Car Statistics: Suzuki - Grand Vitara Series 05 (3 stars)

Styling (4 stars)

Aggressive styling has given the latest Vitara its street cred back. The funky front end certainly turns heads.

Handling (3 stars)

Huge improvement on the old model, with suspension settings specifically for UK roads and plenty of off-road ability.

Comfort (4 stars)

Decent seats mean this Vitara can be compared fairly to the class-leading Nissan X-Trail and Land Rover Freelander.

Quality (4 stars)

Well-chosen materials and nice-feeling switchgear give an upmarket impression. The dashboard design is modern-looking and well designed.

Performance (3 stars)

Suzuki's own 2.0 litre petrol is sluggish but a Renault built 1.9 litre turbodiesel packs plenty of accelerating urge. Avoid the wheezing 1.6 litre three-door.

Roominess (4 stars)

The relatively long wheelbase means there's plenty of space inside, with decent room for heads, legs and shoulders. The large boot is accessed via a side-hinged door.

Costs (4 stars)

Suzuki's excellent reliability record helps keep repair costs to a minimum. The diesel version is super-frugal and insurance rates are low too.

Value (5 stars)

A capable and stylish overhaul that gives the Grand Vitara a new lease of life. Improvements to quality and trim take it upmarket, but it still feels at home in the dirt.

Stereo (2 stars)

Integrating the stereo into a gently curved dashboard gives the music system a neat look. Unfortunately, the buttons and controls remain small and are best described as 'fiddly'. Some models have steering wheel mounted buttons - but they're only for small hands too!