Finding joy in a Jimny
JEAN-BAPTISTE ROUSSEL IS COMMERCIAL MANAGER AT DESIGN WAREHOUSE IN PARNELL
We got our Suzuki Jimmy from Winger Greenlane in February last year. It is beige, 1.5 litres and fourspeed auto and comes with all the features. We would have loved a sunroof but it was not an option. It has 15in alloy wheels and is 2WD, that you can put in 4WD for offroading. Apple CarPlay, that is good, and the six airbags and emergency braking. We did get a complimentary reversing camera. That is handy for parking because the Jimny carries the spare wheel and doesn’t have a parking sensor.
Is it your daily drive?
If you were to describe it as someone famous?
What do you always carry in your Jimny?
How many cars have you had?
How do you describe your driving style?
We only do 4km every day from Ponsonby to the CBD. It is our everyday drive but we still have the Highlander for longer trips, especially when we have cargo as the trunk is tiny on the Jimny. We have taken the Jimny to Taupo and the Waitomo caves and even on the open roads it is enjoyable.
Mickey Mouse or someone like that. It is fun and, yes, a tiny car.
It comes with CarPlay and so we always have a USB cable for charging and can project the phone on the main screen. I also have a bike rack because I commute as well with my bike. We come into the CBD together in the Jimny and then I take my bike to work. I keep a rope in case I need to use it. But since the car is reliable so I don’t really need it. And, of course, a blanket.
We had the Smart which
A Cobra 289 Mark 2 FIA. That’s a vintage car and the kind of car we won’t have any more because of safety and environmental regulations. It’s noisy. It has an American V8 engine. Its design is timeless — curvy and beautiful and a good collectible car.
Favourite movie?
I love the cartoon Cars. It’s a great movie to watch with my son. On the adult side Le Mans with Steve McQueen. And I’m looking forward to seeing Ford v Ferrari.