Suzuki Sidekick

The Suzuki Sidekick is the North American name of the first-generation Suzuki Vitara, a compact four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle that Suzuki launched in Japan in July 1988 as the Escudo. It reached North America for model year 1989 as a two-door convertible or hardtop. At launch it came in JA, JX and JLX trims with either a 1.3-litre or a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, the 1.3-litre being offered only in the JA convertible. The upscale JLX was dropped in 1990, a 16-valve 1.6-litre engine arrived for 1992, and a Sport version with a 1.8-litre engine followed in 1996. In Indonesia the Sidekick was instead the name of a cheaper entry-level version of the Escudo, introduced in April 1995 and sold until the Grand Escudo replaced it in June 2001. In the United States and Canada the Sidekick supplemented the Samurai from 1989 and eventually replaced it.