American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) is exhibiting the Equator midsize pickup truck at the Chicago Auto Show, which opened to the public on Friday 8 February.
The Equator is Suzuki's first midsize pickup truck for the North American market. Its launch is aimed not only at expanding the range of models offered by ASMC but also at promoting sales of Suzuki vehicles by enhancing Suzuki's brand image in line with Suzuki's "Way of Life!" brand strategy.
At the Chicago Auto Show, there are three Equator versions as reference exhibits: the Equator RMZ-4, which carries an offroad bike; the Equator Quad, which carries an all-terrain vehicle and was conceived for outdoor sports; and the Equator Quay, which was conceived for fishing and other water sports.
The Equator is scheduled to go on sales in the fourth quarter of 2008. To appeal to a wide range of customers, it will be available in Extended Cab and Crew Cab styles, with a choice of engines (4.0-litre V6 or 2.5-litre),s and with a choice of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
The Equator midsize pickup truck is based on the Nissan Frontier and will be built at the Nissan North America manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Equator name expresses the toughness and dynamism of a pickup truck by bringing to mind the harsh climate in equatorial regions and the immenseness of the planet.