Suzuki goes hip-hop with new ride

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno

      On Wednesday, Suzuki introduced the hip-hop version of its 2007 Grand Vitara at the Orange County Auto Show. Designed in partnership with SiTV, an English-language Latino cable network, the vehicle is targeted towards the urban teen and young adults.

     The "Hip Hop" Grand Vitara features a customized interior, 20-inch customized painted wheels and tires, Gull wing window features slide out audio mixing equipment with a drum machine, microphone boom and digital recorder, an in-dash touch screen video monitor, a 20-inch video screen in back door panel, a Nokia 770 Internet tablet, rear exterior mounted speakers and chrome antenna housing, exhaust and mirrors. The graffiti paint job was done by NY graf artist Fetus.

      Suzuki isn’t the only car company courting hip-hop heads. For the past two years Toyota’s Scion ad campaign has been heavily directed towards the hip-hop nation. They’ve even gone as far as throwing free shows featuring some of hip-hop’s hottest DJs like 9^th Wonder, DJ Premier, Pete Rock and DJ Evil Dee.