A New Equation

Most sportsmen have a soft spot for full-sized pickups. Most of us have owned one--and many still do. An honest reality check says we can actually do with a little less truck most of the time. I know when I try to pull into a parking space at Walmart in my eight-foot, Quad Cab bruiser, I'm wishing for a lot less truck every time.

That's just one of the advantages of owning a mid-size pickup...maneuverability. The ability to duck into tight spots is not only advantageous in the concrete jungle, it's also beneficial on the hunting trails. If I'm hunting in areas where the roads and trails are on the technical side, the big rig simply must stay home in favor of a shorter wheelbase truck.

Agility is just one of the reasons I'm digging Suzuki's Equator. This mid-size pickup, in spite of its diminutive cargo and passenger space relative to a full-size truck, will get the job done 100 percent of the time for most sportsmen, and maybe 90 percent of the time for everyone else.

If this rig looks oddly familiar, that's because it is. Suzuki partnered with Nissan to bring the Equator to market. In fact, this pickup is built on the Nissan Frontier platform at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. I've always appreciated the Frontier for its styling, nimble nature and off-road capabilities, ergo, the Equator hits the mark right out of the box.

The truck is built on a 125.9-inch wheelbase for short bed models and 139.9 inches for the long bed variety. For comparison, that's still several inches longer than both GM and Ford's short and long bed mid-size pickups.

Serving as the foundation is a fully-boxed high-tensile strength steel frame, to which is secured the type of suspension we like to see in an honest-to-goodness trail runner: a double-wishbone independent front coupled with a leaf-sprung solid axle rear. This combination delivers arguably the best balance between on-highway manners, off-highway tenacity and load capability. Speaking of load, 4WD models are rated at 6,100 pounds maximum towing capacity and a top payload rating of 1,382 pounds (V6 automatic).

The Equator comes in two strengths: I4 or V6. We don't care about the I4 because it's puny, and the Extended Cab model for which it comes standard isn't available in 4WD. Four-wheel drive is only offered in the Crew Cab models, and with that comes the 4.0L DOHC six-cylinder and five-speed automatic transmission. Sporting aluminum heads and block, this is a feisty little number rated at 261 horsepower (5,600 rpm) and 281 ft/lbs torque (4,300 rpm). It's no world-class neck-snapper or stump-puller, but the VQ40 engine is about right for the Equator's cargo dimensions and 4,400-plus pounds curb weight. If you think the six-cylinder, small truck combo is going to do wonders for fuel economy, think again. With its 15/20 city/highway rating, don't look to the 4WD Equator as a gas-saving alternative.

When it comes to interior design, most full-size trucks are all about luxury appointments. The Equator, however, sits solidly in the sporty camp. The center stack and floor consoles are cleanly designed and pleasingly minimalist, promoting a feeling of comfortable spaciousness. Both front buckets feature ample bolsters on the seat back and buns--welcome assets when cruising over rough terrain. Driveline controls are also within easy reach, and include the transfer case dial knob, as well as the differential lock, vehicle dynamic control and hill descent/hold control buttons. These latter features, which I highly recommend if off-highway travel features prominently in your plans, are part of the Crew Cab RMZ-4 model with the Sport package. This is a truck for outdoorsmen who want a higher degree of off-road and about-town maneuverability, but aren't concerned about maximum payload and towing capacities.