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By John Stewart
New pickup aimed at outdoor recreation.
Introduction
The new 2009 Suzuki Equator is a mid-size pickup truck aimed squarely at active outdoor sports enthusiasts. The Equator is Suzuki's version of the newly redesigned 2009 Nissan Frontier. Equator is visually differentiated from the Frontier by its unique front styling.
The Equator differs from the Frontier principally in that certain options become standard equipment on the Equator, so it might be better set up for the kind of adventurous outdoor enthusiast customer that already enjoys Suzuki motorcycles, marine engines, or ATVs. These include enhanced safety equipment as standard, a unique GPS system, and their own warranty, a 100,000-mile, seven-year zero-deductible powertrain warranty that is fully transferable.
Suzuki sold more than 3 million motorcycles and ATVs in 2007, and most of those owners require a pickup truck to enjoy transport those products. The Equator is one of the few mid-size pickups available in Crew Cab/long-bed configuration. That's a good setup when hauling a lot of recreational gear and some friends.
Inside, the Equator is easy to operate. It comes with cloth upholstery. It's designed as a functional workhorse. Leather and luxury trim is not available. We found the seats comfortable during a full day of driving.
The 2009 Suzuki Equator is available in a wide variety of configurations. These include short-beds or long-beds, in 2WD or 4WD, with Crew Cab or Extended Cab. No factory receiver hitch is available, however, meaning you'll need an aftermarket receiver installed to tow.
Two engines are available. Standard is a 2.5-liter DOHC inline-4 that makes 152 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The optional 4.0-liter V6 makes 261 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque.
We found the Equator cruises nicely with the V6 engine, and it's reasonably quiet in most situations. It's not real powerful, but it gets the job done. It steers well, stops well, and ride quality is comfortable by empty pickup standards.
Off-road, the Equator RMZ-4 manages rugged terrain via low-range gears, a locking rear differential, BF Goodrich tires, generous ground clearance, and three skid plates.
Most pickups are driven empty most of the time. Given that reality, mid-size pickups with four-cylinder and V6 engines can be a smart choice for those who do not require the heavy hauling capabilities of a full-size, V8-equipped pickup. The new midsize Suzuki Equator is exactly that kind of truck, designed to be easier to own, easier to drive, and easier to live with than the average full-size pickup. It accomplishes that efficiency without giving up much capability, for those times when it must function as a workhorse.
Competition for the Equator includes the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Dodge Dakota, Chevy Colorado, and Honda Ridgeline.
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