Suzuki Equator

"Dr_Watson" (dr_watson) 09/01/2020 at 15:21 • Filed to: Suzuki, badge engineering

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Saw one of these in the wild today (looked exactly as pictured, though this is a stock photo). Immediately thought I was crazy and did not just see a Suzuki badge on a pickup.

When I got home and looked it up I found out it’s just a rebadged Nissan Frontier. So really what was the point?

Part of Suzuki’s last gasp at remaining solvent? Or testing the waters to see if they should make thier own truck?

I had no idea this was a thing that existed in the NA market. Though it was apparently very short lived.

HammerheadFistpunch > Dr_Watson 09/01/2020 at 15:53

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I remember when this first came out the general idea was that people shopping for Frontiers would differentiate the Suzuki by its better sound system.  For real.

rctothefuture > HammerheadFistpunch 09/01/2020 at 15:54

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I remember reading that somewhere and not believing it to be true. Glad I was proven wrong!

Dr_Watson > HammerheadFistpunch 09/01/2020 at 15:58

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lol, that’s madness

Future next gen S2000 owner > Dr_Watson 09/01/2020 at 16:21

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Wait until you realize there was Isuzu I-series , Mitsubishi Raider, Dodge Dakota, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger all available for sale at the same point as the Suzuki Equator.

That’s right, for a brief period, you could get any one of 9 midsize/compact trucks in the US.

Dr_Watson > Future next gen S2000 owner 09/01/2020 at 16:45

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crazy days

slipperysallylikespenguins > Future next gen S2000 owner 09/01/2020 at 16:56

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Don’t forget Mazda

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Future next gen S2000 owner 09/01/2020 at 17:08

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Well the Isuzu, Chevy and GMC were all the same truck... and the Mitsubishi and Dodge were the same truck as well. So really, it was just 5 different midsize/compact truck designs.

Now if you go back to the mid 1980s, back then you got truly unique compact/midsize trucks from Ford, Jeep, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Isuzu, Subaru and two designs from GM (El Camino and the S10).

So that’s 10 different designs in the mid-1980s in the US ... but none of them had 4 doors. And some like the Jeep Com anche didn’t even offer an extended cab.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/01/2020 at 17:15

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True.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Dr_Watson 09/01/2020 at 19:45

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There’s a black one that must live near me as I see it with some frequency.

onlytwowheels > Dr_Watson 09/01/2020 at 21:02

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I believe Suzuki sold the truck with a better warranty,  3 yr/36,000 mi basic, 7 yr/100,000 mi powertrain.