Suzuki
Japan · Founded 1909
Small but mighty. Suzuki built motorcycles, kei cars, and tiny trucks that punched well above their weight class.
Heritage
Suzuki started making looms, moved to motorcycles, then tiny cars and trucks. They mastered the art of doing more with less. The Samurai was a jeep-sized 4x4 that could go anywhere a Wrangler could, with half the engine. Kei trucks like the Carry haul surprising loads with 660cc engines. Suzuki proved you don't need big displacement to have big capability. They also taught Americans that small vehicles could be genuinely useful, not just econoboxes.
Suzuki Vehicles (2)
1987 Suzuki Samurai
The Samurai proved that small doesn't mean incapable. At barely 2,000 pounds with proper 4WD and low range, the Samurai could go places that heavier trucks couldn't reach. Consumer Reports' rollover controversy nearly killed it in America, but the Samurai was vindicated — it wasn't more dangerous than comparable vehicles. The lightweight platform created a cult following among off-roaders who appreciated what less weight and tight turning could accomplish on trails.
1990 Suzuki Carry Kei Truck
Kei trucks are Japan's dirty secret. For decades, these miniature pickups have done real work on Japanese farms, construction sites, and narrow streets. The 25-year import rule has finally made them legal in America, and people are discovering what Japan has known: sometimes smaller is better. A Carry can fit where full-size trucks can't, haul surprisingly heavy loads, and sip fuel. They're not highway vehicles, but for property work, they're brilliant.