EASY does it: Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual review

The Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual is one of those cars that is somehow more than the sum of its parts. On the surface – at R426 900 – it appears to be just another modestly priced crossover in South Africa. But trust us on this one, spend some time behind the wheel and you’ll discover there’s plenty of substance beneath the surface.

But let’s start with the ‘small-car brand’ first, because context is everything. 2025 was a record-breaking year for Suzuki in South Africa. After selling 59 574 vehicles in 2024, Suzuki grew this to 71 560 units in 2025. That’s a year-on-year improvement of 20%. If your salary increased by that figure, you’d be pretty stoked. Never mind attaining 12% market share in South Africa. In so doing, it overtook a certain Kariega-based German manufacturer to became the second most popular passenger-car seller in the country. Lekker!

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SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 1.5 GLX MANUAL  

The 9-inch touchscreen is complimented by traditional buttons on the dash and conventional dials in the instrument binnacle. Image: Ray Leathern

As a result, the quiet ‘small-car brand’ that for decades politely occupied a corner of the market is now outselling the big guns. And the Suzuki Grant Vitara 1.5 GLX manual is a big reason why. Firstly, that’s because it is a properly competent crossover. The GLX trim, which you absolutely must have, ensures a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a reverse camera, wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, voice recognition and Bluetooth.

All of which is genuinely useful, everyday technology, that makes time in the Suzuki Grant Vitara 1.5 GLX manual pleasant. The cabin is well put-together, if conventional, with materials that feel honest rather than showy or expensive. This is exactly the right approach for cash-conscious motorists in South Africa who value ease of use over anything else.

SELF-SHIFTING DRIVER

You might be surprised to hear what a hoot the manual Grand Vitara is to drive. But it is. Image: Ray Leathern

Now, the gearbox part of the Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual. In an age of CVTs, and four-speed ‘slushmatics,’ the five-speed manual is a throwback to the past … but in the best way. The clutch pedal has a beautiful, progressive take-up that’s not too light, not too heavy. And the gearbox shifts with a mechanical directness that is simply spot-on. Better still, every ratio feels perfectly tailored to the engine output. It pulls decently in higher gears and you rarely feel like you could do with another cog, bar occasionally at motorway speeds.

Then there’s the physical satisfaction of heel-and-toeing into a corner. Sure, it’s childish and irrelevant but the Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual pedals are perfectly positioned so that you can blip the throttle on downshifts. Come on, that’s awesome! Here you’re actually participating in the act of driving rather than supervising it. If you’ve been driving automatics for years and you get behind the wheel of this, you’ll remember why you fell in love with driving in the first place.

SMOOTH-GOING SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 1.5 GLX MANUAL

373 litres of boot space expands to 710 litres when the rear seats are folded flat. Very useful. Image: Ray Leathern

What amplifies all of this is the Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual and its featherlight chassis. Like all its cars, Suzuki’s commitment to lightweight construction pays enormous dividends in the real world. This car is a genuinely easy thing to place on the road. It doesn’t feel like you’re working against the forces of physics all the time. Parking in a tight bay on a Saturday morning? No stress. Threading through traffic chaos on the M3? Easy.

The steering is communicative, uncomplicated. And that imbues the whole package with a chuckable quality that makes you smile on a winding coast road … even if you’re just going along at six-tenths. It genuinely feels like a smaller, zippier car than it looks, which is the highest compliment you can pay any crossover we reckon. All the while, it stacks up practically, too. Five proper adult-sized seats, a boot that swallows grocery bags, surf boards and mountain bikes with ease.

HOW ECONOMICAL IS THE SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 1.5 GLX MANUAL?

A wonderfully worthwhile family crossover, with plenty of utility space in the rear. Image: Ray Leathern

Its 77 kW and 138 Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder is not fire-breathing, but it is perfectly adequate and notably economical in this application. Claimed is 5.6 l/100 km but real-world fuel consumption, no matter how eagerly you drive, levels out at around 6.5 l/100km. We reckon that’s pretty remarkable for a naturally aspirated unit with zero hybrid-electric pretence. A 45-litre tank gives you a cruising range of approximately 750 km between fill-ups.

To us, the Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX manual is the answer to the question: “What does an honest-to-goodness South African buyer actually need?” By Jove, did the ‘small-car brand’ answer it properly. And ultimately that’s the thing about this car. It feels familiar, easy-going and honest. And it drives the way you expect it to drive. With a gearbox that does what you tell it and an uncomplicated engine that doesn’t keep any secrets. It’s all the right ingredients, in the correct quantities, put together well … The end.

THE FIGURES

• Engine: 1 499 cc 4-cyl petrol
• Power: 77 kW, 138 Nm
• Performance: 10 sec 0-100 km/h (tested)
• Gearbox: 5-speed manual
• Economy: 6.5 l/100 km (tested), 5.6 l/100 km (claimed/combined)
• Tyres: Apollo Aptera 215/60/R17
• Price: R426 900

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