THE current craze for cars with chunky looks, a degree of off-road ability and a so-called lifestyle image has spawned a remarkable array of contenders.
Those at the top of the pile include the BMW X5, Lexus RX300 Mercedes M-Class, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Jeep Cherokee, with some costing in excess of £50,000.
Then there are the mid-range models such as the Land Rover Freelander, Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V, whose prices start at around £15,000.
Bringing up the rear are the third group, which is where the most affordable 4WD models lie, some of which are surprisingly competent.
They range from curious newcomers such as the Daihatsu YRV 4trak at £11,000 and the £10,000 Daihatsu Terios, to the established Suzuki Grand Vitara models, with prices starting at £12,695 for the 1.6-litre soft top and rising to £17,000 for the 2.0-litre turbodiesel estate.
The Grand Vitara is a pretty safe bet as a second-hand purchase, with its main appeal being to the fashion-conscious, extremely few of whom will ever have subjected their vehicle to the rigours of life off-road in the really rough stuff.
In its current form the Grand Vitara is an aerodynamically-rounded, purposeful-looking machine with good manners on tarmac and a surprisingly high degree of ability off-road.
It is a vehicle that has been perfected over many years, with some decent used bargains to be had on dealer forecourts. For example, prices start as low as £3,000 for an eight-year-old, more angular Vitara soft top and from about £4,500 for the more practical hard top.
Diesel versions were introduced as an option in 1997, at £16,200 and are currently fetching about £7,000. Alternatively, there is the smooth two-litre V6 petrol model, with loads of pulling power, costing from £5,000 for a six-year-old manual model, and about £200 more with automatic transmission.
The Suzuki stable was boosted quite significantly with the addition of short and long wheelbase versions of the Grand Vitara. Although initially there was just a five-door LWB with petrol power, at £16,195 in its most basic guise, a turbodiesel version and three-door models followed within months, For an additional £1,495 there were anti-lock brakes and an electric sunroof or, for a further £100, the sunroof could be replaced by air conditioning.
Although the Grand shares the same name as the standard Vitara, it is actually a completely different vehicle, with a chunky appearance. With more than 140bhp on tap from the 2.5-litre V6 version, performance is respectable, and there is a top speed of about 100mph.
The engine is durable and is usefully torquey, giving plenty of low-down pulling power. On the road the handling is good, with the relatively stiff suspension avoiding excess body roll, and the rack and pinion steering is surprisingly precise.
There is the ability to switch from two to four wheel drive at speeds of up to 60mph, and in this respect the Grand Vitara is surprisingly capable, with a transfer box to enhance its abilities when the going gets really tough. However, with 153lb ft of torque, there is no shortage of pulling power, providing it is teased out. This is particularly noticeable when tackling tricky terrain, at which the Grand excels, for a vehicle costing relatively little money.
The current line-up consists of petrol engines of 1.6, 2.0 and 2.7-litres (for the seven-seater XL-7 version) and a two-litre turbodiesel.
The Grand Vitara's only real shortcoming was its unadventurous interior, but that has been improved in the latest models. The tailgate is usefully hinged to the side, and within the compact luggage area there is an under-floor tray, power point and lashing hooks, which are now fairly standard on such vehicles.
A thoroughly capable V6-powered off-roader for this sort of money seems like a second-hand bargain in 4WD circles, especially as it looks the part too. With due respect to the standard Vitara, it was never been regarded as anything more serious in the 4WD stakes than a mobile fashion statement. This Grand Vitara is such a quantum leap forward that it really is a very capable off-road vehicle, with the 2.5-litre version being the pick of the bunch on the used car market.
Of the current crop, the turbodiesel is the most impressive, and reasonably priced at £17,000 when you look at its rivals, especially with 215 lb ft of torque, or pulling power.