Known as a big maker of small cars and motorcycles, Suzuki tried to build a small SUV and launched it in 1989: the Vitara.
It was built in three variants: three-door, five-door and convertible. The same car was known in the U.S. as the Geo Sidekick or GMC Sidekick. The small engine and light body-on-frame vehicle had a good fuel consumption and decent performance on road.

For off-road use, it had a 4x4 system with a transfer box and hi-low range. Front independent suspension ensured decent comfort for the occupants. The rear live-axle was good in off-road even if it didn’t have a lockable differential.

The interior features were minimal: air-conditioning, a radio-cassette player and that was it. An automatic 4-speed transmission was available as an option, but the standard was a 5-speed manual. In Europe, it was known as the Suzuki Vitara and it has a 1.6-liter engine with 80 hp. Later on, a 2.0-liter V6 gasoline engine was added, and a 2.0-liter diesel unit from Mazda.

It wasn’t until 1990 when the 16 valve engine with 100 hp was installed. The aging Suzuki Vitara convertible received a facelift in 1996 and new engines were installed. The 1.6-liter unit was replaced with a four-pot 2.0-liter engine, and the 2.0-liter V6 was replaced with a 2.5-liter V6 gasoline unit. In 1998, a new generation was launched.