Suzuki nearly invented the small SUV market with the original '80s Vitara, the first time that a small 4x4 'jeep' was available that was stylish as well as capable. Current iterations of the theme are all called Grand Vitara, a name first introduced when a larger five-door model of the original was released. We recently tested the three-door Grand Vitara 1.6; although we're not so sure that "Grand" is the correct title. There's nothing grand about its size, nothing grand about the engine and at just £12,849 (or £13,449 for the + model we tested), there's nothing grand about the price either. The three-door Suzuki Grand Vitara is small, it's girly, and it's cute; just like the original. That's it; it should be called the Suzuki Cute Vitara!

Our test car came resplendent in a bright metallic blue colour, called 'Kashmir Blue Pearl and looked very cute indeed. Inside was all black cloth, but smart enough to belie the price. And the + suffix on the model meant we also got chunky alloy wheels that no self-respecting Vitara should ever be without.

The seating position in the Suzuki Grand Vitara is strange. You sit very high up, looking down on drivers in RAV4s and the like; even Nissan Navara drivers, yet at the same time you sit low down inside the Grand Vitara itself. It's just a weird feeling, like you're in a normal car that has been fitted with the wheels from a monster truck. It is very comfortable though.

The 16-valve 1.6-litre petrol engine develops 105bhp at 5900rpm along with 107lb.ft of torque at 4100rpm. On paper this looks like a high revving engine and fairly peaky for one installed in a four-wheel drive, but it practice it feels torquey from low down. This is just as well, as the engine in our car was unwilling to rev. By 5000rpm a feeling of torture set in; it really didn't want to go past this point, and to be fair it wasn't necessary to do so in normal driving. The Suzuki was more than capable of keeping up with traffic by relying on the torque.

Around town, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is a very pleasant drive. The high driving position provides typical excellent all round vision, yet unlike most 4x4s, the three-door Grand Vitara takes up little more road space than a small hatchback, so it's easy to park. The styling ensure immunity from the jealousy which is currently all the rage against 4x4s.

Outside of town, the story is not so rosy. Or to be fair, it's the motorways which are the problem. The little 1.6-litre engine has to work hard. Too hard. A combination of permanent four-wheel drive (most competitors have a two-wheel drive default mode), weight and a bluff frontal area mean the gearing feels low. Very low. So even at legal motorway speeds, the engine is already revving to over 4000rpm where the class norm is a lot less revs at that speed. Another negative corollary of the above is fuel consumption. The official combined figure of 32.5mpg is low enough for a 1.6-litre SUV, but factor in a lot of motorway miles and sub-30 mpg is the norm.

The Grand Vitara handles pretty well for a 4x4, safe understeer being the order of the day when pushing on accompanied by a fair bit of roll which is exaggerated by the high seating position. But cute cars shouldn't be hurried; the Grand Vitara is at its best at more sedate speeds giving other people more time to check you out.

For the price, the Grand Vitara comes well specified, with automatic air conditioning, power steering, electric windows, stereo (not a very good one) and controls for the audio on the steering wheel. An extra £600 for the + model brings the chunky alloy wheels and heated electric door mirrors. The stereo is fully integrated with the dashboard but the sound quality is poor regardless of the price of the car, and needs to be better in this day and age.

Put simply, if you need the security of the high driving position, or the permanent four-wheel drive, and you don't plan too many long trips down the motorway, then the Suzuki Grand Vitara three-door is an excellent choice and terrific value for money. Drivers who spend more time on the motorway may find the cost in noise and fuel consumption too great a compromise to bear in this car. We have higher hopes for the five-door only 1.9-litre diesel version.

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Suzuki Grand Vitara UK range overview

- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.6 16v VVT 3-door 5-speed manual: £12,875
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.6 16v VVT+ 3-door 5-speed manual: £13,475
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0 16v 5-door 5-speed manual: £15,675
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0 16v 5-door 4-speed auto: £16,625
- Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9 DDiS 5-door 5-speed manual: £17,025