The Vitara name first appeared back in 1989, and with the simple approach of leaving a pair of doors on the factory floor, Suzuki added ‘light’ and ‘affordable’ to the compact 4×4 segment.

It was available as either a convertible or a hard-top. It also came with a choice of 1.3 litre and 1.6 litre engines and genuine four-wheel-drive capability. Smartly styled and easy on the juice, it made the funky little Vitara a favourite for both off-roading enthusiasts and weekend beachcombers alike.

In 1990, Suzuki stretched the wheelbase, picked up those extra doors, bolted ‘em in and gave us the five-door Grand Vitara.

Over time, perhaps to bring an air of prestige and maturity to the entire range, both the five-door and three-door had ‘Grand’ slapped next to the ‘Vitara’ moniker.

Whatever Suzuki’s intentions, the three-door Vitara Grand Vitara is as fun and youthful as it’s ever been, and prefacing the name with the senior citizenly ‘Grand’ ain’t gonna change that.

Styling

While the current shape of the Grand Vitara – both the five-door and the three-door - has been with us since 2005, it’s aged well enough that it looks as much at home in 2009 as it did four years ago.

Like the five-door, the smaller three-door model features the defining ‘clamshell’ style bonnet. Unlike its more conservative big brother however, the three-door drives home the ‘sporty’ message with tonka toy wheels (big for its size), chopped-off tail and chrome-backed tail lights.

The raked B-pillar and rhomboidal rear passenger windows continue the theme, separating it further from the five-door’s air of sensibility and giving it a youthful appeal that the bigger family model lacks.

There’s nothing awkward or poorly proportioned about the three-door; while it’s styling isn’t ‘out there’ on the edge, everything about it says fun and funky.

On the inside

The dash and door trim, while understated, is well put together with good quality materials and excellent finish.  Function over form is the obvious direction here, but lashings of chrome and silver add the right amount of style.

Electric windows and mirrors are standard, as is climate control and backlit steering-mounted audio controls.  Two 12volt power points sit either side of the gear shifter, and you’ll find another in the boot.

The trip computer has been relocated from the top of the dashboard to the re-styled instrument cluster, offering better line-of-sight viewing, while the climate control gains an LCD display for an up-market feel and easier use.

Annoyingly, cruise control is noticeably absent from the three-door, even as an option.  It’s expected to be offered with later 2009 models.

The Grand Vitara three-door is a compact unit to be sure, but there’s no trouble sliding four occupants into its surprisingly cavernous interior.  All four seats are large and comfortable, and the higher 4×4 seating position helps with forward and side visibility, allowing you to better read the traffic ahead.

Shorter folks however – myself included, unfortunately – will find the higher seating a little trickier to climb into (damning myself to ‘shortarse’ gags, I quickly move on).

The fact that the smallest Grand Vitara seats only four will be a concern for some, no doubt, but each of those four occupants will be plenty comfortable.

The long doors and easily-folded front seats ensure that entry and exit from the back row is a breeze, though again some sort of foothold would make the task an easier one.

Visibility, while excellent to the front and sides thanks to that higher seating, leaves more than a bit to be desired when looking to the rear.  The angled B-pillar and rhomboidal rear passenger window are neat from outside, but from the wheel serve only to hamper the view out the back and rear sides. Large side mirrors however alleviate the poor head-check view somewhat.

While reversing sensors can be optioned – and I suggest you do option them – it seems they’d have made a sensible standard feature.