Suzuki Jimny
THE NEW SUZUKI Jimny is a hard car to review objectively. It’s deeply flawed, but somehow enormously likeable. In no particular order, the Suzuki is slow, impractical, has an uncomfortable ride, disappointing economy… the list goes on. But it’s hard not to grin broadly whenever you get behind the wheel. Head off-road to enjoy the Jimny at its best. It has a four-wheel-drive system called Allgrip Pro. Put the car into the low-ratio 4x4 mode and there’s almost nowhere it won’t go, even on standard road tyres. We took the car around a demanding course, full of deep mud, steep climbs, and vertigoinducing drops. Towing on damp grass would only tax a fraction of its abilities. On the road, the car is certainly a more refined car than the previous Jimny – no surprise, as that car had been on sale for 20 years. That said, it doesn’t drive well. The steering is rather vague either side of straight ahead, and the Jimny jiggles and jostles its occupants on bumpy roads. We could live with the ride, but the 1.5-litre petrol engine has just 100bhp and 95lb ft of torque, so we suspect the Jimny would struggle to keep up with its own shadow when towing. Realistically, this is a tow car for micro-caravans and trailer tents. What’s more, the official combined figures of 41.5mpg for the manual and 37.7mpg for the petrol are poor for such a small, light car. You’ll need to pack carefully. Squeezing a second row of seats into such a small car means those seats are effectively where the luggage should be. With the seats upright there’s hardly any boot at all (85 litres). The Suzuki doesn’t offer much space, but it does offer plenty of standard equipment. Entry-level SZ4 cars start from £15,499, and come with four-wheel drive, a full-size spare wheel, cruise control, air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and a DAB radio. The SZ5 is priced from £17,999, and comes with satellite navigation, 15-inch alloy wheels, climate control, smartphone connectivity and heated front seats. For most buyers, the Dacia Duster is a much better budget SUV. But it can’t match the Jimny for character.