Suzuki Escudo
The Suzuki Escudo is a compact sport utility vehicle off-road produced by Suzuki since 1988. It is also known as Sidekick in the United States from 1988 to 1998, Recuerdos in the United States, Western Europe, Bolivia, Ecuador, the Philippines , Hong Kong, and Taiwan since 1999,, and Grand Recuerdos in the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, and parts of South Asia, the Caribbean, South Africa, Iran, Canada and Australia. The North American version was produced as a joint venture between Suzuki and General Motors known as Cami. Follow-up to the car to the popular SJ413 and Suzuki Samurai. Also, the car, and sold in North America, was designed to slot above the Suzuki Samurai. A large and mid-size version of this is done, known as the Suzuki Escudo Grand. The name is derived from the “Escudo”, the unit cost to Portugal to the Euro was adopted.
The Sidekick was sold in various badges such as the Geo Tracker (Chevrolet Tracker after 1998) in the United States, and as the GMC Tracker, Chevrolet Tracker, Asüna Sunrunner and Pontiac Sunrunner in Canada. Was also sold as the Santana 300 and 350 in Spain. Japanese home market, it was sold with various Mazda badge.
Suzuki Escudo First Generation (1988-2000)
First introduced as the Escudo domestic Japanese market in May 1988, the North American Sidekick became available for model year 1989 as a convertible 2-door or hardtop, in 1.0-liter JA and more powerful 4-wheel drive JX & JLX trims. An 80 hp (60 kW) 1.6-liter, 8-valve, 4-cylinder Suzuki engine G16 was available on the JX & JLX. 1990 brought the deletion of the JLX upscale version. In 1991, a Sidekick 4-door with a lengthened wheelbase was introduced and the following year a 95 hp (71 kW), 1.6-liter, 16-valve Suzuki engine G16A launch. 1991 and brought the introduction of rear antilock brakes. The original Sidekick updated in 1996 with a new version of the Sport is available with a 120 hp (89 kW), 1.8-liter 16-valve 4-cylinder Suzuki engine J18. The Sport had two airbags, 2-tone paint and 16-inch alloy wheels.
1993 brought an update of the dash with the outside. There is a very small industry in a special edition called Recuerdos Rossini came in metallic pink with a cream leather interior, but 250 of this model were produced around the world. In 1996, Suzuki introduced the Suzuki X-90 which was mechanically identical to the Sidekick, but had a much rounder body, trunk, and removable T-bar roof. The Suzuki X-90 disappeared from Suzuki’s after model year 1998. This is similar to the Grand Sport replaced Recuerdos in 1999. In Spain, production went on at Suzuki’s partner Santana with a nameplate Recuerdos. After a facelift in 2005 the name was changed to Santana 300/350.
In Australia, there were two models available. Recuerdos JX and Recuerdos JLX. The JLX featured mainly electric windows. Both versions featured the 1.6 Litre engine. In May 1997, Suzuki introduced the 1995 cc 2.0 Litre 4 Valves / Cylinder Double Top Cam engine with both soft-top and hardtop 3-door models. This engine is rated at 97 kW (130 hp) at 6300 rpm. At the same 5-door models received the 1998 cc 2.0-liter V6. Engine power rated for the 5-door V6 models was at 100 kW (134 hp) at 6500 rpm. The same 1.6-liter for the 3-door models in the Suzuki Recuerdos Rebel. All models in Australia were sold as four-wheel drive.
The naming scheme, engines and options available zemikhawulo Chile, closely follow the markets in Australia. In 1998, when he became models available featuring 1.9-liter turbo-diesel engines from PSA, built in Spain by Santana Motors, all of them were 4WD vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. Since 2001, all diesel 1st Gen Vitaras to be imported from Argentina, built by General Motors in Argentina, featuring 2.0-liter HDI engines from PSA, all with a 5-speed transmissions mechanic. Automatic transmissions are available only in Japanese models are built with gasoline engines.
