Overview

What's New for 2012:
- Stability control is standard on all trims
- New headrests on front seats

Exterior Features
The 2012 Suzuki Equator is a midsize pickup truck that shares a platform with the Nissan Frontier, offered in either extended (2-door) or crew cab (4-door) body styles and available in up to four trim levels, depending on body style. Fifteen-inch wheels are standard on base trims, with larger wheels available.

Interior Features
The 2012 Suzuki Equator Extended Cab seats 4 passengers, while the Equator Crew Cab seats 5. Extended Cab models offer 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space in its bed and Crew Cab models offer 27.1 cubic feet. The base model is equipped with cloth-upholstered bucket seats and a center console with armrest and storage bins. The Equator Comfort trim provides air conditioning and a stereo with CD player, while Premium trim models feature power accessories and cruise control. Top-of-the-line RMZ-4 Crew Cab models upgrade to unique upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and interior chrome trim.

Optional Features
While most of the options for the 2012 Equator are added by moving up in trim level, Suzuki also offers some stand-alone options, depending on trim. Those options include Bluetooth connectivity, portable navigation system, sliding bed extender, towing equipment, and step rails.

Under the Hood
The 2012 Suzuki Equator offers two different engines. A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 152 horsepower is available only on lower-trim Extended Cab models, while a 4.0-liter V-6 engine rated at 261 horsepower is available only on Crew Cab and all-wheel-drive (AWD) models. While rear-wheel drive (2WD) is standard, AWD is optional and even standard on certain configurations. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard on base models, while all other models come standard with a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Fuel Economy
EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2012 Suzuki Equator are:
- Equator with 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission: 19/23/21 mpg (city/highway/combined)
- Equator with 4-cylinder engine and automatic transmission: 17/22/19 mpg
- Equator with V-6 engine, AWD and automatic transmission: 15/19/16 mpg
- Equator with V-6 engine, RWD and automatic transmission: 15/20/17 mpg

Safety
Standard safety features on the Suzuki Equator include front-seat side air bags, full-length side curtain air bags, and anti-lock brakes.

To date, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not conducted crash tests on the 2012 Suzuki Equator. In safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Equator received "Good" ratings--the Institute's highest--for frontal-offset and side-impact crash protection.