The new Grand Vitara was unveiled at the Festival Of Motoring recently held at Kyalami with South Africa one of the first countries in the world to show this model after its debut in India during July. This is the first vehicle in the Suzuki/Toyota partnership that will be built in a Toyota factory in India.

One of the many new features on the Grand Vitara is Suzuki’s Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) technology, a mild-hybrid system that will boost the normally aspirated 1.5 litre petrol engine. Suzuki will also offer a road-biased version of its AllGrip Select All-wheel-drive system on the top-spec model.

The SHVS incorporates an integrated starter generator motor that replaces the conventional alternator, which 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 Grand Vitara will be available in two engine configurations, namely Suzuki’s 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.

AllGrip Select is an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system that allows the driver to choose from four selectable driving modes, namely AUTO, SPORT, SNOW and LOCK selected with a simple push-and-turn dial.

As the new flagship in the Suzuki range, the Grand Vitara will offer features such as a 9” high-definition touch-screen infotainment system, a 360-degree around-view camera system, a head-up display and wireless smartphone charging on range-topping models