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alien
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Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
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 Objavljeno: 19 Jan 2014 22:39 Naslov sporočila: Vitara history |
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In 1988, Suzuki invented the compact SUV category with the Vitara. More than 2.4 million units sold around the world. New model to continue success story.
2.4 million customers around the world can't be wrong – that's the number of Vitaras and Grand Vitaras that Suzuki sold between May 1988 and March 2008. Unveiled for the first time in 1988, the Vitara created a new category of four-wheel drive vehicles: the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) combining the comfort of a saloon with the all-terrain performance of a real off-roader, while featuring an affordable price. The Suzuki Vitara can now mark 20 years of success, and even today the third generation is still at the head of the pack.
A brief history of the Vitara
1988: Premiere as a three-door car with 1.6-litre petrol engine
1991: Premiere of the five-door Vitara Long
1994: Introduction of the 2.0-litre V6 petrol engine
1995: Premiere of the Vitara X-90
1998: Premiere of the second model generation as Grand Vitara
2001: Premiere of the long version of the Grand Vitara XL-7 with 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine
2005: Premiere of the third model generation as Grand Vitara
2008: Major facelift and new engines introduced
The Suzuki innovation: a nippy scrambler becomes a cult off-roader
Up until the end of the 1960s, manufacturers offered only heavy off-road vehicles to a limited target market of adventurers, hunters, rescue services and aid organisations. This changed in 1970, when Suzuki, discovered a major gap in the off-road car market – a demand for a small, reasonably priced vehicle with unlimited all-terrain capability for leisure use. Suzuki's answer was the "Lightweight Jimny 4x4." The chassis was designed around the Japanese legal definition of a small car, with a maximum length of 3.2 m (10? 5?) and engine displacement no greater than 360 cc. The LJ featured a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine that developed 24 hp. Its low weight and uncompromising all-wheel drive made the LJ 20 a talented climber.
It took another seven years for the LJ concept to develop to the point that it could become successful internationally. In 1977, Suzuki introduced the LJ 80, with a 767 cc, 40 hp, four-cylinder engine. Sales success wasn't the only proof that Suzuki was on the right track – the LJ founded an entirely new off-road vehicle category.
The LJ grows up
Over the next few years, Suzuki quickly developed into the specialist for small off-road vehicles with big fun potential. In 1982, the LJ 80 was followed by the SJ 410 with a 45 hp, 1.0-litre, four-cylinder engine, which in 1985 grew to 1.3 litres and 64 hp. Renamed the "Samurai," the SJ cut a good figure in the market. By 1988, Suzuki had become the leading manufacturer of compact, fully off-road-capable vehicles, and it was time to extend the off-road product range with a new vehicle. This was not only intended to reach new target groups, but also to offer brand-loyal Suzuki drivers a way to move up within the category.
1988: birth of an off-road bestseller
In the summer of 1988, the Vitara celebrated its premiere. With a length of just 3.57 m it remained true to the concept of a compact off-roader. In addition to complete cross-country capability with on-demand four-wheel drive and reduction gearing, it offered improved everyday driving characteristics. The Vitara retained the high fun factor of its predecessors, while adding driving comfort and performance that were comparable to a compact saloon.
The engine was a four-cylinder, 1.6-litre power plant that developed 80 hp at 5400 rpm – enough to push the small one-ton four-seater up to 150 km/h. Its youthful target group could choose between two versions – a hard-top three-door model and a convertible with roll bar. The roll bar provided the car with extra rigidity during open-top off-road travel, as well as more safety in case of a rollover. By 1989, over 64,000 Vitaras had already been sold worldwide.
With advent of the Vitara, the LJ and SJ really came of age, together with their first generation of drivers. This manifested itself in its increased comfort, greater horsepower, and a design that featured far fewer corners and hard edges. The Vitara was finally also at home on the boulevards of the big city, and combined the best of two worlds – all-terrain vehicle and passenger automobile, on and off-road, fun and mobility.
Suzuki Vitara Long: more is better
In 1990, neither of the three-door models could really tap into the market's full potential. What the Vitara lacked at that point was passenger and luggage space that could compare with a mid-size saloon and thus appeal to young families. In 1991, Suzuki filled the gap with the Vitara Long.
This five-door's 3.98 m length seated five adults comfortably and still had plenty of space for luggage in the rear. Folding rear seats made it flexible and added volume for really big loads. To compensate for the higher 1,210 kg weight, the engine was upgraded to 1.6 litres and 97 hp. With the Vitara Long, Suzuki reached a new group of customers. Internationally, sales went into six figures, with over 104,000 Vitaras rolling off the production line.
New engine designs: comfort, smoothness, mileage
The Vitara Long reached a wider range of customers, who in turn demanded a wider range of engine choices. In 1994, Suzuki presented the first Vitara with a six-cylinder engine. The modern, compact, aluminium power plant had a displacement of 1,998 litres and developed 136 hp at 4000 rpm. This engine gave the five-door Vitara the smoothness and performance of a mid-size car, with excellent handling characteristics.
For the ideal combination of low fuel consumption and high torque, Suzuki offered the option of a 2.0-litre diesel engine in the 1996 Vitara. This turbocharged four-cylinder power plant generated 71 hp and developed its considerable 172 Nm torque at just 2000 rpm.
