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A Toyota hybrid bargain? New Suzuki Grand Vitara packing Toyota hybrid technology is a "game-changer SUV"

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The Suzuki Grand Vitara is back with Toyota tech.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is back with Toyota tech.
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
20 Jul 2022
2 min read

Suzuki has today pulled the covers off a new Grand Vitara, with the classic nameplate now packing Toyota's hybrid technology.

Revealed in India, the Grand Vitara isn't all that grand when it comes to dimensions, with the new model roughly the same length as the incoming Toyota Corolla Cross – and that's not the only similarity.

In fact, the Grand Vitara is a joint venture with Toyota (and has a twin, the Toyota Hyryder), and as a result, the Japanese giant's hybrid technology was on the table. Which is why top-spec Grand Vitara models sport a powertrain which is essentially the same as Toyota's popular hybrid system.

In this instance, it appears to be the same system as the Yaris Cross Hybrid – a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor for a combined 85kW. It pairs with a CVT automatic, with Suzuki claiming seriously impressive fuel efficiency of 3.6L/100km.

The Grand Vitara would fall into our small SUV camp, measuring 4345mm in length, 1795mm in width and 1645mm in height, and is manufactured in a Toyota facility in India for Suzuki. It also promises to be at least a little capable, with an AWD system that includes Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock modes.

Inside, you'll find a 9.0-inch multimedia screen with phone integration, faux-leather seat trims with ventilation and a panoramic sunroof, while safety stretches to six airbags, though further details remain thin on the ground for now.

It's being produced for export markets (in fact, Suzuki says it designed "the all-new Grand Vitara as a global flagship SUV"), but there's no sign of an Australian launch yet.

Clearly, though, this model is a little different to the Grand Vitara we had grown accustomed to in our market. That said, Suzuki in Australia has previously flagged an interest in the Grand Vitara nameplate returning to Oz.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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