Up Close: 2009 Suzuki Equator
The Suzuki Equator midsize pickup trucks on display at the Chicago Auto Show are customized trucks, not the production versions that will arrive at Suzuki dealerships late this year. They do, however, exhibit the general shape of the truck, and it’s a reasonably nice looking pickup — even if it does look a lot like the Toyota Tacoma.
The Equator is based on the Nissan Frontier, not the Tacoma, and Gene Brown, Suzuki vice president for marketing and public relations, says finalized production versions of the truck might be ready in time to display at the Los Angeles auto show later this year.
Cabin appointments haven’t been finished yet, but it’s clear the truck will retain the Frontier’s basic interior appearance. Don’t look for the white seats and armrests on the show car to make it to production.
From a market perspective, it’s hard to see the need for a midsize pickup truck based on an existing model. From Suzuki’s point of view, though, the Equator fills a void in its product line. “Our customers want a truck that helps them live their lifestyles,” Brown said.
