The new Jimny is here
The new Suzuki Jimny was recently unveiled at the 2018 Festival of Motoring at the Kyalami Racing Circuit in Gauteng. There’s been a lot of speculation about which engine and trim levels we’ll be getting in South Africa, and we finally have the facts.
The new Jimny will be powered by a 1.5 ℓ petrol engine with variable valve timing (VVT) that generates 75 kW at 6 000 rpm and 130 Nm at 4 000 rpm. You’ll get to choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed automatic transmission.
Two vehicles with different trim levels were on show at the festival: a base-model GA and a fancier GLX. Both models at the festival were preproduction prototypes, but we were nevertheless impressed. Two things that especially caught the eye were the old-school four-wheeldrive lever and the gutters on the edges of the roof on which you can mount various types of roof racks in many configurations. Naturally, the most striking feature was the boxy body with its retro design.
The GA model will come with air con, power steering, an immobiliser, ABS, brake assist and ISOFIX child seat anchor points. There are airbags in front, electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist and descent control, and, of course, Suzuki’s improved All-Grip Pro part-time four-wheeldrive system with a transfer case connected to an actual physical lever and not just some wimpy button.
Despite the excess of technologies, the GA model is still nice and simple, with 15” steel rims, no radio (although provision is made for one) and cranks to manually wind the windows up or down. We approve!
The posher GLX model has everything the GA has plus the following: colour-coded door handles and side mirrors, electrically adjustable side mirrors and windows, central locking with remote control key, and cruise control. It also has LED projector headlights, fog lights, a 7” touch screen in the centre console for the media player (with Bluetooth, USB sockets and an SD card slot), phone buttons on the steering wheel (lined with real leather no less), and a 12 V power socket in the luggage compartment.
Suzuki claims that the Jimny will enjoy a fuel consumption of only 6.3 ℓ/100 km. That’ll be a welcome relief considering how expensive fuel is nowadays.
Unless our economy takes another round of punches, Suzuki South Africa plans on selling the Jimny GA manual for R265 000, the GLX manual for R300 000, and the flagship GLX automatic for R320 000.
The new Suzuki Jimny will be available nationwide from 1 November at Suzuki dealerships, but put your name down now because there’s already a long waiting list. >