Suzuki Vitara (& Grand) Service Manuals

About The Suzuki Vitara (& Grand)

Surviving four generations so far, the Vitara is a four-wheel drive vehicle created and manufactured by the Japanese automaker Suzuki.

Known in its second and third generations as the Grand Vitara, this rugged car is slightly larger than its sister vehicle, the Suzuki Jimny (another four-wheel drive convertible).

The first models in the USA were rebadged as ‘Sidekick’ and for the Japanese domestic market only had the option of a 2-door convertible. Producing 80 bhp from a 1.6-liter engine, the Vitara was quickly picked up for commercial usage too which was stopped in 1990 after the change in wheelbase length.

The second generation went into production in 1997 as a wholly larger and more expensive vehicle. Now available in either a 5-door or a 3-door, Suzuki gave the car a facelift with changes made to the front end. A new design seen in the third generation of Vitaras; now built as a unibody after ditching the ladder frame construction. Numerous powertrains were available here, for example, a 1.6-liter 125 bhp, 2.7-liter V6 185 bhp and a 1.9-liter engine producing 127 bhp.

Two new engines were added to the lineup in 2008. These new variants were on sale for three years, after which Suzuki discontinued the Vitara in its native land, Japan.

Unveiling the fourth generation of Vitara at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013, Suzuki changed the engines completely and added a number of technological features designed to make driving a much more enjoyable experience.

Having started life as a basic four-wheel drive with very few internal features, the Grand Vitara had a 4.2-inch touch screen display with the full Suzuki safety support package which it shared with the Jimny and Swift.

Where there was little competition for the original, memorable Suzuki Vitara, now that the car is far more ‘mainstream’ and shares aesthetics with a number of SUVs, buyers have numerous alternatives to choose from, such as; the Fiat 500X, Skoda Yeti, Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, the Mitsubishi ASX or the Renault Captur.