Suzuki Jimny review

It’s the Suzuki Jimny, or “Jimmy” as all the self-correcting features on smartphones and laptops insist on calling it. Good luck googling one of these if you decide you want one. In 2021, it was reclassified as a utility vehicle (or station wagon) due to emissions regulations, with raised rear seats in the box, but supply was limited, so you’d probably have a hard time getting a new one. one, while you will have to pay a hit only for those in the qualifiers. More on that below.

Still, “I want one” tends to happen about three seconds after clapping the Jimny. Cuter than a Jeep Renegade and as tough as a Mercedes G-Class (but six-tenths of the scale), it’s one of those instantly desirable design pieces, like a Fiat 500 or whatever. Apple has added a lowercase “i” to this week.

Jimnys have extremely loyal buyers, but for every one potentially repelled by the latest fashion model, we’re betting you’ve gained five new fans via social media who would never have had it on their radar before.

The old Jimny lasted 20 years for sale. In those two decades, three things exploded in popularity: SUVs, downsizes, and retros. So the new Jimny, with its 1.5-liter petrol engine and functionally honest design, looks like a coup.

Is it still “clean” underneath?

Yes. The Jimny is still based on a traditional steel ladder-frame chassis, but it got a new, stiffer base for the car’s 2018 revival, supporting rigid front and rear axles with separate differentials and a 1.5-inch petrol engine. 100-hp, 95-lb-ft four-cylinder – not to mention 200 cc more capacity than its predecessor. There is no turbo, no hybrid assistance, and no diesel. Suzuki has never confirmed how fast the 1.5-litre can haul the 1135kg Jimny (1090kg without the rear seats) from 0 to 62mph, but if it’s under 12 seconds we’d be impressed. And buy the brave test pilot a pint.

This boxy phizzog will eventually stop bullying the air at 90 mph, but the 36.7 mpg and 173 g/km claims on the eco-friendly WLTP cycle are much more accurate. Efficiency may not be the Jimny’s forte, and with that comes the elephant in the room: the fact that Suzuki has discontinued Jimny sales in Europe for 2020. As mentioned above, it’s made a glorious comeback for 2021, but reclassified. as light commercial. Vehicle, also known as a van, to circumvent the rules for a while longer. But they’re rare: the UK got 480 Jimnys in their first year on sale, around three per dealer, and unless Suzuki can put some electrification in there somewhere, their days seem numbered.

Yes.

You can always buy one, it will only cost you. Gently used Jimnys continue to fill the ranks with a good markup on their RRP due to their rarity – you can easily spend £25,000 or more on just one. The LCV version, meanwhile, costs less than £17,000 before VAT, or an aesthetically pleasing £19,999 if you deduct tax to use it as a personal (rather than business) vehicle.

As standard you get a five-speed manual gearbox and a low-end transfer case for 4×4 scrambling. You can spec a four-speed automatic, but it’s still slower than the manual and less than 10% of Jimny folks care.

How?

You see, the Jimny is supposed to be for the professional outdoors. Those who spend the day in Gore-Tex, zippers and double-lace boots, and only drink tea out of flasks. It’s not some kind of seized G-Wagen to be parked on campus or outside of Pilates class. is a tool

This new Jimny is 30mm shorter, 45mm wider and 20mm taller than before, to better balance off-road articulation and cabin space. It has a larger trunk, a wipeable interior, and hill descent control. As standard, you get delightfully utilitarian steel wheels, and there’s no option to paint those scratch-resistant plastic bumpers and fenders body color. If that offends you, there are hundreds of faceless crossover clones that will round out your life much less intrusively than the Suzuki. You know where to find them. Even Suzuki makes a couple of them.

But if you’re the kind of person who likes a convertible because it’s easier to shovel snow and put roof racks on it, or you prefer cars with a gutter on the roof so it doesn’t drain when you load the tailgate, then you may like the Jimny. You may like it very much. You’ll be in good company, because despite the road hazards and packing compromises, Top Gear likes it, too.

What is it like to live with a Suzuki Jimny long term? Click on these blue words for more information.

The Suzuki Jimny isn’t a fancy crossover with thigh-high boots, but its off-road authenticity hasn’t compromised it too much on the road. Of course, he has more rarefied gestures than any Jimny before him, and his relentless drive and deliberate controls make him a lot of fun to follow.

It has a litany of flaws, including poor performance and a poor crash test score, but in the end, you can’t separate the sheer joy of this rogue’s looks from the way it drives, and that irrepressibly cute encounter. : the -hard-joy is what will finally make living a little crazy. If it’s not your only mode of transportation and you’ve managed to get one for a vaguely reasonable price, it’s…