Sometimes there's a car which makes you think 'yeah, that's it' at first sight.
That's what I thought when I first saw the new Suzuki Jimny, and here it is finally.
The third generation Jimny, successor to the second generation which had a lifespan of 20 years.
And it's not a continuation of its predecessor. On the contrary, it's completely different.
The previous one was half modern half old fashioned, but this one went back to basics. It's fully old fashioned.
It's straight, it's square, it looks like a terrain monster whilst being compact at the same time.
It looks very promising...
They always say 'what you see is what you get', and that goes for this car as well.
It has a ladder frame and that makes it very sturdy and stiff, but also a little uncivilized on the road.
It doesn't really like driving on tarmac, let's be honest.
It feels twitchy, it's shakey, it's bumpy, it isn't very refined...
The same goes for the drivetrain. It's powered by a atmospherical 1.5-litre engine...
which is connected to a 5-speed gearbox with short gears, and that means you'll be driving with a lot of revs.
I was just driving down the motorway doing 130 km/h, and my rev counter indicated 4.000 RPM.
That's almost at maximum speed, because it can only reach 145 km/h.
That might be best as well, because EuroNCAP only rewarded it with three stars.
Three stars are nice if you're a chef, but when it's about a car, it's not what you want.
You'll forgive it however, because it's such a fun car.
It really has a great personality. Just let it make some noise...
It really is a with personality, style and class. And when you get off road with it,
you'll be reminded of what this car is meant to be. That's what it does absolutely great.
Every Jimny, even the cheapest version, has AllGrip Pro as standard.
That's the four-wheel drive system. That means it's basically a rear wheel drive car in 2H.
When you put it in 4H, the transfer box kicks in which means you've got four-wheel drive.
If you select 4 Low however, you'll have low gearing and an LSD. That's when it'll jump and race over potholes like it's nothing.
It's an incredibly good terrain car. At the front, it has a very big approach angle of 36 degrees.
The departure angle is even bigger with 48 degrees. The ground clearance is 21 centimetres, so you'll be alright.
That's what makes it so much fun. Also, a heavy advantage...
The weight. It's not heavy actually, it's a light advantage.
It doesn't even weigh 1.100 kg, which is very light for a car like this.
That means that... I mean, if you've ever driven off road,
you'll know the less you weigh, the easier you can get through things.
You won't be pushed or dragged into the sand or mud. If you compare it with a Wrangler or a Defender,
which weigh more, this easily skips from bump to bump.
That's what makes it a lot of fun to go off roading.
I mentioned the engine before, but it's a very conventional engine.
It's 1.5-litre producing 102 horsepower and 130 Nm of torque, so it's not a racing monster on the roads.
And you'll notice that when you're driving on tarmac, because it's not a very pleasant car to drive.
You'll love it because of its personality. The seats are a little short as well,
the seating just isn't very good. It's got a very basic interior,
but it's very practical and easy to clean as well.
It's got one problem however. The WLTP-monster has taken its toll on this car.
Because of the old fashioned configuration, it emits quite a lot of CO2, relatively speaking.
That also means it's relatively expensive. Prices start at €27.000, which quite a lot of money for such a small car.
It comes with a five speed manual gearbox as standard, but you can also get a 4-speed automatic.
The WLTP-monster has an even bigger effect on that version, because it's a whopping €8.000 more expensive.
You should forget about that.
Just like the Wrangler I drove recently, this car has shortcomings. A lot of them if I'm honest,
but you'll forgive it for having them. It's so incredibly charming, so incredibly pure...
It's just what a car is meant to be. Not a lot of nicknacks, just a robust shell without a soft core.
Or maybe if you call yourself the soft core. That's what makes this so much fun.
People love it as well. Normally if you want a Suzuki, you can get one within weeks,
because they're in stock. For this however, the waiting list is already five months long.
They only just opened the books. So, if you order one now, you'll have it in February 2019.
That's when the first ones will appear on Dutch roads, and I can't wait to be honest.
I've really fallen in love with this car, it's really great.