While Suzuki itself doesn't have any manufacturing plants found in the United States, the 2009 Equator is assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee outside Nashville. Equator is a joint venture with Nissan North America which opened the assembly line in 1983 (Nissan's U.S headquarters is located in the Nashville area, too). Equator shares a platform with the Nissan Frontier mid-size pickup also built in Smyrna. While the hood, mesh honeycomb grille, front fenders and rear tailgate are Equator exclusives, underpinnings, or "Greasy Parts," as Brown refers to them are Frontier driven.
Air conditioning is standard except in the base four-cylinder where it's optional. Cruise control, power windows and remote keyless entry are optional on Base trims, but standard else ware. The moon roof is optional only in the RMZ-4.
Inside, the rear 60/40 split seats fold back and up, locking in an upright position to reveal a convenient removable storage box. Once items are stowed, the seat cushion folds down over the storage area. The front passenger bucket seat backs folds flat onto the seat cushion for increased versatility.
The instrument panel features two flat, large circular gauges flanked by two smaller ones. A digital icon also inside our IP indicated when the vehicle is in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. The top center of the dash has a scooped area ideal for stowing tollway transponders. Below is the stereo at flanked by vertical vents. Underneath are two dials controlling fan speed and temperature. In between are buttons monitoring fan direction and front and back window defroster. The dual-level glove box has doors that flip up and down. Storage is also found in between the front bucket seats under a flip-top cover. Also in the area are large beverage holders capable of holding Big Gulps, hand-operated parking brake and transmission shifter. Beverages may also be stored in side door map pockets. Suzuki conveniently incorporates many small and not so small storage areas through the truck.
The driver's door has power window levers controlling all four doors positioned at a 45-degree angle. Power locks are in this same area. Power side view mirrors are monitored by a push template on the far left dash.
Safety features are many and include anti-lock brakes, traction control, energy-absorbing steering column, dual front air bags, curtain air bags, front bucket side air bags and front crumple zones. Hill hold control and hill decent control are available in the top-line six-cylinder RMZ-4 when ordering a Sport package.
The main appeal of the Equator over its Nissan Frontier kissing cousin is the Suzuki comes with a seven-year/100,000 mile (which ever comes first) fully transferable, zero deductable powertrain warranty, one of the better warranties in the business. This also bodes well for Equator's resale value.
Nissan has been assembling pickup trucks at its Tennessee plant since the early 1980s. It's a platform that's well tested and targeted to the U.S. market. If you like the Nissan Frontier, you may like the
2009 Suzuki Equator a little better not only because of the warranty and because it's a conversation starter. More than once during my test drive, a person stopped me saying, " I didn't know Suzuki made a pickup."
They do now.