Suzuki & Chevy's New Sport-Utes
Chevrolet could not have timed it better. The year they absorbed the Geo brand, the Geo lineup was fully revised. The Prizm (Toyota's Corolla) was revised for this year, and for 1999, the Tracker (Suzuki's Sidekick) is also improved. Suzuki even decided to rename their sport-utility, apparently in celebration. They now call it the Vitara.
Cosmetically, much has changed. With its large protruding black grille, the new truck borrows some styling from large GM trucks like the Denali. The ladder frame is now suspended in the rear with five links rather than three, and horsepower from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is up 26%. A lower roof and lower stance promise better on-road handling, and the rear spare has been moved lower for better visibility.
Differences between the Grand Vitara and Vitara are subtle, except for the 2.5-liter V6, which is good for 155 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 160 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. The V6 is the Grand Vitara's only engine choice, and it only comes as a four-door hardtop. The Vitara (and Tracker) come as either a four-door hardtop or two-door soft top, but offer the limited versatility of the choice between two four-cylinder engines.
Even the smaller engine provides a little more oomph than a Honda CR-V (24:1 weight-to-horsepower ratio, compared to 25:1 for the CR-V), so the V6 should easily win over buyers from the competition. And the vehicle offers a full 8.0 inches of ground clearance, which is more than the Toyota RAV-4 when you account for exhaust components.
Other than the goofy name "Vitara," there's a lot to like about Suzuki's latest offering. Expect pricing to be in the $15K - $20K range, from base 2-door to fully-loaded 4WD four-door.
Chevrolet could not have timed it better. The year they absorbed the Geo brand, the Geo lineup was fully revised. The Prizm (Toyota's Corolla) was revised for this year, and for 1999, the Tracker (Suzuki's Sidekick) is also improved. Suzuki even decided to rename their sport-utility, apparently in celebration. They now call it the Vitara.
Cosmetically, much has changed. With its large protruding black grille, the new truck borrows some styling from large GM trucks like the Denali. The ladder frame is now suspended in the rear with five links rather than three, and horsepower from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is up 26%. A lower roof and lower stance promise better on-road handling, and the rear spare has been moved lower for better visibility.
Differences between the Grand Vitara and Vitara are subtle, except for the 2.5-liter V6, which is good for 155 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 160 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. The V6 is the Grand Vitara's only engine choice, and it only comes as a four-door hardtop. The Vitara (and Tracker) come as either a four-door hardtop or two-door soft top, but offer the limited versatility of the choice between two four-cylinder engines.
Even the smaller engine provides a little more oomph than a Honda CR-V (24:1 weight-to-horsepower ratio, compared to 25:1 for the CR-V), so the V6 should easily win over buyers from the competition. And the vehicle offers a full 8.0 inches of ground clearance, which is more than the Toyota RAV-4 when you account for exhaust components.
Other than the goofy name "Vitara," there's a lot to like about Suzuki's latest offering. Expect pricing to be in the $15K - $20K range, from base 2-door to fully-loaded 4WD four-door.
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