"Suzuki Escudo": owner reviews, specifications and photos

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The 1988 Suzuki Escudo was the progenitor of the "urban jeep" category. Effective dimensions, successful interior layout and excellent driving performance have made the car one of the most sought after and popular. Actual for that time and the original design of the model with straight lines of the body attracted attention.

First Generation

Initially, the owners of the Suzuki Escudo in the reviews were arguing about different types of body: convertible, van and hardtop, which produced the first three-door version of the Escudo with a four-cylinder SOHC engine of 1.6 liters. Later, the manufacturer released a five-door Nomade modification, which surpassed previous versions in popularity. The three-door version of the Escudo also began to be produced in the Resin Top modification, which helped to increase sales of the car.

In 1994, Suzuki released a version of the Escudo with a two-liter petrol V6 and a similar four-cylinder diesel. According to reviews of the Suzuki Escudo, the most popular version wascar with a two-tone body color, released in the same year.

The six-cylinder 2.5-liter engine was only introduced to the Suzuki Escudo in 1996. The same version of the car received the Drive Select 4x4 system.

Second Generation

In 1997, mass production of the second generation of the city jeep was launched. From a technical point of view, it was more in line with a full-fledged SUV and was equipped with all-wheel drive, which made it possible to operate the car in difficult road conditions.

The second generation Escudo is equipped with a stiffer suspension with front struts and rear axle with anti-roll bars and springs. The owners of the Suzuki Grand Escudo in the reviews note the increased handling, excellent driving performance and the ability to operate the jeep in poor road conditions. A certain angularity of the body design has disappeared in comparison with the first generation, the shape and appearance of the radiator grille has changed.

Limited Edition

Motorists left rather controversial reviews about the Suzuki Escudo car of a special series, which differs from other second-generation models in the design of the front end, optics and radiator grille. The original appearance of the Escudo was largely in line with American SUV standards, which is why the Japanese manufacturer decided to make adjustments to the exterior of the car. A special version was offered in three- and five-door versions.

Third generation

The next restyling of the city jeep was carried out by the manufacturing company in 2005, marking the start of production of the third generation Suzuki Escudo. The concept of the third generation was demonstrated at the 2005 New York Auto Show, however, the presence of massive flaps on the model somewhat concealed the overall design of the car and increased its dimensions. Such a decision immediately caused a flurry of negative reviews about the Suzuki Escudo, which is why the company decided to release a model without flaps for the Japanese domestic market.

Engineers managed to lower the tilt of the front of the body thanks to the modified position of the engine, which provided a good level of visibility and clearance even with the maximum load of the jeep. Externally, the third generation Escudo resembles a classic off-road passenger car without any frills.

Specifications of the third generation Suzuki Escudo

The new generation of the city jeep from the Japanese concern Suzuki has received an innovative 4 mode full time 4WD system, which provides an additional transmission mode for off-road driving. Rigidity and strength of the body were increased by embedding a reinforced frame. The rear multi-link suspension has finally become an independent type, which was highly appreciated by the owners of the new generation Suzuki Escudo in the reviews.

The car is equipped with two engines: four-cylinder in-line andworking volume of 2 liters or 2.7-liter V6. The first power unit is paired with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, the second - only with a five-speed automatic transmission. The new engines, in their technical characteristics, are strikingly different from the 1.6-liter engine previously installed on the city jeep, which is especially prominent in the reviews of the Suzuki Escudo 1.6.

Escudo Benefits

• Cost. At a price, Suzuki Escudo is significantly inferior to sedans of the same year of manufacture, however, it is several times cheaper than such monsters as Land Cruiser, Terrano and others. For an affordable price, the manufacturer offers a powerful and dynamic car with excellent cross-country ability and handling, able to compete with venerable SUVs.
• Short car base. An undoubted advantage for hunters and fishermen, which, judging by the reviews of the Suzuki Escudo, allows the city jeep to easily make its way where other SUVs sit on the bottom.
• The ability to activate the front axle if necessary allows you to save fuel and increase the cross-country ability of the SUV. You can enable 4WD using the drive device.
• Changing the gear ratio by lowering the gear allows you to increase power, protect the automatic transmission in case of towing another vehicle. The owners of the Suzuki Escudo in the reviews speak admiringly about this function, since situations often arise whenit is necessary to pull out a stuck car, and it is highly undesirable to do this with an automatic transmission.
• Jeep frame structure for strength, reliability and safety.
• Light SUV weight.
• Reliable chassis. Chassis parts are really indestructible, which has been noted more than once in reviews of the Suzuki Escudo: springs, rubber bands and other elements can last the entire operational life of the car without replacement.

Disadvantages of the Jeep

• Small luggage space. Many owners install a roof rack, but with this design it is not always possible to drive the Escudo into the garage.
• Short base has a negative impact on the stability of the car on the track, especially at high speed. On a gravel road, it's best to stick to the speed limit of 60 km/h.
• Uncomfortable seat design: during long trips, the back becomes numb and tired.
• Compact dimensions. On the one hand - a plus, on the other - a minus, since the Escudo is definitely not designed for a large number of passengers.
• The new Suzuki Escudo is quite expensive, and in view of its attractive appearance it is a pity to operate it in difficult road conditions. Used models suffer from various diseases due to age and neglect of the owners, which entails certain costs;
• Seats do not fold down, reducing comfort and making it impossible to sleep in the cabin.

Many Suzuki Escudo owners after a few yearsoperation are faced with the problem of a sudden decrease or complete loss of traction. The engine idles great, but when you press the gas pedal, it drops to almost zero speed. Changing the fuel filter will fix the problem for a while, but the city jeep can become stubborn and refuse to go at any time. The banal replacement of the fuel pump helps to finally get rid of such a trouble - the "native" one stops pumping fuel normally over time, which leads to such malfunctions.

CV

The city jeep Suzuki Escudo is a reliable and powerful car with excellent cross-country ability, which has earned love and popularity among motorists due to its strict but attractive design and good technical characteristics.