2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA CELEBRATES HALF BIRTHDAY,
CONTINUES TO RECEIVE PRESENTS
American Suzuki’s Grand Vitara receives top honors,
helps automaker achieve record sales in 2005
BREA, Calif., (February 8, 2006) – Just six months after the exciting launch of the 2006 Grand Vitara, a vehicle described by Popular Mechanics as “a refined and capable little SUV,� American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) has collected several top honors for its new sport-ute, including Sport Truck Connection Television’s Annual Light Truck and SUV Award (ALTAS). The Grand Vitara also received a nod as the “Best Kept Secret of 2006� by Autobytel and nominations for the North American Truck of the Year and Four Wheeler magazine’s Four Wheeler of the Year. With the increasing popularity of the Grand Vitara among media and consumers and an aggressive strategy to further expand its product line in 2006, ASMC looks to accelerate efforts to reach its goal to triple sales to 200,000 vehicles.
For the fifth consecutive year, Suzuki has been honored with Sport Truck Connection Television’s ALTAS award. While the Suzuki XL-7 has received the ALTAS Award in the compact SUV category the last four years, the 2006 Grand Vitara was so honored this year. In 2005, Sport Truck Connection Television evaluated more than 100 SUVs, trucks and vans, eventually awarding Suzuki’s five-passenger SUV and five other vehicles based on how a vehicle performs in its intended function – the way most consumers use their vehicle – rather than criteria based on specific racetrack performance.
The 2006 Grand Vitara also recently was named “Best Kept Secret of 2006� by Autobytel. The award is part of the online publication’s annual Editors’ Choice Awards, honoring the year’s top vehicles based on value, quality, design and performance.
“The Grand Vitara is a great vehicle for Autobytel readers, who often are ready to make a purchase but agonize over the wide selection of automobiles,� said Brian Chee, managing editor of Autobytel. “We hope this award helps consumers put the Grand Vitara on their short list of what to buy.�
In addition to its industry award success, the five-passenger Grand Vitara played a key role in Suzuki’s record-setting sales in 2005. Led by the 2006 Grand Vitara, the company achieved an 11 percent sales increase over 2004, as the company sold an all-time high 82,101 vehicles, the best sales year in company history. Suzuki also attributes its record sales year to its expanding network of more than 540 U.S. dealers, and America’s # 1 Warranty – Suzuki’s industry-leading, 100,000 mile, fully transferable, zero-deductible powertrain limited warranty.
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
Consistent with ASMC’s “Way of Life� brand strategy, the 2006 Grand Vitara is designed for life enthusiasts, offering sleek styling, excellent safety, rugged off-road performance and refined on-road handling. “A value worth consideration by those in the mini-ute market,� according to AutoWeek, the five-passenger Grand Vitara comes in one trim level with three optional packages and a starting MSRP of $19,199.
