I've never seen anything like this, and in fact, I never knew Suzuki even made such a vehicle.  Its a GV with a RAISED ROOF sold as a "van".

This picture is right off the Suzuki Netherlands site at http://www.suzuki.nl


This one is from readers rides at suzuki-grandvitara.nl.




Suzuki has a very broad product range, and it always suprises me to see how different the vehicles they sell in Europe or Asia differ from the ones sold here in Canada.  For example, we have never had a 3-door wagon hardtop GV available in Canada, yet here it is...


So thats all I have to say.

Never saw that "van". Looks weird.
Mine is a 3dr just like the one you posted, with a diesel engine. Here are some pics:

Well Sergei, this is yet another thing we dont have here in Canada.  Suzuki does not sell deisel GV's over here.  

You ain't seen nothing yet. They even have a model with steel panels instead of widows in the rear. It's sold as a panel van.
They had the 4-door sammy, don't know if they still market it.
Then there was the 4-door kick/vitara with a truck bed.

You ain't seen nothing yet. They even have a model

....

Dude, find and post a pic or a link. I swear I have been thinking about filling in the rear windows and making a panel truck out of my tracker!  I would love to see what the factory came up with.

I have seen this...

But I think those crazy apio-paris-dakar-rally guys just filled in the windows, I dont think it came that way from the factory.

Diesels are really popular in europe. I would say 90% of 4wd vehicles are diesel. Fuel is VERY  expensive here (I am sometimes surprised to see you guys complain about yours hehehe), and diesel is about 10 cents or more cheaper that regular gas per litre.

Never heard of a 4 dr sammy

I saw that yellow GV in person in th Paris Dakar rally. Taking a close look I'm not sure if it was that particular unit, but definitely very similar, and the same team.

Paris-Dakar rally coverage is non-existent over here.  Maybe you get a little bit of highlights on the sports-channel...but thats it.  How fucking jealous I am to hear that you've been to that rally (or maybe you didnt say that, but I'll pretend you did just to continue being jealous).

Oh...the beauty of the internet...here are some (poor quality) pictures of Samurai pickup trucks.....but no panel vans yet.  

Well, I've only seen the special stage in Barcelona in the 2005 edition, and seen the pack on the motorway other years. I have friends who have been in the desert following it, I plan to do this in a few years;D.
I have to tell you, the most spectacular of all are the trucks! amazing! The special stage in Barcelona was incredible, and driving next to them on the motorway too... The kamaz are jawdropping:






I didn't get a foto of the GV

I have 5 hours worth of OLN Dakar coverage on DVD if anyone wants a copy.  

I have 5 hours worth of OLN Dakar coverage on DVD if anyone wants a copy.  

HECK YA!!! Pm me with the info you need.

Whats the MPG on a diesel? 45-50? That would be sweet, oh and almost double towing capacity..........

ive seen a few sami pick ups over here...

Do you guys know about Indian built SJs?

http://gypsy.marutiudyog.com/

That raised roof is for taxes, if a car can be called a van it's much cheaper to drive, biggest disadvantage is that it has to be a diesel and there are only two seats in it.
Over here in Europe they even sell the kicktrackvit still new!!!   allthough it's called a Santana Vitara  
http://www.santana-suzuki.es/

My mpg is typically 28-30 mpg. Smaller diesel cars can easily do 50-55, but not a 4x4 .

The Suzuki Sidekick, called Suzuki Vitara in Europe, was made mostly in Spain (at least most of the units in Spain), in a factory called Santana. They also made the Samurai and currently make the Jimny. They have stopped making the vitara (sidekick), so I believe there are very few units left in stock brand new. lately they Have very bad relations with suzuki, the japanese are very mad about bad cars coming out from the factory. Because of lose bolts, for example, nothing serious but unacceptable. The Jimny production contract will end in 2006, and thats probably when they shall totaly break apart. Now Santana makes the Anibal, which is a sort of copy of a LR Defender, and there are rumours of a vehicle similar to the Vitara, but totally Santana. I imagine a copy like the Anibal. All GV come directly from Japan, so in theory mine has less problems .