By Sheldon Trollope

THIS IS THE first official photo of the all-new Suzuki Grand Vitara and CarBuyer is first with exclusive details of this new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

Gone are the previous model’s rounded lines, in favour of more contemporary design details that bring the Grand Vitara up to date. Eschewing the path of road-biased SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4, Suzuki has given the Grand Vitara a ‘built-in ladder frame’ chassis.

Essentially a ladder frame / monocoque hybrid, the Vitara’s new chassis should offer the car-like driving dynamics of its intended rivals without sacrificing any of the Vitara’s much vaunted off-road ability.

Further in keeping with Suzuki’s off-road credibility, the Grand Vitara will come with necessary mud-plugging hardware like a lockable centre differential, a feature that less hardcore rivals lack since most SUV owners tend not to take their cars off the tarmac.

With the Vitara, if you decide to indulge in some off-roading, all you have to do is select a suitable setting for the conditions, choosing from the four wheel-drive system’s four modes. For better fuel economy and refinement, the four-mode system can also be switched to a two wheel-drive setting, in which only the rear wheels are powered.

The previous Grand Vitara spawned a seven-seat XL-7 variant, but CarBuyer understands that there are no plans to do the same with this model. Nevertheless, the new car will offer plenty of room for five, given that it’s larger than its predecessor.

At 4,470mm in length, the Grand Vitara might be slightly shorter than Honda’s CR-V and Nissan’s X-Trail but it’s significantly wider with an overall width of 1,810mm. Its 2,640mm wheelbase is also the longest in its class. Suzuki’s generosity with those two key dimensions should create class-leading interior room.

Two engine variants will be offered here, with the base model powered by a 2.0-litre, 140bhp four-cylinder unit. A 2.7-litre 187bhp V6 is optional.

With the first shipment expected to arrivein June, local Suzuki importer Champion Motors has reported that interest in the car is strong and that the company has begun taking orders.

With the 2.0-litre model listing at $87,900 with COE, the Grand Vitara may well prove to be Suzuki’s next big thing.