Final Battle: Off Road

Okay, few people who buy either of these cars are likely to do serious off-roading in them, but this wouldn’t be a thorough review if we didn’t see how they fared off the beaten track.

Here is where the Suzuki really shows its merit. Big wheel travel, good ground clearance, a relatively short wheelbase, a low-range transfer case with differential lock, full-time 4WD, hill descent control and generous approach and departure angles make this the compact soft-roader of choice for those wanting to get a little closer to nature than most.

In low range with the slushbox locked in first gear the Grand Vitara proved adept at climbing over a variety of obstacles, although get one or two wheels in the air and the Suzuki pauses as its electronic brain decides which corner gets how much torque.

Oh yeah: despite there being a button on the dash that says you can, you can’t really deactivate ESP. It’s always there, lurking in the background and waiting to put an e-chokehold on whatever ballsy off-road maneuver it is you were planning to do. Safe, but a bit frustrating when the Grand Vitara’s got its leg cocked.

The Tiguan with its slightly more sensible 4Motion AWD system seems to handle low-grip power-juggling better, however being a front-biased system that only diverts power after slippage occurs it’s not entirely ideal for straying far into the wilderness.

Its car-based suspension, lower ride height and lack of low-range gearing send a clear message – the Tiguan is best kept to gravel and less-demanding 4WD tracks. The fact that it only packs a space-saver spare tyre reinforces this message.

Round three then: the Grand Vitara.