It was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the Suzuki Esteem/Baleno, with a tall 5-door SX model hatchback (for maximum inner room efficiency) and a 4-door sedan body.

Key changes over the years included an upgrade to a new 2.3-liter 155 hp (116 kW; 157 PS) engine in 2004, a major styling and interior refresh in 2005 (replacing the digital instruments with conventional analog ones), and the standardization of antilock brakes in 2006.

Celebrity guests would appear on the show every week to be interviewed and to set a lap time in a saloon model Suzuki Liana.

Tajima retired from the race, one mile (1.6 km) short of the finishing line suffering from mechanical failures,[4] teammate Yutaka Awazuhara took the fourth overall in a Grand Vitara.

[5] Tajima would finish as runner up in the All Japan Dirt Trial Championship that year with the same car and won the Race to the Sky hillclimb in 2003,[4] before it was rebuilt as a Grand Vitara, then in 2007 as an XL7, breaking the overall course record at Pikes Peak.