SUZUKI Auto South Africa recently unveiled its new flagship model, the Grand Vitara, at the Festival Of Motoring in Midrand.
With its reveal, Mzansi became one of the first countries in the world to show this model after its debut in India on 20 July.
As the manufacturer’s flagship, the Suzuki Grand Vitara will introduce a host of new technologies and a new level of luxury to the Suzuki line-up in Mzansi.
The model range is wholly designed and developed by Suzuki and produced at the Toyota Kirloskar Motor factory in India, under the Suzuki/Toyota global alliance.
Among the many new and class-leading features that are available on the Grand Vitara are Suzuki’s renowned Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) technology and Suzuki’s AllGrip Select All-Wheel-Drive System.
The SHVS incorporates an integrated starter generator motor that replaces the conventional alternator that is designed to deliver additional power to the engine during acceleration.
The SHVS also regenerates energy during deceleration for storage in the long-life 12-Volt lithium-ion battery, which is fitted to hybrid versions of the Grand Vitara, alongside the standard lead acid battery.
The SHVS system primarily assists the engine during normal and more demanding driving conditions and in doing so, increases fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.
It can channel its energy to components such as headlights, air conditioning and infotainment to reduce the engine load for further fuel savings.
The Grand Vitara will be available in two engine configurations, namely Suzuki’s renowned K15B 1,5 litre powerplant and the all-new K15C 1,5 litre dual-jet motor with SHVS mild hybrid technology.
K15B-equipped variants will be available in both manual and automatic transmission options, while the K15C-equipped variants will feature AllGrip AWD paired to an automatic transmission.
The Grand Vitara will offer class-leading features such as a 9-inch high-definition touch-screen infotainment system, a 360-degree around-view camera system, head-up display and wireless smartphone charging on range-topping models.