More than just a great off-roader: the Vitara X-90 as fun car
In 1995, one of the stars of the 56th Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) was the Suzuki Vitara X-90. Based on the Vitara, this was a unique, compact vehicle, which at just 3.71m overall length revived the spirit of the Suzuki 4x4 culture as a fun car with all the latest attributes. The automotive press described it in terms like "avant-garde" and "futuristic". Its main characteristics were its focused two-seater design and the removable two-piece glass roof that could be stowed in the luggage compartment. Sport seats, a firm suspension and a powerful engine gave it plenty of sporting credentials. The four-cylinder engine developed 97 hp at 5600 rpm, more than enough for a vehicle weighing only 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs) empty.
1998: the next generation – the Grand Vitara
In its second-generation guise, the Vitara got a reworking in almost every area. It was wider, higher, longer, and boasted new engines and a new design. By making these significant changes, Suzuki opened a new chapter in the success story of the Vitara: from 1988 to 1997, over 310,000 Vitaras were sold in Europe – more than any other four-wheel-drive vehicle on the market. The new name ‘Grand Vitara' reflected the character of the new model, which launched 1998 as a five-door SUV. However, in contrast to the prevailing fashion for pure fun cars, Suzuki remained true to its core competence in off-road technology. In keeping with its long off-road heritage, the second-generation Grand Vitara featured a body-on-frame and rigid rear axle.
By this time, the five-door Grand Vitara had grown to a length of 4.19 m, with the completely redesigned chassis built on a proven and robust platform. The new engines were a 1.6-litre, 94 hp, four-cylinder, and a 2.5-litre V6 that developed 144 hp. Naturally, the Grand Vitara still had on-demand four-wheel drive (‘Drive Select') and low-range gearing.
The new five-seater was followed by the familiar three-door variant in 1998, in both hard-top and convertible formats. The new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine offered 132 hp, while the 2-litre diesel produced a respectable 86 hp.
In 2001, a new compression-ignition diesel engine replaced the ‘swirl chamber' engine. The new power plant still displaced 2.0 litres, but the introduction of common-rail injection technology ramped up its power to a competitive 109 hp and gave a significant boost to the torque, which now reached an impressive 250 Nm at just 1750 rpm.
At the 2001 Detroit Motor Show, the ultimate Grand Vitara made its world debut – the Grand Vitara XL-7. Now an imposing 4.66 m (15? 3?) long, it offered enough room for seven plus luggage. An aluminium 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine, developing a healthy 173 hp at 5500 rpm, provided ample power. Two years later, further refinements to the engine's technology increased that figure to 184 hp.
In the years that followed, the Grand Vitara steadily continued its success story, with over 138,000 units sold worldwide in 2005.
Strategically positioned for the global market: the third-generation Vitara
The IAA 2005 in Frankfurt was a fitting stage for the European premiere of the third-generation Grand Vitara, the second of Suzuki's world strategic model, following the Swift.
Wrapped in a sleek, edgy design echoing the styling of the first-generation Vitara, the latest model marked another evolutionary step with a further upgrade of its sporty, genuine 4-wheel-drive performance. The upsized chassis, featuring a build-in ladder frame construction integrating a tough ladder frame with a highly rigid monocoque body, allowed the latest Grand Vitara to deliver an exquisite combination of real off-road performance, smooth on-road composure and highly refined ride comfort. A major evolutionary step forward was a new full-time four-wheel-drive system replacing the previous part-time system. The new system included a limited-slip centre differential, bringing the car's off-road terrain performance to new heights.
This car retained all the best features of the successful basic concept, yet had been thoroughly reinterpreted, both aesthetically and technically. The modern, contemporary design favoured clear, dynamic lines, giving the new Grand Vitara a brawnier, more self-assured look. Underneath the modern lines, the rigid rear axle had given way to a modern multilink set-up, with independent rear wheel suspension. Permanent four-wheel drive in 4H mode distributed 47 % of the drive power to the front axle and 53 % to the rear.
Three different four-cylinder engines offered a wide range of power options. The 1.6- and 2.0-litre petrol engines developed 106 hp and 140 hp respectively. In countries with a strong diesel demand, the 1.9-litre diesel engine with common-rail injection technology proved particularly popular, with its 129 hp developing an impressive 300 Nm torque at 2000 rpm.
The new generation added real impetus to the Grand Vitara's worldwide success. In 2006, over 175,000 units were sold worldwide – its best performance up to that time.
The Vitara story is now set to enter its next 20 years. To mark this major automotive landmark, the ‘athlete of SUVs' is to be given a major facelift.
8 August 2008
Suzuki International Europe GmbH
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Suzuki Samurai is truly one of the most remarkable little vehicles around. It is not the most comfortable vehicle to drive, nor is it the fastest, or even the best looking, but it remains a true classic.
It's a cheap thing you wouldn't understand. |
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alien
Administrator foruma
Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
Prispevkov: 10506
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| Objavljeno: 19 Jan 2014 22:41 Naslov sporočila: |
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20 years of Suzuki Vitara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vAlocryMyw
_________________
Suzuki Samurai is truly one of the most remarkable little vehicles around. It is not the most comfortable vehicle to drive, nor is it the fastest, or even the best looking, but it remains a true classic.
It's a cheap thing you wouldn't understand. |
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