Esteem Wagon: Style And Space In Small Package

Small station wagons continue to find good homes, so this year Suzuki introduces the Esteem Wagon.

It’s a stylish little rig with an airy cabin and lots of cargo space up to 61 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded down.

All three trim levels are powered by the same engine, a 1.6-liter, 95=hp inline four.

There are minor cosmetic improvements for the Esteem Sedan and the subcompact Swift gets a new 1.3-liter 16-valve engine that makes 79 hp, which is nine more than last year. There are also new headlights, bumpers and new upholstery.

Trucks and SUVs

With its body-on-frame construction, the little Sidekick SUV handles the rugged out-of-doors with a poise sometimes missing from its competitors.

This year, there’s a new grille for the top-of-the-line Sport model, plus new colors, seat fabrics and standard keyless entry.

Other changes include a better stereo, plus new colors and graphics for the base four-door.

No changes for the fun little X-90, a bubble-like two-door built on the Sidekick platform.