TICKING THE RIGHT BOXES

Fancy four-wheel drive? Simple and super Suzuki Jimny could be right up your street

Suzuki apparently sell 1000 Jimnys every year without even trying.

It is a long time since I have driven one but I have always held them in great affection. They were probably the first real small SUV.

My daughter had one from age 19 to 21, which had the roll-up walls and roof, and I always remember her flying along in it with her pals having a great time – until her little sister crashed it. But that is another story.

To be truthful, the Jimny that was delivered to me hadn’t changed much – DAB radio, yes, but threedoor, no sat nav, no auto headlights, Bluetooth or any of the other gizmos we’ve come to expect from cars these days.

And yet, and yet… It has loads of character, standing square with its fog lights, roof rails and privacy glass in the rear.

What it also has, though – and this is what makes the Jimny so unique – are three buttons on the dash for two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and low four-wheel drive.

The ALLGRIP Pro system – that’s those three buttons on the dash – means you can automatical ly engage four- wheel drive at the touch of a button on speeds of up to 62mph in a straight line.

Coincidentally, this little car arrived at my house just as Mother Nature decided to dump piles of snow in Scotland. Was I bovvered? Not a bit in this car. Add to this the Jimny’s ground clearance of 190mm coupled with extreme approach and departure angles and you have the perfect Martini car which will go any place, anywhere, any time. It is a genuine off-roader in a quirky boxy shape that feels happy to be thrown around. And you don’t have to worry about swiping or adjusting stuf f. With only a radio and heaheater to contend with, you can conconcentrate on driving. Remember whewhen life was that simple? JimnyJi owners – there are 26,000 in tthe UK – are also a very loyal lot aand, having found their perfect littlittle car, come back again and agaagain for another one. It is quite a safe little car, too, witwith all its body panels being mamade of high-tensile galvanised stesteel, which are then mounted on to the separate chassis, providing a rigid and safe basis for the whole car.

It has a high driving position and good all round visibility, which is great for parking. Its neat size and steering mean it is really manoeuvrable whether it is in the car park or getting it out of your drive in the snow.

There are plenty of storage spaces and the high roof means there is head room even for tall people.

The Jimny is available with loads of extras such as running boards, spoilers, bike carriers, tow bars, skid plates and a multi roof rack.

The 1.3- litre petrol engine was strong enough to have lots of fun, although it would have benefited from a sixth gear.

The Jimny has been with us for nearly 50 years – so it’s definitely doing something right.