Dear Truck Trend,
I just received my latest issue of Truck Trend and found your story about the Suzuki Equator interesting. In the first paragraph, you state, "One compact truck has unfortunately eluded the automobile mainstream since its debut in 2008." The reason this truck doesn't sell well has nothing to do with its looks, performance, price, or anything else. The problem is trying to find one to purchase. In November 2011, I set out to replace my 2009 Tacoma. After reading many reviews of midsize pickups, I decided the Equator was the truck I wanted. I started at my local Suzuki dealer, who didn't have a single Equator in stock. When I contacted the sales manager, he couldn't tell me when they would be getting one in. I then tried every Suzuki dealer in New England with the same results. The nearest truck I could find (a four-door crew cab) was in upstate New York, almost 400 miles away! I then was forced to turn to my local Nissan dealer to look at the Frontier. All the local dealers had all models in stock, and the deals and incentives were great. I ended up with a Nissan Crew Cab 4WD SL, fully optioned. I'm very happy with the truck, but still miss the Suzuki styling. How can Suzuki be successful in the pickup market without the inventory it needs to be relevant? I just can't see how this strategy can possibly work and what the management team at Suzuki is thinking.
Jim Samowski
Salem, New Hampshire
Dear Reader,
There seem to be a few reasons why Suzuki doesn't sell as many vehicles as other companies, even though it has some good products. For Suzuki to survive in America, it has to make it easier for people to buy its trucks. (It would also help to have fewer badge-engineered vehicles.) We have noted a similar problem in Southern California: The selection at individual dealerships isn't extensive, and there are relatively few Suzuki dealers here.
-Truck Trend
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