From Towcar Awards 2008

List price: £16,515 (when tested)
Kerbweight: 1665kg
85% Match: 1415kg
Max towing weight: 2000kg
Towball limit: 75kg

THE BEST THING about the Grand Vitara is the price. For £16,000, this is a lot of car for the money, with enough interior space for a family of five.

Without a caravan behind it, the Suzuki handles well enough but, as a towcar, it’s some way short of the best. In the lane-change test the car was pushed around by the van. The ATC unit recorded a high peak reading of over 0.9G. The driving judges noticed it was slow to settle down after even small steering inputs.

Respectable

Against the stopwatch, the Suzuki covered 30-60mph in a respectable 21.5 seconds, and was happy to hold the legal limit in top gear. However, the noisy engine would be irritating on a long drive.

A big boot, a well-written manual and a 12V socket in the boot won practicality points.

We say

Towing: 3/5
Solo: 3/5
Practicality: 4/5
Buying & owning: 3/5
Verdict: 3/5

A solid performer at the price, if a bit noisier than we’d like.

Braking 30-0mph 13.26m