Not grand, but good

TO say Suzuki was off the radar would be an understatement. But recently, while watching some important public-affairs programming -- “Skating With Celebrities,” I think it was -- I began seeing commercials for the redesigned 2006 Grand Vitara, a tolerably attractive compact SUV in well-cinched raiments, positioned to compete with the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape.

Huh, I thought, sagely.

With the tragicomic X-90, Sidekick and Samurai as backdrop in the last decade, the notion of a Suzuki-badged compact SUV had approximately the allure of tainted tuna. And yet, if we’ve learned anything from companies like Hyundai, Asian carmakers mature quickly. Maybe the new Grand Vitara -- now with a standard V6 engine, a new unibody chassis and independent rear suspension, and a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty in case all goes, as they say in the military, tango uniform -- was worth a look.

And so the Highway 1 interceptors were scrambled.

Suzuki’s profile was raised a little more this week when it was announced that GM was cashing out its stake in the company to generate $2 billion in sorely needed hard currency. However, according to Mr. Suzuki himself, the company’s strategic alliance with GM would continue. This seems a little like pledging a strong, future-oriented partnership with the Ottoman Empire, but there you go.

No question, the new Grand Vitara is grander than before: nearly a foot longer (176 inches) over a wheelbase stretched 6.3 inches, with the 2.7-liter, 185-hp V6 the only engine option (no four-cylinder available). Yet even with all this extra dimension and the generous list of standard features, the vehicle’s price is only $600 more than previously ($19,199 for the base model, $22,099 for the vehicle tested). With an exterior scrubbed of the previous model’s doofus-ness and an interior laid out in more sophisticated textures and shapes brimming with polished metal bezels and rings, a la Mazda, the Suzuki feels like a serious alternative in a class full of discount overachievers.

It also feels as if Suzuki plagiarized the Toyota RAV4’s term paper. I pulled up next to the Toyota at a stoplight and was amazed at the similarities, from the composite spare tire cover on the rear door to the round climate registers and gated gearshift slot inside. Well, maybe not so surprised. Never borrow, said Stravinsky, just steal.

The vehicles are nearly identical in size, shape, weight, capacity and conformation. The price for the V6-powered RAV4 is within a few hundred dollars of the Suzuki. Where the Suzuki suffers in comparison is in the powertrain department. The Toyota’s 3.5-liter V6 puts out 84 more horsepower while returning significantly higher highway fuel mileage (28 miles per gallon compared to the Grand Vitara’s 23 mpg). Copying Toyota is harder than it looks.

The Suzuki is dead in the middle of starter-family territory. The rear seats are spacious and, with the second-set doors swinging wide on their hinges, it appears putting a child seat in would be no problem. If you flip up the rear seat bottoms, drop the 40-20-40 rear seat backs and swing open the rear door on its side hinges, you’ll find 68-plus cubic feet of cargo hold in the back. Man mall, here we come.

Unlike many of its cute-ute competitors, the Grand Vitara offers a fairly stout defense of its off-road credentials. Its conventional unit-body construction is undergirded with pickup-style frame rails that, combined with its primarily rear-wheel-drive architecture, give the GV respectable towing capacity (3,000 pounds) and a definite, un-fragile feeling.

Suzuki offers two flavors of four-wheel drive in the GV: the first is a full-time, all-wheel-drive option ($1,200) available on the base and Premium models; a four-wheel-drive unit with two-speed, electronically shifted transfer case is a $1,400 option on the Xsport and Luxury packages. A five-speed automatic is optional in the lower level models, standard in the upper levels.

However, Suzuki’s primary challenge is not to match dinky dirt-dobbers off road but to equal the evolving refinement of family truck-lettes such as the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage on pavement.

In this the Suzuki largely succeeds. The powertrain -- the dual-overhead cam mill shared with the larger XL-7, paired with the five-speed automatic -- is generally quite civil and well isolated from the cabin, though it doesn’t have quite the whiskey-smooth burr of the Hyundai or the punch of the Toyota. When you go to the whip as you might on a freeway onramp, the engine (184 pound-feet of torque) does get a bit fractious, and you can feel the weight of the vehicle sagging against gravity. Once up to speed, the engine’s reluctance dissipates and the V6 hums along cooperatively.

In the aural and tactile clues of quality -- the amount of vibration through the steering column, the degree of sound-deadening in doors and around windows, the tightness and lack of play in controls, in all these areas -- the Suzuki feels as sound as the yen.

There are no squeaks, rattles moans or twitters anywhere -- I hate twitters. As for ride compliance, the Grand Vitara is only average, maybe a little less. Despite the extra wheelbase, it tends to collect a rhythmic choppiness over broken pavement.

By no means a driver’s vehicle, the Grand Vitara corners predictably -- I predict it will sway like a schooner -- and changes direction tolerably well. That said, no one will be tempted to feel out the limits of handling and grip. It’s just not that kind of car.

What kind of car then? In the language of marketeers, the Suzuki is all about the value statement -- that is, how much truck for the buck. Anti-lock brakes and stability control are standards, as are an MP3-compatible CD player, six air bags, air conditioning and power amenities, including three power outlets. The top-shelf model -- the Luxury edition -- kicks in heated leather seats, a power sunroof and 17-inch alloys, raising the livability quotient to, well, livable.

The 2006 model year puts a bright dividing line between Suzuki past and present. This is obviously a much more intelligently designed and capable machine than the Grand Vitara it replaces. Toyota and Honda have had the unpleasant experience of watching Hyundai creep up behind them in terms of build quality and overall appeal. The Grand Vitara raises the question: Who’s watching Hyundai’s back?

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Contact automotive critic Dan Neil at dan.neil@latimes.com.

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2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Base price: $19,199

Price, as tested: $22,099

Powertrain: 2.7-liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic transmission, full-time all-wheel drive

Horsepower: 185 at 6,000 rpm

Torque: 184 pound-feet at 4,500 rpm

Curb weight: 3,682 pounds

0-60 mph: 9 seconds

Wheelbase: 103.9 inches

Overall length: 176.0 inches

EPA fuel economy: 19 miles per gallon city, 23 highway

Final thoughts: Giving cheap a good name