Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 2004 test drive - 2006 SUV
For yourself, beloved
No matter how good the car is externally, all its beauty belongs to the public, and not at all to the owner. Being most of the time inside the car, the car owner is deprived of the opportunity to admire the appearance of his mechanized friend. It's a shame? A little. But the driver can always discover the rich inner world of the car, inaccessible to everyone else. However, until recently, I would not dare to name the inner world of Suzuki Grand Vitara as a rich, the uncomplicated salon of this SUV, made in the spirit of the old Japanese school, was very seriously and deed to be figurative. And despite the absence of any complaints about convenience and ergonomics from the body, the soul required grace. And in the end I received it.
In Suzuki dealerships, large vitars with a new salon appeared. The front panel in the classic style is drawn from scratch. Simplicity has gone, laconicism appeared. Three round microclimate control hilts increased on the central console, the rotation of the rims of which can be set the temperature, the speed of rotation of the fan and the direction of air flows so much more convenient than the previous sliders A la VAZ-2109. To the right of the handles there is a wheel that regulates the intensity of air supply to the rear seats; And just above them, an electronic watch found their place.
The high -contrast board of devices with a minimum set of indicators and huge, easily digestible speedometer and tachometer has an optronic effect: with a non -working engine, dials are almost indistinguishable. By the way, before the starter begins to spin, a greeting appears in the electronic odometer window, and the ignition shutdown is accompanied by the kindness of See You!, After which the devices are smoothly extinguished. The old steering wheel was safely replaced by a new one with three wide knitting needles and a large emblem in the center of the hub. In addition to the fact that it is quite pleasant to the touch and has an optimal cross section and diameter, there is nothing to say. Just a new steering wheel.
If the car is produced for a long time without serious changes, it means that there is good reason. While competitors are becoming more and more asphalt, in their consumer qualities approaching purely cars, striking according to the truly off-road canons of Grand Vitara remains serious a lot, leaving, gradually turning into the category of gigiper classics. And the new interior is what the car was very missing to continue to be considered a modern SUV.
The car was provided by Suzuki-Neva.
Text: Kirill Brevdo
Photo: Roman Ostanin
Source: Wheel magazine [No. 69/2003]
