sizuki grand vitara

fiestaman

Hi does anybody know what year or years is the puegeot engine in the vitara, was thinking of getting one 05'-06' 2.0ltr diesel. want one with puegeot engine. can they be switched between 2 and 4 wheel drive.

greysides

I had a chance to drive a Grand Vitara with the Peugeot engine. I previously had a 205 with a 1.8 litre diesel engine which I held in high regard so I was looking forward to trying it out. My ride at the time was a Mk I pajero.

I felt the engine was being tortured in the GV being made to do something it wasn't designed or capable of. Acceleration was slow; although it went okay once at road speeds, it was very loud and not at all in it's comfort zone. While my much heavier pajero would lollop along at those speeds in complete comfort the GV was sounding like someone had tightened a cable tie around its dangly bits. A car engine in a 4WD is not going to be happy. The doors closed as though they were hollow and the gearstick knob felt like an egg shell. I was never so disappointed in a vehicle.

My candid opinion is that if you like the Suzuki 'cheap and cheerful' approach then buy a Samurai type- at least it won't be pretending to be something its not. A Jimney with a soft top is the modern equivalent and a joy to drive (as long as you only need to transport two people). To my mind it isn't 'mutton dressed as lamb'.

I can't remember the details of the 4wd system. I think it had free-wheeling hubs or similar so once set up in 4WD it could be changed back and forth.
The newer ones I think can be run in 4wd on the road if desired.