2009 Suzuki Equator
by Jim Prueter -03/2009

First ever Suzuki pickup targets motorcycle owners

In the past five years, Suzuki has sold more than one million motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles in the United States, which is about 10 times the number of cars it sells here annually. Most are being hauled around by a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. So, with the motorcycle and ATV crowd in mind, Suzuki brings its first pickup to market in a joint venture with Nissan.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t be worse. The pickup truck market has been hit hard, especially impacting compacts like Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger and Dodge Dakota. Mitsubishi Raider, a Dakota clone, was discontinued for 2009 due to dismal sales results. Suzuki won’t commit to specific sales projections saying only “it could be some sales to several thousand.”

Equator is a classic example of manufacturers “twinning vehicles.” This occurs when two virtually identical vehicles are given different nameplates. In this case, Equator is based on the Nissan Frontier, with both vehicles rolling off the same Nissan assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve always liked the Frontier and named it as our 2009 AAA Top Pick in the compact pickup truck category.

A few things differentiate the Equator from the Frontier. Equator’s exterior styling is exclusive from the windshield forward with its own hood, front fenders, three-bar honeycomb grille, and bumper. Out back, the tailgate is different and the cargo bed comes standard with a factory spray-on bedliner and adjustable tie-down system.

The two biggest differences, besides the unique exterior styling, are the Equator’s standard side-curtain air bags (optional on Frontier) and Suzuki’s fully transferable, zero-deductible seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty (five years/60,000 miles on Frontier). Equator also has price advantage with a base of $17,995 (including shipping) for the extended cab, compared to Frontier’s $18,240 base price.

Equator is offered in extended- and crew-cab versions, either a short or long cargo bed and two- or four-wheel drive. The extended cab comes only in two-wheel-drive.

A RMZ-4 crew cab off-road package — featuring a moonroof, unique seat trim with red stitching and beefed up suspension system and other off-road equipment — is available.

Engine choices include a base 2.5-liter 152-horsepower inline four-cylinder or a 4.0-liter V-6 with 261 horsepower. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard or a five-speed manual shifter is available on the four-cylinder Equator only.

We tested the 4x4 crew cab with V-6 and six-foot cargo bed and the optional Sport Value Package ($1995) with navigation system, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, cargo bed extender, step rails and floor mats.

We drove mostly on smooth highway and city roads and found it identical to Frontier’s comfortable, quiet and generally smooth ride. We didn’t get the opportunity for off-road testing but expect it to duplicate the same able capabilities of Frontier.

Inside, the cabin is spacious with comfortable cloth upholstery on the test truck. The dash is lifted almost identical from the Frontier parts bin. All surfaces are hard plastic with a sense of practicality. No shiny faux wood trim here or luxury-car options to drive the price higher.

Equator comes with bucket seats up front, divided by a center console that holds a power point inside, along with a slotted shelf for portable electronic devices. The base audio system found on the two-wheel drive Equator, doesn’t include an auxiliary jack to accommodate MP3 players. The seats are upholstered with a rubberized, water-resistant material for easy cleanups.

Rear seats split 60/40 and fold up and down for additional storage room. There’s an extra cargo area hidden under the rear seat. Rear seat passengers will find enough head, hip and legroom. There’s room for three, but two will ride more comfortably.

Standard safety gear includes dual-stage front airbags, front-seat side-impact and side-curtain airbags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and tire pressure monitoring. Equator earned four out of a possible five stars in front impact and rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It was not tested for side crash durability.

Overall, the Suzuki Equator, like its sibling Frontier, is a pleasing truck with excellent capability. But given the longer warranty and lower base price, Equator seems a better choice than the nearly identical Frontier.