A New Compact 4x4 Leader?

If any automaker has a right to its portion of the lucrative sport utility market, it's Suzuki. It was 35 years ago in April 1970 that

The first Suzuki most Canadians will remember is probably the funky little Samurai that sprang onto the local scene in the 1980s. (Photo: Suzuki Canada)

the Japanese brand, known as much for its motorcycles as for its vehicles, launched the tiny Jimny in Japan. And since this early entry to the SUV segment Suzuki hasn't second-guessed its place in the automotive landscape, producing a capable off-roader every year without interruption.

The first Suzuki most Canadians will remember is probably the funky little Samurai that sprang onto the local scene in the 1980s. Sized similarly to a Willys Jeep, the original WWII icon indelibly stamped into the memories of following generations via countless war movies and TV shows such as M*A*S*H,

To call the current Grand Vitara a success would be doing it an injustice, as a total of 1.9 million units have been sold worldwide since inception. The new model should keep it competitive. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

the fashionable yet functional Samurai was an instant hit with the youth and young at heart of the era.

Suzuki's 4x4 moved up in size and refinement with 1988's Sidekick, a model that pioneered the modern-day SUV category and in so doing brought the alternative Japanese nameplate into the lives of mainstream North America.

But still, it wasn't until the larger Grand Vitara debuted in 1997 as a 1998 model that Suzuki was able to lure in families en masse. The spacious compact SUV featured an available V6 engine, a first for its segment, and with that came enhanced performance and reasonably strong towing capabilities.