The Suzuki X-90 is a front engine, rear or four wheel drive, two door, two seater

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...

manufactured and marketed by

Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...

for the model years of 1995 to 1997. Related to the

Suzuki Vitara The Suzuki Vitara is a series of SUVs produced by Suzuki in five generations since 1988. The second, third-generation and 2022 models are known as the Suzuki Grand Vitara, with the fourth generation eschewing the "Grand" prefix. In Japan and a ...

, the X-90 featured a T Section removable roof. Replacing the

Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

in the market in the United States, Suzuki began marketing the X-90 in Japan by the end of 1995, and in western markets in April 1996. The X-90 used a 1.6 L I4

16 valve In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and may be able to operate at higher revolutions per minute (RPM) than a two-valve engine ...

engine which produced and was available with

four wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

rear wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel ...

, and either a five speed manual or automatic transmission. The X-90 featured dual air bags, anti lock brakes, optional air conditioning, and one dealer installed six disc CD changer. The

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...

used

MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...

s and

coil spring A selection of conical coil springs The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself. Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...

s in front and

s with

wishbone Wishbone commonly refers to: * Furcula, a fork-shaped bone in birds and some dinosaurs Wishbone may also refer to: * Wish-Bone, an American salad dressing and condiment company * Wishbone formation, a type of offense in American football * Wish ...

and

trailing link A (semi) trailing-arm suspension, sometimes referred to as (semi) trailing-link is a vehicle axle or wheel suspension design in which one or more horizontal arms (or "links"), perpendicular to and forward of the axle, are connecting the axle or w ...

s in the rear. A space saver spare wheel is stored in the trunk, and space behind the two seats offers further cargo area. The X-90 debuted as a

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

at the 1993

Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show by ...

. Suzuki presented the production vehicle in 1995, and began marketing the X-90 by the end of that year in Japan, with international markets the following year. 1,348 were sold in Japan, and 7,205 X-90s were imported into the United States. More than half in the United States were sold in 1996, with sales of 2,087 the next year, and 477 in 1998. During 1996, 484 vehicles were imported into Australia. The X-90 was also imported into Europe. By the middle of 1997, the retail pricing had dropped by 25%. No further imports occurred, and the last of the vehicles sold in 1999. The X-90 was the base vehicle for

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...

's advertising vehicles, which featured a 1.5 m (5') mockup of the company's product can mounted over the trunk. In October 2013, ''

Top Gear Magazine ''Top Gear'' is a British automobile magazine, owned by BBC Worldwide, and published under contract by Immediate Media Company. It is named after the BBC's ''Top Gear'' television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published m ...

'' placed the X-90 on its list of ''The 13 Worst Cars of the Last 20 Years.'' In March 2022,

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...

named the X-90 #1 on its list of the 25 worst cars of the 1990s. Philippe Cousteau Special Edition Towards the end of the X-90's production run some X-90s in Europe were sold as the Suzuki Vitara X-90 Philippe Cousteau Special Edition. These featured a moulded

bodykit A body kit or bodykit is a set of modified body parts or additional components that install on a stock car. Typically composed of front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, bonnets (bonnet scoop), and sometimes front and rear side gua ...

that included a

bullbar A bullbar or push bumper (also (kanga)roo bar, winch bar or nudge bar in Australia, moose bumper in Canada, livestock stop (initially a term used to refer to locomotive pilots) or kangaroo device in Russia, and push bar, ram bar, brush guard, ...

running board A running board or footboard is a narrow step fitted under the side doors of a tram ( cable car, trolley, or streetcar in North America), car, or truck. It aids entry, especially into high vehicles, and is typical of vintage trams and cars, w ...

s, wheel arch extensions all finished in the body colour as well as special 16 inch wheels and decals that numbered the vehicle out of 3000. The special edition was named after the French cinematographer

Philippe Cousteau Philippe Pierre Cousteau (30 December 1940 – 28 June 1979) was a French diver, sailor, pilot, photographer, author, director and cinematographer specializing in environmental issues, with a background in oceanography. He was the second son of ...

, despite his death occurring more than 15 years before the first X-90 was produced. File:Suzuki Vitara X-90 rear 20080617.jpg, Rear view of a European Market Vitara X-90

References

External links

Dutch, English, German and French X-90 site
{{Suzuki North America X-90 Rear-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1995 Mini sport utility vehicles