Suzuki Jimny: never have we been so excited about 75kw
SUZUKI JIMNY
FOLLOWING up a much-loved classic is a tough act, and while the third-generation Jimny was properly ragged after racking up a full 20 years in production, there was still no shortage of aspiring members for the Jimny fan club. But the ingredients were long past their use-by date.
A successor was needed, but would the Jimny’s reinvention be Suzuki’s ‘New Coke’ moment? In short, no. Hell no.
An upright two-box silhouette, retrotastic cues and a five-slot grille flanked by two cheerful round headlamps got car fans salivating – the new Jimny oozes old-school cool. What’s more, it’s finally modern as well. Now on sale in Australia in a single spec, up-to-date mod cons like touchscreen infotainment, sat-nav, climate control, smartphone mirroring, AEB and cruise control bring some civility to the Jimny formula, and all for just $23,990.
Meanwhile, the cabin furnishings boast just as much nostalgic appeal as the exterior. New front-seat rails permit 45mm more travel for taller folk (although the steering wheel still doesn’t adjust for reach, just rake), and there’s 53 litres more cargo space with the rear seats folded.
Given their flat cushions and general uselessness, you’re probably better off keeping those rear pews stowed. As for the front seats, there’s no height adjustment and long-distance comfort clearly isn’t the Jimny’s forte, but the elevated viewpoint and generous glasshouse are just the thing when trying to pick your line off-road.
The engine remains a small-capacity, naturally aspirated petrol, taking drive to all four wheels via either a five-speed manual or a four-speed auto, plus a dual-range transfer case with an endearingly traditional stumpy selector between the seats. There is, however, a layer of new tech to help those oldschool mechanicals along.
There are no fancy tractionenhancing locking differentials in the new Jimny, but it can mimic their effect by using the stability control to brake diagonally opposed spinning wheels. We exploited that to good effect at its local launch, which saw the tiny Jimny cock a wheel or two plenty of times, only to quickly regain forward progress as the brakes did their thing.
Losing traction should be a rare event. With 210mm of ground clearance and tiny overhangs, dragging the Jimny’s guts over rocks won’t be a frequent occurrence, while even the standard all-terrain rubber isn’t challenged by dry dust, gravel or sand. Praise be to live axles and their superior articulation.
A 1075kg kerb weight means it treads lightly off road, but on-road performance is where the Jimny experience falls a little flat. With 75kw and 130Nm, the new Jimny makes 12.5kw and 20Nm more than the old, but it still feels asthmatic. If you opt for the manual, you’ll be making plenty of use of the gear lever. Picked the automatic? Get ready for wide gaps between each ratio, which leave you wishing for six cogs rather than four.
The Jimny’s all-new 1.5 litre spins fast at 110km/h in both variants, but actually emits a pleasant, muted thrum rather than a buzzy droning. And while there’s plenty of vertical movement from that soft suspension on-road, impact harshness has largely been dialled out. Overall refinement is actually not as terrible as you might assume, and its steering has lost the woolly, on-centre vagueness of old.
The new Jimny is David to the Landcruiser’s Goliath, and its formula of compactness, agility, lightness and, above all, affordability make it a supremely loveable machine. Despite its flaws, the new Jimny has all the makings of an instant classic.