Suzuki SX4, Grand Vitara updated with sat-nav

Suzuki dealerships will soon receive higher-spec versions of the SX4 S and Sport and Prestige variants of updated Grand Vitara (announced late last week) with a 6.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen that takes care of satellite navigation as well as providing a clean interface for the audio system.

The navigation side of the system is powered by Garmin and uses SUNA traffic monitoring to provide alternate routes in case of congestion (the same system as used by Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Australia). Apart from the basic functions, such as turn-by-turn directions and street names, the system also delivers speed limits and is linked in to the vehicle’s speed sensors to provide accurate speed readings even when a GPS signal is unavailable.

On the audio side, the update brings AM/FM/CD radio, multimedia playback from USB, auxiliary jack, SD card or iPod/iPhone and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity for both phone and audio streaming.

Most of these functions will also be available via voice commands, if you feel like talking to your car.

Suzuki Australia general manager Tony Devers says the changes are designed to suit the lifestyle of Suzuki buyers while having a minimal impact on the price.

“We have included this feature while keeping price increases in the models featuring the new technology to around one per cent,” Devers said.

Based on that, the SX4 S increases in price by around $250-300 and the Grand Vitara goes up by around $300-400. Suzuki joins a growing list of mainstream manufacturers adding satellite navigation to their top and mid-spec variants. Kia and Hyundai recently introduced satellite navigation across the mid- to high-spec variants of some models while also offering free map upgrades.