9. Suzuki Escudo/Sidekick/Vitara
In the late `80s, Suzuki Motor Company needed something to make buyers forget the Samurai scandal and regain the positions lost on the compact SUV market. The answer was new and modernly styled model called Sidekick or Vitara. It was Suzuki`s global project to introduce a modern looking and more on-road oriented model which will appealed to younger crowd and was safer, better equipped and more usable than the small and problematic Samurai.
The first generation Sidekick or Vitara was introduced in 1988 and immediately met universal praise from the buyers and the motoring press. It was the right model for the times with cool looks, nice options, long and short wheelbase versions, and an optional open top. It could be a family SUV as well as a fun vehicle for weekend trips to the forest. Under the hood were several gasoline engines all relatively small in displacement and power but good enough to propel the compact Sidekick to performance similar or better than the competitors. The production of the first generation lasted from 1988 to 1998 and the replacement model was called the Chevrolet Tracker.