What do you get when you combine a Honda Del Sol with a Jeep Wrangler? You get the Suzuki X-90 – a mix of a vehicle that was actually half car, half SUV and all 90 weird. Suzuki called it a “sports car” and built it with the “expressive American youth market in mind.” In other words, it is safe to say that the X-90 was eccentric.
In fact, the Japanese carmaker was trying to break a new path with the X-90 and aimed to sell 2,000 of them a month. Unfortunately, he did not achieve this goal and the X-90 failed after only two years.
Suzuki X-90 is based on Sidekick
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The Suzuki X-90 is based on its Sidekick partner, as it shares the same 86.6-inch wheelbase. At just over 12 feet long, the X-90 was about two feet shorter than the Honda Civic of the same era. There was even a six-inch clearing by the time the pavement turned to earth, but it wasn’t exactly made for anything more than short hikes on black trails.
Motor week reported that the suspension of the Suzuki X-90 with a coil spring performs just as well on the black rear road as on the road. What probably helped was the part-time all-wheel drive system, which includes automatic locking hubs. Just like a truck, the X-90’s drive can be displaced from the cab by a small shift lever.
The X-90 not only shared a chassis with the Sidekick, but also shared its engine and transmission. Under the hood was an atmospheric 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that pumped 95 hp. and 98 lb-ft of torque and could be connected to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. Motorweek found that the engine setup was “very lively and responsive” in everyday driving. However, this was not exactly the track, as it took him 10.4 seconds to 60 mph from the spot during testing of the post.
The X-90 was one of a kind and fun to drive
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Despite its strange comic-like appearance, the X-90 was fun to drive. According to Car and Driver, The X-90 “runs out of zippers quickly,” but that makes it such a joy. Despite the excitement on the road, the publication managed to take it on the back roads and said that the car is bouncy and its management is a bit careless.
Although his saving grace was that he could push hard without fear of speeding, given his low power. The car was so small and light (£ 2,425) that when he drove at 50 mph, he felt like he was driving 90 instead. We’re sure the car’s open top Targa only added to the fun.
What happened to the Suzuki X-90?
The Suzuki X-90 was only from 1996 to 1998, and given that Suzuki imported just over 7,000 of them during that two years, it’s easy to see why it disappeared. Sales were much slower than Suzuki expected, as it turned out that the Americans did not capture exactly the strange attractiveness and strange functionality of the car.
However, you can still find them nowadays. In fact, current national demand at CarGurus reveals a pair that sells for about $ 6,000. If you like fun weird cars from the 90’s, the X-90 can be a great addition to your collection. If not, then you can always buy a Jeep Wrangler and a Honda Del Sol, as owning these two cars would probably make more sense in the long run.
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