Jalopnik: Nissan Frontier

2008 Suzuki Equator Illustration Is For Real

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:30:00 EST

That corner of an illustration we brought you of the 2008 Suzuki Equator is apparently for real, so we've decided to bring you the full monty. As previously reported, we're going to see this Frontier-based Suzuki rolling off the assembly line this fall. So if you're in the market for a likely cheaper, non-Nissan badged pickup truck with a Dave-worthy grille, this might be worth waiting for. We'll be seeing this sucker for real at next week's Chicago Auto Show.

2008 Suzuki Equator Embargo Breaks A Little

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:30:00 EST

It looks as though we're going to get more fun out of the March/April issue of Truck Trend, as it turns out there is an illustration of the Nissan-built Suzuki Equator right on page 47. That's the same Equator we're expecting to see at the Chicago Auto Show next week. As previously reported, Suzuki's new hauling hotness is a re-badged Nissan Frontier set to be built alongside its Nissan kin in Smyrna, Tennessee. Whether or not this is an illustration embargoed by Suzuki or just dreamed up by the folks at Truck Trend is unclear.

What is clear is the folks at Suzuki haven't given anything official to us yet — so we guess we'll keep our ears to the streets and our eyes at the newsstands and their media site for the next slip-up or official release of press shots and info.

Nissan Building Suzuki Truck in 2008, Not Racing It

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST

We mentioned the Suzuki-Nissan deal many moons ago, but it looks as though we've finally got some details on the first American impact. Suzuki has announced that Nissan will start building the company a midsize, Frontier-based pickup in their Smyrna, Tennessee plant. No name or real details yet, but we're guessing they're going to call it the Milanera. Any guesses on the name? Artists rendering above, press release below:

SUZUKI AUTO ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR PICKUP TRUCK BUILT BY NISSAN NORTH AMERICA Brea, Calif., (December 11, 2007) - American Suzuki Motor Corporation today announced that its midsize pickup truck will be produced by Nissan North America, Inc. The truck will be based on Nissan's Frontier midsize pickup and built at the company's manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tenn. Production of the pickup truck will begin in the fall of 2008. The vehicle will be marketed solely by Suzuki in North America. In 2006, Suzuki and Nissan announced an agreement to expand the scope of their business collaboration. The pickup is part of that agreement, which also included the supply by Suzuki to Nissan of Alto minicars in Japan. [Suzuki via [WCF]