1988 Suzuki Samurai on 2040-cars

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Future Classic: 1996-1998 Suzuki X-90

SUVs are absolute cash cows, and because of that, automakers don’t often take risks in their design and execution. Oh, sure, the occasional Evoque Coupe or Murano CrossCabriolet slips through the cracks, but by and large most SUVs have four doors, two or three rows of seats and a hatchback for your cargo. But in the 1990s, carmakers were still experimenting with SUVs, so things occasionally got weird, and nothing embodied weirdness quite like the Suzuki X-90. Half SUV, half coupe, half roadster (three halves – see, super weird), the X-90 was all about fun in the sun. It was wild and had lots of personality. SuzukiÂ’s liÂ’l guy was unlike anything else on the road. Why is the Suzuki X-90 a future classic? The X-90 was SuzukiÂ’s followup to the ill-fated Samurai – you know, the SUV that was “easier to flip than a toilet seat,” according to reports from the time. The X-90 was much safer, with standard features like driver and passenger airbags, as well as antilock brakes, but it still fully embodied the SamuraiÂ’s have-fun-anywhere ethos. “Cute utes” were a growing subset of small SUVs in the ‘90s, and wow did the X-90 fully lean into this demeanor. It was tiny – only slightly longer and taller than a modern Fiat 500 – with two doors, two seats, a removable T-top roof and a sedan-like trunk with a spoiler for added flourish. Its 6.3 inches of ground clearance gave it a tiny-tough trucky stance, and you could get it in vibrant colors like purple and teal. It even had seat fabric that looked like ‘90s jazz cups. So cool. What is the ideal example of the Suzuki X-90? Since it was a low-volume product that was only sold for a couple of years (adding to its scarcity today), there werenÂ’t many differences between the X-90s that came to the U.S. All of ‘em were powered by a 1.6-liter inline-four engine with a blistering 95 horsepower and 98 pound-feet of torque. Buyers could choose between rear- and four-wheel drive, as well as a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. Going for the stick-shift gave you a slight edge on fuel economy, with the EPA rating both RWD and 4WD X-90s at 24 mpg combined, compared to 22 mpg with the automatic. Considering its core mission was all about having a whale of a time, the smartest way to spec an X-90 is with the five-speed manual and four-wheel drive.

Suzuki Jimny transforms into an adorable tiny Ford Bronco

The Suzuki Jimny may be impossibly cute as-is, but there's also something about the baby SUV that begs to be dressed up to look like other vehicles. Suzuki has decked out the Jimny in Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen kit, a theme the aftermarket did one better, creating a mini G63 AMG. Now, Japanese tuner Dream Automotive Design and Development (DAMD) has unveiled a body kit that gives the diminutive off-roader the appearance of a vintage Ford Bronco – called, cheekily enough, the DAMD Dronco. The retro baby-blue exterior is set off by a white roof, white steel bumpers, and white steel wheels. A new headlights-and-grille unit gives the Jimny a Ford family face, and a roof ladder at the rear completes the picture. The Dronco joins the company's other Jimny efforts, the vintage Land Rover Defender-inspired Little D and the baby G-Wagen Little G. We can't wait to see what the chameleon-like SUV turns up as next. Related Video:

Osamu Suzuki names son Toshihiro president and COO

The old guard is slowly changing at Suzuki. The Japanese automaker controlled by its namesake family has appointed its scion, Toshihiro Suzuki, as its new president and chief operating officer. However, his aging father, Osamu Suzuki, now 85 years old, will continue to serve as chairman and CEO. The promotion was announced as part of a new board of directors revealed by Suzuki on Tuesday, confirming several executive and board appointments. They include the nomination of Yasuhito Harayama as vice chairman and Osamu Honda as chief technology officer. The eldest son of longtime chairman Osamu Suzuki, 56-year-old Toshihiro was named an executive vice president of the company in 2011. He's been widely regarded as the heir apparent, especially since his brother-in-law Hirotaka Ono died in 2007. Another president & COO, Hiroshi Tsuda, resigned in 2008, leaving Osamu Suzuki firmly in charge. Toshihiro is anticipated to eventually take over from his father, but it remains unclear when that transition might finally take place. 30 June 2015 Change of Representative Directors and Appointment of Executives At the Board of Directors held on 30 June 2015, Suzuki Motor Corporation has made the change of Representative Directors as follows. The new Board of Directors is as below:- 1.Change of Representative Directors New Name Previous Representative Director and Chairman (CEO) Osamu Suzuki Representative Director and Chairman & CEO Representative Director and Vice Chairman Supporting CEO Yasuhito Harayama Representative Director and Executive Vice President Supporting CEO / Business Development / Executive General Manager, Business Development Representative Director and President (COO) Toshihiro Suzuki Representative Director and Executive Vice President Supporting CEO / Global Marketing 2. Change of Commission of Representative Director New Name Previous Representative Director and Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Osamu Honda Representative Director and Executive Vice President / Supporting CEO Automobile Engineering, R&D, and Quality / Executive General Manager, Automobile Engineering 3.