So, it’s 1998, Titanic has been released, google has just gone live on the internet
and the Suzuki Jimny has been launched in the UK.
Seems like 98 was a pretty good year considering the Titanic smashed box office records, Google
pretty much sent Jeeves into early retirement and Suzuki has sold almost 3 million Jimnys
worldwide.
Cult status usually stands for a niche product that car makers move away from after a certain
amount of time, even the Yeti has been canned by Skoda to make way for the new Karoq.
This is yet to happen to the Jimny, it’s in it’s third generation and it looks like
Suzuki have no plans of finishing production any time soon, this press car has a 17 plate
and less than 1,000 miles on the clock.
Now its looks are very marmite, but the Jimny makes such a good case for itself in other
departments people can’t seem to get enough of it so let’s see what’s going on.
So, before we get driving I thought I’d quickly run you through how it is inside…
Now you can probably tell Suzuki haven’t really changed much since its launch nearly
20 years ago.
It looks very dated in here and everything feels cheap and scratchy.
But owners of something like this want an easy clean material over a range rover rip
off.
I dread to even imagine what would happen to a Range Rover Velar if a farmer took it
to work one day.
However, this cheap and cheerful charm can only get you so far, this infotainment system
literally looks like something out of Halfords and only picks up DAB and aux.
There isn’t a whole lot of adjustment in the driving position either and the seats
lack lumbar support so may cause some discomfort over longer journeys but apart from that there
really isn’t anything else to mention except this SZ4 trim comes with Air con and faux
leather seats.
(Climb out) Now as this is only a 2-door car, you have
to climb in the back like this.
As you saw it’s a bit of a struggle getting back here but overall head room is good whilst
it may be a bit cramped for leg room, depending how far back your driver sits.
The windows don’t open but are large so let in a lot of light, there are 2 decent
sized cup holders here and surprisingly you also get ISOFIX fixtures back here.
So, first thing you’ll notice is the awkward boot opening which will make for some awkward
moments in car parks but when you do get inside…
it’s pretty small at 113 litres.
These seats do fold flat and with a 50/50 split you’ll still be able to get someone
in a rear seat and fold one of the seats for more space.
A lot of people who will be watching this video have probably been behind the wheel
of a Jimny within the past 20 years and will know that it is far from an engaging drive.
It only offers a 1.3l petrol engine, The steering isn’t responsive at all, the gearbox feels
kind of vacant and the performance figures aren’t something to shout about either with
a 0-62 time of 14.1 seconds.
However, the Jimny is very fun to drive, because of its high stance it makes corners feel like
you’re on the big dipper and because the engine is underpowered you can really push
it and you’ll still be doing the speed limit.
Also because of the high stance you obviously sit quite high and because these wing mirrors
are huge and the C pillars are so thin all around visibility is very good.
It definitely feels like a bigger car than it looks.
This arm rest is also in the perfect position.
I think sometimes a review can miss the point of a car.
So far I haven’t really made a great case for the Jimny but it’s sold nearly 3 million
units worldwide, there must be something about that makes it so attractive to buyers, right?
I’ll tell you what it is…
It’s off roading capability is incredible, no one buys the Jimny for it’s ability to
munch up motorways.
This is a farmer’s wet dream, it’s compact, its tall, it’s 4WD, its tough and it’s
reliable, that is all certain people want.
All this autonomous driving business is nonsense to someone who wants a Jimny.
Its dimensions and angles are what make it so great for off roading but not going to
try read them all out so we’ll show you them on screen so get ready to write them
down…
Now.
(Cutaway of me doing something with table on screen)
To go along with these figures the Jimny Cricket (can be put into 4wd mode and 4L mode for
lower gear ratios when the going gets really tough.
All of this and the fact this is all on an old school body on chassis construction means
it’s seriously one of the best off roaders out there today.
Economy is claimed at 39.8 MPG but will drop drastically if you’re stuck in 4L mode most
of the time.
Emissions are also set at 162g/km too so will no doubt sting the pocket a little more than
if you were to go for something like an Ignis instead.
In terms of pricing there aren’t many off roaders that can compete with the Jimny, it
starts at just under £13,000 whilst this SZ4 model is 14,784.
The Fiat Panda Cross starts a little higher and the Dacia Duster starts from around 10K
but apart from that nearly new Defenders are going for around 40Kish.
The Suzuki is one of them cars that doesn’t do everything well but what it does do well
it does incredibly.
It was launched in 1998 and hasn’t changed much since, I mean its radio doesn’t even
have bluetooth but that’s part of its charm.
It’s also probably the easiest car to park in the world.
Chances are if you’re after a Jimny you’ll settle for nothing else, it’s a niche piece
of work and belongs safely in Suzuki’s hall of fame.
But if you’d like to watch more videos click here, if you’d like to learn more about
the jimny click here and if you haven’t subscribed yet…
Pfft