The new Grand Vitara is the third model in the series, but the basic concept has remained the same since the debut of the first model in 1988. This concept can be encapsulated in the phrase: "Bringing higher performance to the urban cross-country vehicle". At the same time, the production team's unifying goal throughout was to produce a vehicle that would take Suzuki's reputation for excellent four-mode 4X4 drivability to new heights.

Under a product development concept of "off-road athlete" in the same way athletes rigorously train to excel in a wide range of demanding situations. The goal was straightforward: Improve on the real all-road mastery, efficient performance, practical urbanity, and the ease of use people have come to associate with the Grand Vitara series. Suzuki's heritage of producing sporty 4X4 vehicles with real off-road capabilities provided the DNA; advanced automotive engineering, the breeding.

A newly developed 4-mode 4X4 system with a centre differential complements the Grand Vitara's idealised dimensions to deliver true off-road performance and civilised on-road manners. The system's torque-sensing, limited-slip-differential keeps transmission windup and under-steer to a minimum, while still conferring all-wheel traction when in 4H, the main traction mode. The centre differential is locked in the extra-traction modes of 4H Lock (High) and 4L Lock (Low). The system also has a Neutral mode. The 3-door 1.6-litre model has a simplified 4H-only system.