Suzuki Grand Vitara Pickup Concept from 2000 Tokyo Motor Show
Suzuki is the little automaker with pluck, having galantly reached its ambitious goal of selling 100,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year. Soon another model with join Suzuki's lineup, and it's probably not what you think. Pickuptruck.com is reporting that the Japanese automaker will likely debut a new mid-size truck called the Equator at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show in February. The Equator name, while not confirmed or denied by Suzuki, has been registered as a trademark by the company. Suzuki will be getting help from Nissan to build its pickup, as the Equator will be produced on the same platform as the Frontier pickup and share that truck's assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee. Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com points out that Suzuki has definitely expressed interest in pickups before, having debuted the Grand Vitara Pickup Concept (shown above) at the 2000 Tokyo Motor Show. Let's not forget the excellent X-Head Concept that debuted at this year's show in Tokyo. Still, the mid-size pickup market in the U.S. is in even worse shape than the full-size pickup market, and is hardly stable enough to provide Suzuki with very many sales. If done well, however, the Equator could be the exception and give folks who own all manner of Suzuki hardware like bikes and ATVs a truck with which to tow their toys.
[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Xcountryflyer @ Dec 7th 2007 3:16PM
Ford is killing the Ranger. I think there should be a market for Suzuki's mid-size pickup if it ends up well-designed and with decent MPG.
Justin @ Dec 7th 2007 4:09PM
I was just thinking that!
geo.stewart @ Dec 7th 2007 6:18PM
but its MID-sized, not small like the ranger. think canyon or dakota or tacoma...
and mileage will SUCK, probably closer to a fullsize. Suzukis are typically low mpg in their bracket.
ford should sell its mazda bt50 here as a replacement for the ranger
ambientFLIER @ Dec 7th 2007 9:10PM
I don't think the canyon/colorado twins are midsize. I think they are compacts.
Dodge @ Dec 7th 2007 3:38PM
It's a great way for zuk to corner a market, sure sales. But wow, I hope its not as bland as their 2000 concept.
But I doubt that, they're recent suv designs have been spot on.
tanooki2003 @ Dec 7th 2007 3:42PM
I think this is absolutely perfect. Since ford seems to be too stupid and making their so called mid sized pickup the Explorer Sport Trac, the Nissan Frontier taking steroids, and not much else in the segment except leaving the awfully expensive Toyota Tacoma by it's lonesome this mid sized pickup should totally fit the bill.
I would really like to see the Mitsubishi Triton to come to the States with that really nice turbo diesel i-4 with common rail injection. I have actually owned one of these when I was in Malaysia and I must say that it is a very nice SUT (sport utility truck). It had great pickup for a turbo diesel and had better acceleration and torque than the US spec'ed Ford ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and previous generation Nissan Frontier (when it was actually a true midsized truck). I wish I could have brought it here but the retarded emission laws here are what made me have to sell it before i came back here.
Cornholio @ Dec 7th 2007 4:16PM
I second the Mitsu suggestion for the Triton. No re-badged Dakotas - that's not what the market wants right now.
And while they're at it, include that turbo diesel powerplant in the new version of the Montero. Mid-size diesel powered SUV, please!
Mark @ Dec 7th 2007 3:46PM
How about a -small- pickup? I had one of Nissan's tiny first US market pickups. These days, all the small pickups have gone "midsize."
A small truck would be nice.
Stéphane Dumas @ Dec 7th 2007 5:10PM
Mark, I spotted this French article from LeBlogAuto
http://www.leblogauto.com/2007/07/nissan-bakkie-appelez-moi-datsun.html the Nissan Bakkie in South Africa who's still made, is the old Datsun pick-up from the early 1970s
And for small pick-ups or utes, VW continue to made the Golf/Rabbit pick-up in South Africa as well. Ford got the Courier (not the 1970s rebadged Mazda pick-up but a small "ute" sold in Latin America).
Guenther @ Dec 7th 2007 4:01PM
The old nissan Hardbodys got the same lousy fuel econ as the current Frontier.
This will be based on the Frontier, so I don't see many real advantages, other than giving someone a Suzuki with which to haul their other Zukes.
I actually dug the old Vitara based 3-door trucklett- filled out the comment form at the time.
Tanooki- I think you're missing one significant player... Starts with a C....
The big problem facing these "midsize" trucks, is that they just don't offer much fuel economy of purchase price savings over their more capable full-size counter parts. Everyone has a 4cyl. diesel on the shelf. Get with the program already.
