SUZUKI GOES GRAND WITH VITARA

TRENDY DESIGN: The 2023 Suzuki Grand Vitara is a good option for SUV enthusiasts looking for an affordable, versatile and reliable vehicle

By Ali Mphaki

It takes a truly special effort to win an Autocar India Award. Contenders face intense competition once they put their hat into the ring for the country’s most coveted awards. And, then, there is the highly demanding jury that puts objectivity above all else. Some really stellar cars lined up on the starting grid in 2023, but despite their strengths, on the big night they lost out to the Suzuki Grand Vitara, an automobile that has quite literally taken the game forward.

So begins an article in India’s leading car magazine Autocar which further alludes Grand Vitara’s victory gains special significance because they were other formidable contenders in the extremely popular and intensely competitive midsize SUV segment.

But there clearly was no stopping the Suzuki Grand Vitara, which was also Autocar’s Midsize SUV of the Year, from getting to the top of the pile.

Back home South Africans now have a chance to sample the 2023 Suzuki Grand Vitara which recently went on sale.

The new Grand Vitara offers a choice of two drivetrain options, including the first-ever mild hybrid petrol-electric powertrain from Suzuki Auto South Africa. Customers can also choose between two- and four-wheel drive and three-gearbox options, a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. The range-topping GLX Hybrid All grip is fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission, making it a versatile vehicle for any driving style.

There is one engine with two flavours available in the new Grand Vitara range: The K15B (petrol) which is also in the Jimny, and the new K15C with mild-hybrid electric power. You might say the GV, as its enthusiasts refer to it, has not sacrificed safety for its decent looks.

Besides six airbags, TPMS, Hill Descent Control and Hill-Hold Assist, it also comes with a 360 View Camera with multiple view modes that make getting out of sticky situations a cinch. It’s also the only one in its segment to have four-wheel drive, which caters to enthusiasts. Those who have already sampled the 2023 GV can only enthuse, among others, about its impressive fuel economy.

“It’s also got a sense of fun about it It drives in an extremely agile, sporty manner, not at all like a big, floppy SUV,” says AutoCar. The new GV was developed by Suzuki but it rolls off the production line at the Toyota Kirloskar factory in India.

Overall, the all-new Suzuki Grand Vitara is an impressive vehicle, with a sleek exterior design and decent technology features, making it a good option for SUV enthusiasts who are looking for an affordable, versatile and reliable vehicle.

Pricing for the Suzuki Grand Vitara is as follows:

1.5 GL manual – R339 900

1.5 GL auto – R359 900

1.6 GLX manual – R397 900

1.5 GLX auto – R417 900

1.5 GLX auto Hybrid Allgrip – R529 900

motoring:

Briefs

FLYING CARS CLOSER THAN EVER      

Japan’s Suzuki, one of the country’s biggest car makers, said today (20 June) that it has reached an agreement with SkyDrive to start producing flying cars from a Suzuki factory as early as spring 2024. Based in the Japanese city of Toyota, SkyDrive will establish a wholly owned subsidiary to make the aircraft, according to a Reuters report, while Suzuki will help with preparations for the manufacturing.

The two have been collaborating since at least March last year. Hyundai, the South Korean carmaker, told TopGear.com last month that it expects to have flying cars in the skies by the end of this decade. “We could see some intra-city type application with the Urban  Air Mobility for cargo, but maybe for passengers. But that’s towards the end of this decade and obviously smaller scale,” said Michael Cole, Hyundai’s UK boss.

GHOSN SUES NISSAN

The man once feted as a corporate superhero is now suing his former employer for over US$1 billion. Yes, Carlos Ghosn is back in the headlines, and he’s hoping to clear his name and hit Nissan where it hurts.

Overnight Ghosn filed a lawsuit in Lebanon seeking US$588 million ($865 million) in lost earnings and costs, and US$500 million ($735 million) in punitive damages. In the lawsuit Ghosn alleges “the serious and sensitive accusations” made against the former CEO “will linger in people’s minds for years”. As a result Ghosn “will suffer from them for the remainder of his life, as they have persistent and lingering impacts, even if based on mere suspicion”.

A judge has set the first hearing date for Ghosn’s suit for September this year. It’s possible Lebanese authorities will seek help from their Japanese counterparts, but it’s unclear whether that will be forthcoming. Ghosn is a fugitive from Japanese law, and Lebanon doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Japan.-CAR EXPERT

CLEAN EV – DIRTY SECRET

Ford’s F-150 Lightning electric truck spews no nasty tailpipe gases into the air, meaning it should help create a healthier environment for your family and your local community. But mining the aluminum used in that truck is allegedly causing serious health problems for another community thousands of miles away in Brazil.

Now a class-action lawsuit representing 11,000 people living near the Hydro Alunorte refinery in Barcarena hopes to hold the plant and its owners accountable for the consequences of the toxic waste the plaintiffs say is contaminating the region’s water supply. The suit alleges that the refinery – the world’s biggest outside China, according to the company’s website – has released trace amounts of aluminum and other metals into the local environment leading to people developing various illnesses including cancers and birth defects.

Ford doesn’t own the refinery; it belongs to the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro. But a Bloomberg investigation traced aluminum used in the F-150 back to the Brazilian plant via a convoluted path that includes a parts manufacturer in Pennsylvania and a smelter in Canada.

The story is an unfortunate black mark on the green credentials of Ford’s EV truck, and a reminder that there’s more to calculating a vehicle’s impact on the planet than simply looking at its tailpipe emissions. “Ford is committed to a supply chain that exceeds minimum regulatory compliance requirements and respects human rights, including the right to clean air and clean water,” a spokesperson for the automaker told Bloomberg when contacted for a comment. – CAR SCOOPS

FAST AND FURIOUS

The Land Rover is the UK’s most stolen car as professional thieves use key fobs to make off in the £100k SUVs in under 90 seconds. The latest figures show one in every hundred Land Rovers were stolen in the year ending March 2023. Criminals are using technology to simply drive the cars away while the owners are tucked up in bed. Land Rovers have a rate of 924 thefts per 100,000, according to the latest figures obtained by Confused.com.Mercedes-Benz were the second most popular target for thieves, with 323 cars stolen per 100,000.

After Mercedes the most targeted cars were Ford, BMW and then Audi. The same data revealed that black cars were more likely to be stolen than any other colour. – The Sun UK

Published on the 104th Edition

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