vitara, there's a website for the transsiberia rally, which for two years has pitted two factory Grand Vitaras against a large posse of Porsche Cayennes, plus a variety of private efforts. The Grand Vitaras have done surprisingly well given that they cost so much less, and one Suzuki team comprises amateur drivers.
November 03, 2008, 07:39:03 am I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.
November 03, 2008, 11:57:17 am
your comment is interesting, I sometimes think like so too. Do you have any objective evident so I can prove to others too?
i did read from a foreign auto magazine's used car section, stating a BMW E46 325 is a better buy than a 320/323(not sure which one). Because the fuel economy are very close between the two and yet get a better performance.
November 03, 2008, 12:37:34 pm more coal onna fire............"semantics aside for today" QUOTE......" I can't comment on the new V6,but i can on the I4 my tester is equipped with"...............Hoedya like that bumpy RIDE.........
December 03, 2008, 01:32:27 am
I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city. I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.
December 03, 2008, 01:40:17 am Within the last day, an album of photos of the '09 Grand Vitara was added to the site. I can't find them already.
Ok, found it later, here:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,60185.0.html
I see from the photos that Suzuki still hasn't solved the baggy seat leather problem. (last picture on the first page) In about 10% of the JLX-L's, the bottom panel of the leather seat cover permanently stretches. In the rest of them, the leather returns to being taut when there's no one sitting on it. Would this be considered a defect?
Unfortunately there's no equivalent picture of the front seats of the black Grand Vitara with the beige interior.
Our '06 JLX-L's front seats went like this within a week of buying it new. There is at least one case on the Internet of Suzuki replacing the seat covers. I've been after them non-intensively for 3 years to do something about ours, and they're taking another look tomorrow.
On a completely different note, Suzuki is now making Grand Vitaras and SX4's in St. Petersburg, Russia. Just assembling with parts from Japan at first. Ah, THIS explains why they're in the Trans Siberia Rally.
December 04, 2008, 09:14:43 pm
I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city. I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.
December 05, 2008, 12:16:50 am
I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city. I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.
Our V6 4-spd Spirit can get over 40mpg on the highway, and the spacious and comfy interior is better than most new cars I've been in. While it ain't no sports car, the power is more than adequate for a 2800lb car. How about split folding back seats, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, and a trip computer in a cheap 1990 Chrysler product? Maybe they could have done better re-issuing it than that Challenger thing.
The A604 transmission failed a lot in early years. That was fixed by using ATF-3 fluid. With bi-yearly maintenance, it seems to be fine. But many people persisted in putting the wrong fluid into them. (since it still says Dextron (sp?) on the dipstick and in the manual.) Other than lacking grade control logic, it certainly works better than the 5-spd automatic in our 2006 vehicle.
December 05, 2008, 07:53:43 pm
I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city. I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.
Our V6 4-spd Spirit can get over 40mpg on the highway, and the spacious and comfy interior is better than most new cars I've been in. While it ain't no sports car, the power is more than adequate for a 2800lb car. How about split folding back seats, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, and a trip computer in a cheap 1990 Chrysler product? Maybe they could have done better re-issuing it than that Challenger thing.
The A604 transmission failed a lot in early years. That was fixed by using ATF-3 fluid. With bi-yearly maintenance, it seems to be fine. But many people persisted in putting the wrong fluid into them. (since it still says Dextron (sp?) on the dipstick and in the manual.) Other than lacking grade control logic, it certainly works better than the 5-spd automatic in our 2006 vehicle.
Straying a little off topic. Those cars could be had with bench seats which was rare for a car of that size My father had an 89 and a 92 both 4 bangers.