In Indonesia, Indomobil Suzuki sole agent introduced Recuerdos in 1992. Although Recuerdos he was still in the market, Suzuki added 4X2 version and labeled as the Escudo in 1994 to get in the driver market. In 1996, Suzuki introduced the Sidekick, as Spec-down version of the Escudo, as the entry level model. Indonesia is the only market in the world to receive the names of three different Escudo time. Door Only 5 models, the 1.6-liter petrol engine is offered at no automatic transmission. In 1995, Recuerdos received a fuel-injection system and marketing Recuerdos EPI (Electronic Petrol Injection). However, because of the price much higher, Recuerdos EPI sold in the market and later regarded as collector item from its rarity. For 1995, Recuerdos got inside. Official for this generation production ended in 2006 and the end of the Santana 300/350.
Suzuki Escudo Second Generation (1998-2006)
The first-generation Grand Recuerdos version of the slightly larger, pricier and more powerful Suzuki Recuerdos 4-door. The facelifted in 2002 and again in 2004. A rebadged version of the sold in North America by General Motors as the Chevrolet Tracker. The Tracker is sold in Latin America, but Mexico, as Chevrolet Grand Recuerdos. In Mexico, Grand Recuerdos and Tracker are different vehicles, sold by Suzuki and Chevrolet respectively. Chile, 5-door Grand Recuerdos known as the Grand Nomad.
As of 2003, the small Suzuki Recuerdos has dropped North American market. Sales were slow, with just 4.860 sold in 2004 for the United States. In Canada, sales were strong. All North American Vitaras built at Cami Automotive in Ingersoll, Ontario, while the North American Grand Vitaras built in Japan, where it is Suzuki Escudo. The model 2006 has been re-building with a ladder chassis-new Boxed integrated into a unibody construction. In India, it is sold by Suzuki’s Indian unit, Maruti Suzuki. The 2001 model Suzuki Grand Recuerdos comes standard as a 2.0 Liter 4WD vehicle in New Zealand. The 2005 Grand Recuerdos sold in Ecuador by Chevrolet, but still retains its Suzuki badges.
Suzuki Escudo Grand
In 1998 The Grand Escudo was a long, slightly larger, pricier and more powerful version of the more common five-door. Japanese market Grand Escudo was sold in North America as the Suzuki XL-7. In Australia Europe it was marketed as Grand Recuerdos XL-7.
Suzuki Escudo Third Generation (2005-present)
The second generation was replaced in the (Northern Hemisphere) in the fall of 2005 by a new car uses some parts of the GM Theta platform, and is built in Japan. The 2006 Escudo was developed independently by many of the same Suzuki engineers who developed the Theta. Although it uses some of the componentry Theta, especially in the suspension, is different and should not be considered a Theta. Notably, it uses a longitudinally mounted engine and at least a rear-wheel drive with a 103.9 in (2639 mm) wheelbase, while all other Theta vehicles are Ned transverse, a mistake to front-wheel drive. When the other Theta vehicles can be ordered with front-drive biased ‘all-wheel drive’, the Escudo instead offers off-road capable selectable four-wheel drive. Contemporary generation Suzuki XL7 (the start of the model year 2007) was a true Theta vehicle, and was built alongside the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent at Cami Automotive in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.
The Escudo most widely available version of the 5-door, but the version of the 3-door is also available in other markets. In some markets the same 3-door drops the “Grand” to mark as “Recuerdos”. In some countries, including 5-door version of the named ‘Grand Nomad “. The Suzuki Escudo with the mass-produced in Iran by Iran Khodro Manufacturing Co. In Ecuador, this version of the SUV that Suzuki Grand Recuerdos SZ known.
Until 2008 the standard gasoline engine for the 5-door was the new J20A with an optional Suzuki H H27A engine (V6 2.7L 185 PS) in higher models. Pre-2001 turbo diesel models were fitted with Mazda’s type RF engine, examples, and later fitted with a 1.9 L 4-cylinder turbo diesel featuring 129 PS (95 kW), manufactured by Renault. The only engine fitted to 3-door model before 2008 was the M16A (4 Center. 1.6L 106 PS (78 kW)). In the second quarter of 2012 and the 2013 model year, Suzuki unvelied a Escudo facelifted with new wheels, a new grille and front lights. Since 1995, Nobuhiro Tajima used a heavily modified V6 Escudo in the Climb Pikes Peak International Hill. This version of the car was popularized by the use of the Suzuki Escudo Gran Turismo video game series.
