Suzuki, the small auto company known here mostly for its sport utility vehicles, is just a bit player in the United States market in comparison with such Japanese rivals as Toyota, Nissan and Honda.

But in Japan, the company has the best-selling line of small cars and is much more of a household name.

And while Suzuki is now in the middle of a big push into the U.S. car market with new lines of subcompact, compact and midsize cars and small wagons/hatchbacks, the company isn’t leaving its SUVs to flounder.

This past fall, Suzuki rolled out the next generation of its popular Grand Vitara five-passenger compact sport utility.

Later this year, the company will bring to market a replacement for the seven-passenger XL-7, which until this year’s arrival of the three-seat Toyota RAV4 was the only compact SUV offered with three rows of seating.

For those of you who need a compact SUV with decent fuel economy and room for five people, though, the 2006 Grand Vitara is definitely worth your consideration.

With the Grand Vitara, you get Suzuki’s legendary quality and reliability, along with a stylish yet practical package that is priced quite competitively against its more-well-known mini-SUV counterparts such as the RAV4, Honda CR-V and Element, and the Mazda Tribute.

The ’06 Grand Vitara isn’t just a mildly restyled version of last year’s model. Instead, it’s a completely new vehicle based on the architecture of the Chevrolet Equinox/Saturn Vue/Pontiac Torrent sport utilities from General Motors.

It replaces the Vitara and Grand Vitara models that have been around since they replaced the Sidekick five years ago.

The previous-generation Vitara/Grand Vitara (and their Chevrolet Tracker clones) were true truck-style SUVs with a body mounted on a frame. Their four-wheel-drive versions were well-equipped and rugged enough for serious off-roading, while their main competitors – such car-based crossovers as the RAV4 and CR-V were (and still are) virtually worthless off road.

While the new Grand Vitara has unibody construction similar to that of the RAV4 and CR-V, in which body and frame are one unit, Suzuki has maintained the vehicle’s ruggedness and preserved its awesome off-road characteristics.

To do that, Suzuki incorporated a steel ladder frame within the unibody. The result is a vehicle this is more refined and carlike for on-road use, which is where these vehicles will be driven mostly, but with the capability to escape to rocky or sandy trails.

That gives the Grand Vitara a structure that has been bolstered beyond what GM provides in the Equinox/Torrent/Vue to make it more like its predecessor.

Unlike the Equinox/Vue/Torrent, the Grand Vitara has an optional four-wheel-drive system that includes a two-speed transfer case to provide low-range gearing for serious off-road exploring.

This newest Grand Vitara represents the fourth generation of Suzuki SUVs for the U.S. market. The first, the Samurai, was a good, cheap off-road vehicle, but was not well-suited for on-road driving. It was replaced in the early ’90s by the Sidekick, a much better on-road vehicle than the Samurai, while maintaining most of the Samurai’s off-road prowess.

The original Vitara/Grand Vitara were even better on-road vehicles, although perhaps not quite as nimble off-road because they were bigger than the Samurai and Sidekick.

Best of the Grand Vitara models, though, has been the XL-7, introduced in 2002 as the first compact SUV with three rows of seating. Basically a stretched version of the Grand Vitara, it comes with a slightly more-powerful engine – the 185-horsepower, 2.7-liter V-6 that is now the engine used in the redesigned 2006 Grand Vitara.

The new Grand Vitara is similar to the Concept X2 vehicle the company unveiled at the New York auto show last year. It has more interior space than the ’05 Grand Vitara, including more front and rear head- and leg-room.

The base model comes with a five-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, and carries a starting price of $19,199 plus $595 freight. With automatic transmission, it’s $20,199.

Our test version was a four-wheel-drive version with five-speed automatic transmission and luxury package (list price $24,399 plus freight), which included a free $400 upgrade to 17-inch alloy wheels.

Two four-wheel-drive systems are offered. One is a full-time single-mode system, while the other, designed for serious off-roading, is a full-time four-mode system, which was included on our test vehicle.

The luxury package is one of three that are offered to differentiate the Grand Vitara in price and amenities.

