Want something fun that’s completely different? They don’t come more different than the All-New Suzuki Jimny.
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This ever-popular, now, fourth generation All-New Jimny will take the name’s sales history since 1970 to the three million mark...but you’ll have to wait two years to get yours when it goes on sale in January...Suzuki’s factory just can’t build ‘em fast enough!
Tom Scanlan tests the latest Suzuki Jimny on rough and smooth terrain
Because it is so extraordinarily capable, this All-New Jimny just HAS to be experienced in severe off-road conditions. We tried it (on regular Bridgestone Dueler road tyres, by the way) over some horrendously muddy and extremely-sloped tracks that it negotiated with hardly anything more than a smirk on its Jeep-like grille. Most of the tracks taken without even a foot on either the accelerator or brake. It mostly just idled its way along and up and down, the hill-descent control dealing with down gradients, including the steepest I have ever experienced including driving a British Army BV. Some human input up the most challenging, slippery upward gradients got us over all the brows. I noticed that the fuel consumption over this terrain was a very reasonable 13.4 indicated mpg.
The Jimny’s traditional ladder-chassis design is significant in the car’s ability to do take on the toughest terrain. It has both front and rear rigid axles and the whole car is more strongly-built, being one-and-a-half-times torsionally stiffer than the outgoing twenty-years-old Jimny.
Naturally, its ‘Allgrip Pro’ technology gives you low-ratio 4-wheel-drive with a limited slip differential. On the open road, 2-wheel-drive would be the normal option, with 4-wheel-drive if it’s slippery out there. You can change from and back between 2H to 4H at up to 62 mph.
Two versions are available to order, SZ4 AND SZ5. The SZ4 is itself well-enough equipped with new safety features and all the basics required in a serious off-roader. Aircon is standard, DAB radio and Bluetooth. The SZ5 adds 15-inch alloy wheels, climate control, rear privacy glass Satnav with Smartphone Link and heated front seats.
The engine is a new, lightweight 1.5-litre petrol unit that develops 101 PS. It showed 40.1 mpg on our road trip.
The new Jimny has a shorter wheelbase than before, but is wider and higher, with improved luggage space. It’s comfortable enough on the road, with a nice gear-change — a new automatic box is also available. I like the fact that the instruments are backlit and therefore able to be easily read whatever the light or darkness outside.
I did find the steering a bit light and vague, which they say is perhaps a nod to the fact that the Jimny is a serious piece of kit off-road and some compromise had to be made. In other respects, it rode well and was fun to travel in.
The All-New Suzuki Jimny starts at £15,499 with the SZ5 £17,999 and the auto transmission adds another £1000.
This latest update to the Jimny range can only bring more fans for this excellent, fun off-roader.
Car reviewed: All-New Suzuki Jimny SZ5 1.5 ALLGRIP manual - On the road £17,999 0-62mph 13 secs (estimated) Top speed 90mph Fuel Economy combined 37.7mpg CO2 emissions 154g/km Engine 1462cc 4-cylinder Multipoint injection unleaded EU6 Max Power Engine 101PS@6000rpm Engine Torque 130Nm@4000rpm Transmission 5-speed manual (auto is available as an option)
A functional, practical all-rounder
Still with the familiar Jimny look
Great fun, but more fun offroad
Remember it's mostly an off-roader
What the others say about the All-New Suzuki Jimny on YouTube...
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