2012 Suzuki Equator Overview Change Vehicle

2012 Suzuki Equator review with specifications, fuel economy data, safety information, reliability ratings, a photo gallery, and The Vehix View

You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of this truck. The Suzuki Equator is a compact pickup, a restyled and re-badged Nissan Frontier equipped with a much better warranty than Nissan offers on its version. Extended and Crew Cab models are available, with two- or four-wheel drive and a four- or six-cylinder engine.

Stability control is standard on all Equators for 2012, and new headrests for the front seats are designed to better prevent injury in a rear-impact collision. New colors include Adobe Red, Bay Blue and Silver Alloy, while the Equator’s interior is now available in a Graphite color. The Equator RMZ-4 is no longer available with an optional navigation system.

Suzuki sells the 2012 Equator in extended or crew cab models. Equator extended cabs can be trimmed in Base, Premium or Sport trim, while Equator Crew Cabs are available in Sport and RMZ-4 trim.

The least-expensive Equator is equipped with few frills. It rides on simple 15-inch steel wheels, and a tilt steering wheel and cloth seats are standard. Additional items of note include a spray-in bedliner, flip-up rear seats with removable storage boxes underneath, a fold-flat front passenger’s seat, and a dual glove box design. Vehicle Dynamic Control, a stability control system, is also included. To get air conditioning and a stereo with a CD player, you must order the optional – and aptly named – Comfort Package.

Our bet is that most Equator buyers choose the Premium model, which includes an automatic transmission, power side mirrors, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a sliding rear window. Standard 16-inch alloy wheels and a skid-plate insert in the front bumper identify the Equator Premium, and Suzuki offers this model with an optional V6 engine and four-wheel drive.

The V6 engine and 4WD are standard on the Equator Sport Extended Cab, which also comes with larger 17-inch alloy wheels, front tow hooks, traction control, and reading lamps. Oh, and don’t forget about the Sport model’s upgraded dual-note horn.

Switching gears to the Equator Crew Cab, the least expensive model is the Sport with a short cargo bed. It is equipped like the Equator Sport Extended Cab, but has a cargo bed tie-down system, a cargo bed extender, premium cloth upholstery, and a six-speaker stereo. This model also comes with two-wheel drive instead of 4WD. If you want 4WD, buy the Sport Crew Cab Long Bed, which also comes with Hill Hold and Hill Descent Control systems.

At the top of the Equator lineup sits the RMZ-4 Crew Cab. It adds serious off-roading hardware in the form of Dana 44 axles, Bilstein shocks, underbody skid plates, an electronic locking rear differential, and 16-inch alloys shod with BFGoodrich Rugged Trail off-road tires. A moto-style cargo bed extended is standard on this model, as well as easy-clean fabric upholstery with red stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome trim inside and out, fog lights, a security system, and a power moonroof. An option package on this version of the Equator includes Bluetooth and a 380-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system with satellite radio, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a six-disc CD changer.

The Equator Extended Cab is equipped with a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine stirring up just 152 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 171 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is included on base models, while the Equator Premium has a five-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy measures 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway with the manual, while the automatic is rated to return 17-city/22-highway.

Optional on the Equator Extended Cab Sport and standard on the Equator Crew Cab models, the 4.0-liter V6 cranks out 261 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 281 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission choice with the V6, and a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case is available. Fuel economy ratings are 15-city/20-highway with rear-wheel drive, and 15-city/19-highway with 4WD.

When it comes to safety features, the 2012 Suzuki Equator is outfitted with the basics and not much more. Six airbags, stability control, and a four-wheel ventilated-disc antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution are included on all models. Traction control is available.

In crash tests, the Suzuki Equator just misses a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The truck receives Good ratings for frontal-, side-, and roof strength assessments, but scores an Acceptable rating for rear-impact injury prevention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the Equator, except to assign the truck a 3-Star rating for rollover resistance with two-wheel drive, and a 4-Star rating for rollover resistance with 4WD.

Given the Equator’s low sales volumes, it’s no surprise that market research firms like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates have little data upon which to make predictions. In looking at the Nissan Frontier, however, we’re comfortable in saying that the Equator is likely to provide average dependability over time.

The Suzuki Equator V6 is rated to tow as much as 6,300 pounds when properly equipped, while the Equator four-cylinder tops out at 3,500 lbs. of trailer.

In terms of payload, Equator Extended Cab models can manage up to 1,393 lbs. with the optional V6 engine, or just 986 lbs. with the standard four-cylinder. Crew Cabs can haul up to 1,471 pounds.

Minimum ground clearance measures 8.9 inches for the Equator Crew Cab 4WD, while Extended Cab 2WD models provide a minimum of 7.6 inches.

Suzuki refers to its warranty as “America’s #1 Warranty.” The powertrain is covered for seven years or 100,000 miles, which is less than Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi. The basic bumper-to-bumper warranty and roadside assistance plan covers the Equator for three years or 36,000 miles, which is less generous some many automakers. Suzuki points to the fact that their warranty is fully transferrable with zero deductible, unlike other warranties of similar length.

Though Suzuki does almost no promotion of its Nissan-built Equator pickup truck, we think this rugged machine is worth consideration, especially if you happen to have a Suzuki dealership nearby. Essentially, the Equator is a Nissan Frontier with better warranty coverage. That means it provides better value than the Nissan. Plus, because it competes in a shrinking segment that includes a couple of real duds from General Motors (the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon), the Equator is one of the three best small trucks you can buy today.

-- By Christian Wardlaw