2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Suzuki calls its Grand Vitara an off-road athlete. The Grand Vitara features accented flared fenders and a tailgate-mounted spare tire The Grand Vitara features accented flared fenders and a tailgate-mounted spare tire.

The 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara standard navigation system gets a number of new features, including a Google search function, 3D maps and speed limit info for major roads. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the 2011 Grand Vitara is one of the latter.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara is a compact crossover SUV that is offered in three trim levels: base, Premium and Limited. Standard features for the base model include 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, automatic climate control, full power accessories, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-only leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a trip computer, an integrated Garmin navigation system and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player.

The midrange Premium trim level includes all of the base model's features and adds a four-speed automatic transmission, rear privacy glass, heated mirrors (4WD models only), cruise control and an upgraded navigation system with real-time traffic, a Google search function, 3D maps and speed limit info for major roads. Optional on four-wheel-drive models are 16-inch alloy wheels.

Rear-wheel drive is standard across the lineup, but Premium models can also be had with a four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case. In Edmunds performance testing, a rear-drive Grand Vitara required 10.2 seconds to reach 60 mph, a slow time for this segment. Fuel economy estimates for the 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara are average, with automatic 2WD models getting 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined and 4WD models earning 19/23/20.

The 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara standard safety features include stability control, traction control, antilock disc brakes, full-length side curtain airbags and front-seat side-impact airbags. The Grand Vitara has not been rated using the government's new, more strenuous 2011 crash testing procedures. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Grand Vitara its highest rating of Good in the frontal-offset test and the second-highest rating of Acceptable in the side test.

Like the rest of the vehicle, the Grand Vitara five-passenger interior is attractive yet somewhat uninspiring. The 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara is a compact, five-seat SUV that returns unchanged for the new model year.

The Grand Vitara clean, forgettable lines strike a nice balance between tougher-bred SUVs and softer crossovers, but it's not as distinctive as the latest Hyundai or Kia offerings. Suzuki outfits the Grand Vitara with a choice of two engines. While it has rugged four-wheel drive, the Grand Vitara can also be switched into an automatic all-wheel-drive mode, for set-and-forget driving. The Vitara cabin is long and narrow, with the resulting good numbers for leg room. Though it offers the expected anti-lock brakes, as well as stability and traction control systems as standard, along with front-side and side-curtain airbags, the Grand Vitara doesn't top any safety ratings.