Cypher09 @ Dec 7th 2007 4:15PM
Build the X-Head
justout @ Dec 7th 2007 4:45PM
Like I've been saying all year. Put a modest diesel in it please. Anyone! I will be in the market this Spring.
Or-Nar-E @ Dec 7th 2007 4:51PM
Suzuki's messing up, IMHO... Why? Well, for one.. I don't think they'll hit 100,000 sales this year( every month this year, they posted sales figures....Except for November... salesman told me they did not do well, that's why, and they may get 95-97K units sold vs 101,000+ from 2006..they don't want to "brag" about Losing Sales, if possible).
Let me see.
My inlaws have a 07 CUV/SX4... 43,000 in 14 months(work vehicle)...excellent shape... no problems yet, and cost only 16K total, with automatic.
Very reasonable, close to 30 MPG. Fun to drive, etc...
Then there was news of the new SX4 Sport(sedan version of SX4 CUV).
I was ready to buy one...until I saw the cost(fairly loaded, well over 17K msrp...that's a lot more for a vehicle that only has FWD, and a trunk added on....1.5K more for a trunk?) and, No Fold Down Rear Seats, for one. No Sunroof option(strike 2), no real arm rest for passenger, or driver,or center console(to store stuff in).strike 3!!!!!!!!
I liked the Reno... and was hoping Suzuki was smart enough to build their own version(vs Daewoo/GM-DAT version), or a sedan with all the same stuff as the Forenza/Reno has/had for options(too).
Nope... they decontented, raised MSRP 2-3K, and give you less options(or none).
For 900 dollars less, I got the excellent(reworked) 2008 Focus SES.
It has fold down rear seats(like all other cars in this catagory), center console/armrest, and SYNC(no other cars will have this/companies, at least until Nov 08)..plus better MPG.
So, I could have got a SX4 sport...no sunroof(option),
no folding rear seats, no armrest.console...hardly anything, for 900 more than the Focus, and had the privledge of driving 100 miles 'round trip for service(or warranty issues, if any arose)
or got the Focus, and drive 16 miles 'round trip for any service/issues.
Hmmmm.
Suzuki is messing up.
Their SX4 sales are nowhere near what the (falling) Reno/Forenza saels are doing, still..and these(less contented) cars(sx4) is selling 1/4th of what the Reno/Forenza is... Do they get it?
No is the apparent answer.
Same with this truck.
Comes out at the wrong time.
Probably will have less content than the Nissan Frontier...
cost almosgt as much.....
and how many Suzuki dealerships are there( only 2 in 100 miles of my area,,, there is 1 more, but it's got 12 cars on the lot, only, and shares the building with a RV sales showroom!).
They should have made another CUV....or something else for now.
Hyundai/Kia want a truck... too...but are focusing on CUV-like vehicles-kind of- right now(upcoming Elantra 5 door).
I really wanted a Suzuki-Built Reno.. they gave us a 1991 car(like SE-R, but not as fun to drive).....with airbags(well, 91, the drivers had airbags..no passenger air bags, etc)in 2007.
Where's their 2 door coupes, like Cobalt, Focus, or even a 3 door like the upcoming Astra, or Scion tC?
These things sell....more than this truck will.
Bryan @ Dec 7th 2007 8:41PM
Get over it people. Everyone rather have a fullsize. And if I remember correctly, didn't Ford have a concept called the Equator recently?
ambientFLIER @ Dec 7th 2007 9:12PM
Quiet, redneck.
Bryan @ Dec 7th 2007 9:20PM
Aww look, a troll daddy! Can I keep him? No son, they have germs and spread ignorance like a disease!
ambientFLIER @ Dec 8th 2007 2:51PM
Go back to commenting on your fords, and leaving "yawn" comments on everything that isn't.
Bryan @ Dec 9th 2007 12:48PM
Oh excuse me king of autoblog yes sir anything you say. I forgot, you are better than everyone else and I can only post on Ford's. Get a life. Better yet, find God.
ambientFLIER @ Dec 9th 2007 6:36PM
Find God? Wow, what kind of retarded comment is that? Jeez, is everyone as much of a retard as you in Texas? Wait, that was almost an idiotic question...never mind. Good old state of queers and steers.
Bryan @ Dec 9th 2007 9:38PM
You just explained yourself perfectly. Hopefully you find the Lord soon! Once you do, you will not act like this any longer.