A sport/utility vehicle that doubles as a practical commuter, the 4-door Sidekick has a large following among the young professionals. In fact, the Sidekick accounts for about half of SuzukiΓÇÖs U.S. sales. Two versions are available in 1997 ΓÇö the JS, equipped with 2-wheel drive and the JX, with added standard features and 4-wheel drive. The JLX has been dropped. Both are powered by an economical 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, which offers decent performance.
Buyers can opt for a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. Standard features include a tachometer, halogen headlamp, dual outside mirrors and fold-down rear seat. Those who like to dress up their vehicles will find plenty of accessories to choose from. The popular ones include fender flares, center armrest, front mask, a permanent roof rack with adjustable cross bars and tie-down loops, and ski and luggage modules for the weekend traveler.
If you are single or only bond with one other person, the sportier 2-door Sidekick may be more to your liking (or to your bank balance). It is available in 2-wheel drive JS or 4-wheel drive JX version, Four-wheel ABS is available.
For those who want a little more kick than what the 1.6-liter engine of the plain vanilla Sidekick can offer, the Sidekick Sport is the answer. It is basically the regular Sidekick with a wolfΓÇÖs heart and clothing. Everything the 4-door Sidekick has, you have it in spades here. The engine is a powerful 1.8-liter DOHC aluminum four generating 120 horsepower, and the front and rear tracks are two inches wider. Sport rim, flared fenders and 16-inch tires complete the package. New for 1997 is a 2-wheel drive version. .
