Autoblog

Canadian brochure reveals updated 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Urban

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Suzuki, Canada, Montreal Auto Show

It's more a rear-lift than a facelift, since only the back end has changed on the 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Urban offered in Canada. There are two noteworthy changes for the decontented model, the first being that Suzuki swapped the full-sized spare tire for a temporary "donut" spare and moved it from the rear gate to underneath the floor of the cargo area.

The other big change is the price: a current Vitara JL starts at $28,135 CAD, the revised model goes down in price to $26,995 CAD. For comparison, that new price equates to $27,007 USD, nearly $1,700 more expensive than the base price of the top-dog Grand Vitara Limited AT 4WD, which starts at $25,379 USD here.

It's been speculated that the changes are meant to lure more female customers (Vitara buyers are 60-percent male). Other specs and features haven't changed, which appears to make this a stopgap while everyone waits on the 2013 Grand Vitara, which will sit on a stretched version of the Kizashi platform.

Canadian brochure reveals updated 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Urban originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki Grand Vitara Marine Concept storms the beaches at SEMA

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SEMA Show, SUV, Suzuki, Specialty, Off-Road

Some of the industrial giants in Japan make all sorts of things. Yamaha, for example, makes everything from motorbikes to grand pianos. Honda does lawnmowers, business jets and everything in between. Suzuki does cars and they do outboard motors. But seldom do these competencies overlap. Feast your eyes, then, on the exception.

The brainchild of a group of students from Ohio Technical College, the Suzuki Grand Vitara Marine Concept is making its debut at SEMA in Las Vegas right now. The idea was to bring Suzuki's automotive and marine powertrain divisions together in one package, but we kinda wish they hadn't.

The vehicle features an open roof, motorboat-style side glass, a big brush guard, knobby tires, a nautical-style radar arch, a rather strange bass boat paint job and - for some reason - an outboard engine hanging off the back. So does that mean it's amphibious? Not quite. Which means if you drive it into the water, it will, in all likelihood, sink to the bottom. Hmmm....

Continue reading Suzuki Grand Vitara Marine Concept storms the beaches at SEMA

Suzuki Grand Vitara Marine Concept storms the beaches at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara models over potential pulley failure

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Suzuki

2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports - Click above for high-res image gallery

A tension adjuster pulley is the culprit in a round of recalls by Suzuki covering 2009-2011 Grand Vitaras and 2010-2011 SX4s. This pulley supports the drive belt, which runs alternator, water pump, air conditioner and power steering pump.

Should the belt come off while driving, the vehicle will quickly become more difficult to steer and the engine could stall. Dealers will swap the pulley out for one that works correctly at no charge to owners of the affected vehicles. The recall begins on February 16th, 2011 and will affect 32,291 Suzuki vehicles.

Click past the jump to read the full NHTSA bulletin.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Suzuki SX4 SportBack by RoadRace Motorsports

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara models over potential pulley failure

Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara models over potential pulley failure originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology, Suzuki

Suzuki SX4 Sport with Garmin navigation system - Click above for high-res image gallery

When Garmin issued a recall on its Nuvi portable navigation system a couple of weeks ago, Japanese automaker Suzuki informed us that it would need to issue a follow-up recall for a few vehicles in its lineup. After all, Suzuki offers dashboard-mounted Garmin GPS units in its Equator, Grand Vitara and SX4 models, and unfortunately, the Nuvi navis supplied to Suzuki are among the ones that need repair.

Approximately 20,692 Suzuki vehicles are affected by this recall - specifically the 2008-2010 SX4, 2010 Grand Vitara and 2009-2010 Equator equipped with Garmin Nuvi 750, 760 and 765 navigation systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the batteries in these nav units can potentially overheat which could result in a fire.

Garmin technicians will replace the existing batteries free of charge and owners will be notified within the next few weeks. The official recall notice from NHTSA is available after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport with TRIP

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units

Suzuki recalls SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator for overheating Garmin sat-nav units originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. market Suzuki Swift reportedly still on track for 2011, next Grand Vitara coming in 2013

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Crossover, Hatchback, Suzuki

Suzuki Swift Sport - Click above for high-res gallery

Generally regarded as one of the top motorcycle brands all around the world and a major producer of Kei cars in Japan, Suzuki has never quite lived up to its promise as a sporty alternative to more mainstream offerings in America's small car and SUV arenas. Still, we're pulling for the brand to make an impact in our neck of the woods, and according to a report on Automotive News, that could possibly (finally) come in 2011 with the introduction of the Swift.

We've been hearing from Suzuki for years that the Swift would in fact make it to U.S. shores in due time, and we're hopeful that the next-gen model is as competent and fun to drive as we hear the current model is from our European friends. One new vehicle does not a successful brand make, however, so Suzuki is also said to be working on the next installment of its Grand Vitara line for 2013.

Additionally, a new crossover is reportedly on the drawing board to replace the XL7 that was killed back in May when Suzuki halted production at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The new CUV would show up in 2011 or '12 and be based on a stretched version of the platform underpinning the recently-unveiled Kizashi midsize sedan, which is expected to hit showrooms for the 2010 model year.

Gallery: Suzuki Swift Sport

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

U.S. market Suzuki Swift reportedly still on track for 2011, next Grand Vitara coming in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport

Chris Tutor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUV, Suzuki

2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport - Click above for high-res image gallery

When driving a vehicle for review, we always keep a list of pros and cons. At just a glance we can see which list is longer and instantly know if it's a vehicle that we'd personally drive. At the end of the evaluation we throw in a few verbs, several random adjectives and some technical jargon to make us all sound knowledgeable and it's a review! Just kidding. A little, at least.

The 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport that just left the Autoblog Garage didn't fit the mold. Our cons list outnumbered the pros, but we just can't give this one an automatic thumbs down.

The ride was unsettled by even slightly uneven pavement, which then caused the dash panel to creak and rattle. And the squeaky horn sounded more appropriate for one of Suzuki's econoboxes than a 4,600-pound SUV. And there's that funky side-opening rear cargo door. But from the pro list, we got a powerful V6, a fairly roomy interior and an impressive drivetrain warranty.

Our 2WD tester arrived wearing Quicksilver Metallic paint and cloth seats. The 2.7-liter V6 is standard, as are side curtain airbags, ABS, stability and traction control, fog lamps and 16-inch wheels. The Xsport trim level includes a few "comfort and convenience" options like a power sunroof, keyless entry and start, power windows and doors, audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel, a 6-disc AM/FM with six speakers and a subwoofer, and power mirrors. Total sticker price before shipping and handling was $22,349.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara XSport

Continue reading Review: 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport

Review: 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Xsport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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