4×4S.ORGTHE REGISTRY BASE MODEL · 1988–98
BASE MODELJapan

Escudo / Vitara / Sidekick (1988–98)

The bigger Suzuki: the Escudo of July 1988, sold as the Vitara in Europe, the Sidekick in North America (1989) and the Geo and Chevrolet Tracker, with a ladder frame, coil-sprung front suspension, a two-speed transfer case, the 1.6 G16 and later a 2.0 V6, in three-door, convertible and (from late 1990) five-door bodies; built at Kosai and by CAMI at Ingersoll, Ontario.

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Sources & evidence
Escudo / Vitara / Sidekick (1988–98) — Suzuki Vitara JLX (1990)Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0 ↗
MODEL LINEEscudo, Vitara and Grand VitaraBUILT BYSuzuki, Kosai, ShizuokaPRODUCED1988–98PRODUCTIONNot publishedLAYOUT4 wheels · 86.6″

The record

The Escudo created the small recreational 4x4 market of the 1990s and sold in huge numbers as the Sidekick and Tracker in North America; Santana built it in Spain and it was assembled in several Asian countries.

Specification

MANUFACTURED1988–98
ENGINE1.6-litre G16 four; 2.0-litre H20A V6
PRODUCTION RUNNot published
COUNTRY OF ORIGINJapan
STATUSreplaced by the Grand Vitara in 1998
RECORD KINDBase model
MODEL LINEEscudo, Vitara and Grand Vitara
FAMILYEscudo, Vitara and Grand Vitara
WHEELS4
NOMINAL WHEELBASE86.6″
BODY STYLEThree-door
VARIANTS3

Catalogue fields describe the vehicle's structure and body as this registry records it. They are not certified factory measurements, and no performance figures are published here.

Body styles & colours

Body style

Factory colours

  • Superior White

Codes on hover. Hex values are representative approximations of period paint unless a source states a measured value.

AI rendering impression

An AI rendering impression starts from a 3D model of this vehicle, which an image model then paints into a scene. It is an artist's impression of the type, made to give a feel for the vehicle in its element — not a photograph, and not a record of any particular vehicle.

Proportions, fittings, markings, colours and the setting can all drift from the original in the process. For the vehicle's actual details, rely on the specification, the photographs and the cited sources on this page.

Sources

  1. 1Suzuki Vitara ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-22SOURCE

Registry record updated 2026-09-22 · status: researched