Suzuki's Grand Vitara has been missing a V6 under the bonnet for a while now, and will have to soldier on with only the four-cylinder options for the foreseeable future.

Previously, the Grand Vitara range featured both four- and six-cylinder engines, the latter coming from GM courtesy of the General's stake in the Japanese carmaker.

But, in 2008, GM divested itself of its remaining three-percent share in the brand, a decision that meant Suzuki would eventually be left high-and-dry without a petrol V6 to call on.

That saw Suzuki cancel plans for a V6-powered version of its Kizashi sedan in 2010, along with a hybrid model - both of which would have required GM technology.

Suzuki soon looked to new partner Volkswagen for the possibility of a six-cylinder option, but with that relationship now soured, the Japanese brand will go without a big-power option for a while longer.

But, while the Kizashi has toiled at the lower end of the mid-sized car sales chart (82 Australian sales in July), the Grand Vitara is unlikely to feel too great an impact from the loss of its V6.

Speaking with TMR this week, Suzuki Australia's Andrew Ellis confirmed that the V6 accounted for less than 10 percent of Grand Vitara since its 2008 Australian launch.

The Australian-delivered Grand Vitara range will welcome an update in August, bringing a number of cosmetic tweaks to freshen-up the ageing SUV.

When it arrives, the 2013 Grand Vitara will be offered with the 2.4 litre petrol and 1.9 litre diesel engines only.

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