Even if you don't remember Gabby Hayes, there was something kind of friendly and Wild West about the name, which is not at all inappropriate for a small sport-utility. However, along with a complete redesign of the vehicle, Suzuki also chose to change its name. Established names are not casually discarded in the car biz, so when someone dumps one, it's a good bet the name had too much negative baggage to be worth sustaining. The intriguing thing here is that Suzuki supplies a clone of this vehicle to Chevrolet, where it's known as the Tracker. And that's how it'll be known in 1999, too.
Bigger engine lacks power OK, enough with the name.
On to the other modest mystery of the Grand Vitara, which is functional in nature. That's what makes it grand. The four-cylinder versions are just called Vitaras, unless, of course, they happen to wear the familiar Chevy bowtie. And there won't be a Grand Tracker. The V6 is exclusive to Suzuki, at least through 1999.