2013 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Suzuki Grand Vitara is simple, and clean, and after all these years, it's growing faint in memory. The balanced look offends no one; it's no Compass. The interior's a fine place to work, with well-grained plastics and tight-fitting pieces, like the ones we've complimented in the Kizashi sedan and other Suzuki products. The cabin's a few steps ahead of the small Jeeps, the CR-V, and the equal of the Subaru.

There's a single engine offered in the Grand Vitara, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 166 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with either a five-speed manual or an ancient four-speed automatic, and comes in either rear-drive or four-wheel-drive form. As such, it's no more than adequate in acceleration, and highway fuel economy is in the low to mid-20s once very good numbers.

Now hugely behind the curve set by the latest Escape and CR-V.Handling is fair, meaning you won't find much to complain about in ride quality (though choppy pavement can be troublesome), but you won't be attacking a canyon road in the Grand Vitara either. In the Limited model, an upgraded 4-mode 4WD system is available, further improving off-road ability with high and low transfer gear ratios.

The Grand Vitara's cabin is long, providing good leg room at all positions, but narrow, meaning shoulder room in the back seat is scarce and cargo room is disappointing. The side-opening tail gate doesn't help the cargo-area's utility, either, putting the Grand Vitara toward the back of the class in this regard. Safety gear is a hit-and-miss affair: all the expected standard equipment, including front side.

The Grand Vitara SUV comes with a 2.4 Liter, four cylinder petrol engine that puts out a peak power of 165 Bhp with peak torque rated at 225 Nm. The highlights of this naturally aspirated petrol engine are the variable valve technology and the drive-by-wire system. Indians love their SUVs, albeit with a diesel engine powering them. This crucial bit is where the Grand Vitara differs in and therefore has struggled to find takers.