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As part of an upgrade of the popular Grand Vitara range, ESP
is now a standard feature on the Prestige version. The upgrade also features a
factory-fitted sunroof.
“Suzuki is committed to providing the highest levels of safety
to its customers,” said Suzuki Australia Automotive General Manager Tony Devers.
“We have stayed true to the Suzuki philosophy of fantastic
value for money by including ESP on the Grand Vitara Prestige without adding to
the price.”
The inclusion of ESP bolsters an impressive list of safety
features including driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags and
head protecting side curtain airbags, and ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce
Distribution (EBD).
“ESP headlines the next generation of vehicle safety systems,
by actively intervening when it detects the vehicle is heading out of control
and correcting the situation,” said Devers.
“Every driver is confronted at some time with critical driving
situations such as a truck losing part of its load in front of you or slippery
surfaces after heavy rainfall. Even at moderate speeds these situations can lead
to the driver losing control.
“ESP prevents possible skidding from the start, by
instantaneous interventions of the brakes and engine management.”
Devers explained the ESP system on the Grand Vitara Prestige
utilised the ABS sensors already incorporated into the Grand Vitara range, and
added a steering angle and lateral acceleration sensor.
The system monitors each sensor every 25 milliseconds, keeping
a watchful eye on the angle of the steering wheel and the lateral movement of
the car.
When ESP recognises the vehicle is threatening to skid off
course, it selectively applies braking pressure at each wheel and – if necessary
– limits power delivery to ‘steer’ the vehicle into the desired direction.
The Prestige – available only with a 2.7-litre V6 and
automatic transmission – boasts a raft of luxury features as standard, including
cruise control, leather steering wheel, leather upholstery and leather door
panel trims, 6 disc in-dash CD stereo with MP3 capabilities, speed sensing
volume control as well as a 7 speaker sound system including subwoofer.
The bold and aggressive front face and sleek distinctive
styling of the Grand Vitara exterior is further emphasised with the Prestige
model, complete with low profile tyres, 17 inch alloy rims and fog lamps.
The Grand Vitara Prestige also features a keyless start
function, allowing the driver to remotely unlock and start the engine with the
push of a button. It was the first compact SUV in Australia offering this as
standard.
The 'Prestige' offers buyers a maximum output of 135kW at
6000rpm, linked to a permanent 4 x 4 system which is easily switched between
high and low range via a control on the instrument panel.
“With the addition of ESP and sunroof at no extra cost, the
Grand Vitara 'Prestige' delivers a quality package in every aspect of its
design, assembly and attention to engineering detail,” said Devers.
The Grand Vitara Prestige with ESP is on sale now and is
priced from $36,990 and available in automatic transmission.
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