Suzuki Launches New Escudo (Vitara) in Japan

In Japan, compact SUVs are often viewed as items of luxury, which is quite different from our North American interpretation.

Suzuki has gone the extra mile in the interior to ensure that fabrics, plastics and other materials are of better quality, while the actual design is tasteful and pleasing to the eye. (Photo: Suzuki Canada)

As such, Suzuki has marketed the new Escudo there to include such features as high-intensity discharge headlamps, satellite navigation, a stability control program, ABS with brake force distribution, as well as front and side curtain airbags. It's unlikely that Suzuki will offer this technology in our North American models, as the brand is still under the stigma of producing cheap, value-driven automobiles. It would be a nice change, though.

Like the European and Japanese market Swift (Not the GMDAT developed Swift+), the Escudo is radically different in the execution of its interior. To boost its image, Suzuki has gone the extra mile to ensure that fabrics, plastics and other materials are of better quality, while the actual design is tasteful and pleasing to the eye. Inspired by sports cars and trendy 4x4s, such as the European Toyota Land Cruiser (Lexus GX470), the Escudo features a waterfall-style center

The Escudo is currently available in a five-seat, five-door wagon body style. (Photo: Suzuki Canada)

console lined with faux metal accent trim. Judging from these initial photos, the Escudo is one of the finest looking products Suzuki has built to date, and is a leap forward in the right direction for the brand.

The Escudo is currently available in a five-seat, five-door wagon body style; it is expected that a stretched, seven-seat version will follow sometime in the following months. Whether or not Suzuki will produce a three-door version, or a soft-top convertible as with the first-generation Escudo, is unknown; while popular at launch, the model was eventually phased out in North America (and eventually the rest of the world) due to a lack of sales.