Suzuki handed over one of its new Equator 4×4 pickups to the staff at 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine to see what they could do with it before Suzuki took it to the 2009 Chicago Auto Show.
Since there wasn’t a suspension kit available for the Equator, 4Wheel & Off-Road created one. They used Icon Vehicle Dynamics coilover shocks up front and remote-reservoir shocks in the rear, a Total Chaos upper A-arm system, and a rear mini leaf pack from Deaver Spring. The truck rides on beadlock wheels from Allied Wheel, 33-Inch Hankook Dynapro MT tires.
The Shrockworks winch-bumper bull bar for a Nissan Frontier was the way to go. It dramatically increased the approach angle to a respectable 22 inches. The 3/16-inch-plate steel skid soundly protects the front-end components and radiator. The bump is home for a Warn XD9000i winch.
Inside are Master Craft RS Camelback seats for the driver and front passenger with the rear bench receiving matching upholstery.
“With the arrival of the all-new Equator, we were presented with a tremendous opportunity to extend the awareness of our adventurous brand spirit to a new group of vehicle enthusiasts,” said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing, PR and product planning, American Suzuki Automotive Operations. “The three custom trucks Suzuki unveils in Chicago allow us a similar opportunity to creatively extend our relationship with the editorial teams that help us communicate that very message.”