A “premium package,” which adds alloy wheels, privacy glass and six-disc, in-dash CD changer, raises the price to $20,099 with manual gearbox, and $21,099 with automatic (plus freight).

The next step is the XSport package, which raises the starting price to $21,299. Besides all of the features of the premium package, this option tacks on an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission, textured fender flares and the SmartPass keyless entry and start system.

That system allows for unlocking the doors and starting the engine with the key fob remaining in your pocket, a system normally found only on much more-expensive vehicles.

The Grand Vitara with the luxury package (beginning at $23,199) is the top model, and comes with the automatic transmission and all of the features of the premium and XSport packages, plus leather seats, wood-grain trim, electric sunroof, universal garage/gate opener and more.

Four-wheel-drive models begin at $20,399, and range to the $24,399 price of our fully-equipped luxury model. Base and premium models come with the basic all-wheel-drive system, while the XSport and Luxury versions get the four-mode four-wheel drive.

Standard Grand Vitara features include front disc/rear drum antilock brakes, power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote, power rack-and-pinion steering, electronic stability and traction control, automatic climate control, micron air-filtration system, cruise control, digital clock with outside temperature and fuel-consumption indicators, adjustable center armrest with storage, and an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system that has steering-wheel controls and is pre-wired for XM satellite radio.

Among standard safety features are driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact air bags, advanced dual-stage front air bags, and front and rear side-curtain air bags.

Creature comforts abound for that under-$25,000 price, and we found the leather interior and wood trim to be as nice as we’ve seen in some premium SUVs that sell for more than $30,000.

Both of the front bucket seats give their occupants good support, and they’re comfortable even when banging along on rocky trails like those we found in the Hill Country.

The four-mode four-wheel-drive system on our vehicle was perfect for some semi-rugged off-roading, although I didn’t have the opportunity to put it to the test on some of my favorite trails in southern Colorado or Arizona. I did get the feeling that it would handle those routes with ease, though, just as my own XL-7 has done.

For those of you who have no desire to do any serious off-roading, but are mostly looking for an economical SUV for around-town daily family use and the occasional weekend or vacation jaunt, the Grand Vitara is as capable and comfortable as any on the market.

With the five-speed automatic transmission in our tester, the EPA fuel-economy ratings are 19 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

As a compact SUV, the Grand Vitara isn’t meant to haul huge boats and campers, but it can tow trailers weighing up to 3,000 pounds.

The warranty is a plus for the Grand Vitara and all other Suzuki vehicles for 2006.

Billed as “America’s No. 1 Warranty,” it includes full coverage for three years/36,000 miles and extended powertrain coverage for seven years/100,000 miles. Roadside assistance and a free rental car are included in the initial warranty period.

The Grand Vitara is assembled at the jointly owned Suzuki-General Motors plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, that also builds the Equinox.

G. Chambers Williams III is staff automotive columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and former transportation writer for the Star-Telegram. His automotive columns have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.

At a Glance: 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara The package: Compact, five-passenger, five-door, V-6 powered, rear- or four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle. Highlights: Completely redesigned for 2006, this is the second generation of Suzuki’s popular compact sport utility. Built using the architecture of the new Chevrolet Equinox, the Grand Vitara is more rugged, however, because Suzuki has added a steel ladder frame to the unibody, and offers a serious four-wheel-drive system for true off-road capability. Yet the vehicle is more refined than ever for city driving. Negatives: No engine upgrade offered for more towing capacity. Engine: 2.7-liter V-6. Transmission: Five-speed manual, five-speed automatic. Power/torque: 185HP/184 foot-pounds. Length: 176 inches. Curb weight: 3,452-3,505 pounds. Cargo volume: 24.4 cubic feet behind rear seat (base and Premium models; 23.8 cubic feet (Xsport and Luxury models); 68.9/67.3 cubic feet with rear seat folded. Towing capacity: 3,000 pounds. Brakes, front/rear: Disc/drum, power, antilock. Fuel capacity/type: 17.4 gallons/regular unleaded. EPA fuel economy: 19 miles per gallon city/23 highway (automatic, 4WD).