WHEN reviewing new vehicles, there are quite a few facts and figures common to all that are quickly established and taken into account during the final analysis. Power bands, comfort levels and handling characteristics are some of the easier qualities to note. But then, in some vehicles more than others, there are more emotional elements that need to be factored-in to the assessment. In the case of the Suzuki Jimny, for lack of a technical term, we are going to call it the smile factor. You can’t help but exhibit a toothy grin when behind the wheel of this diminutive high-rider and, judging by the response of other road users, this “feel good” vibe is contagious.
A direct descendant of Suzuki’s now legendary SJ410 and Samurai models, first tested by CAR in March 1984, the Jimny’s family resemblance to its forebears is obvious. The upright, angular stance of the original has been given a more “modern” touch, the Jimny’s styling coming across as smoother and more fluent, but the short wheelbase (2 250 mm), rear door-mounted spare wheel, and the wheel-at-each-flaredcorner look has been passed down through the generations. Full colour-coding of the bumpers and mirrors add a touch of sophistication to the package, with chunky 15-inch tyres hinting at a tough alter-ego. The side-hinged rear door might be slightly awkward to open in confined spaces with average-sized SUVs, but with the small dimensions of the Jimny – overall length is just 3 645 mm – it’s unlikely to ever be a tight fit in a parking bay.
The driving position can take some getting used to, especially as the only adjustment available is a fore and aft movement on the relatively small seat. The door closes snugly against your right side, but none of our testers, even the taller ones, had too many complaints. One area of the design that isn’t small, relatively speaking, is the driver’s side window, and this is an important part of the driving experience. Having the B-pillar situated behind the front seating position and out of peripheral vision gives the feeling that the cabin is a lot roomier than it actually is. Add to this the high driving position and raised body height, and you have all the ingredients to give owners a sense of chest-puffing mighty mouse confidence.
The fact that this confidence is backed up by genuine off-road ability, thanks to those short overhangs, a proportionally high break-over angle, and the fitment of a low-range transfer case, only adds to the appeal of the Jimny. Low range can be engaged via a facia-mounted button and is one of many standard convenience features. Among the others are electric front windows and mirrors, air-conditioning, a radio/CD, and central locking. Driver and front passenger airbags are also standard fitment.
Plastics used for the facia feel a tad hard to the touch, but should be durable and add to the rugged character of the car. In a cabin this compact, nothing is too far from the driver’s reach, including a large lockable glovebox. Access to the rear bench can be a bit tight, but this seat should prove comfortable for smaller adults or children. When not required, the 50:50 split backrest can be folded flat to increase luggage carrying options.
A five-speed manual transmission is mated with a fuel injected 1 328 cm3 four-cylinder engine featuring VVT (variable valve timing). Its peak power output of 63 kW is delivered at 6 000 r/min, with 110 N.m of torque offered at 4 100 r/min. These figures may sound a little modest by today’s standards, but when you consider that the Jimny barely stressed our scales by weighing-in at only 1 084 kilograms with our test equipment fitted, the result is a very respectable power to mass ratio figure of 58 W/kg, which is comparable with other larger vehicles in the SUV segment. We recorded a comfortable top speed of 145 km/h, having reached 100 km/h from standstill in 13,72 seconds. Despite standard ABS, the disc/drum brakes stopped the test unit in a leisurely average of 3,66 seconds in our ten-stop 100 km/h-to-rest emergency braking test. Offroad oriented tyres obviously contributed to the slow times, but the Jimny exhibited good stability throughout.
More suited to the character of the Jimny, in-town driving was made enjoyable and easy by a combination of good ingear acceleration (especially in lower ratios), light steering, an impressively small 9,8-metre turning circle, and, of course, the compact dimensions. All these factors also combine to make Jimny, in the spirit of its ancestors, a serious off-road vehicle. Expect to bounce around a bit, thanks mostly to the short wheelbase and narrow tracks (1 355 mm in front and 1 365 mm at the rear), but the three-link solid axle suspension set-up, fore and aft, will traverse just about anything that you can throw at this smallest 4×4 on the local market. On the open road, the ride is firm, but somehow this also suits the character of the car, almost as though it has a spring in its step. A further advantage of being such a lightweight is good fuel economy: our fuel index figure (ie overall consumption) is 8,64 litres/100 kilometres. A small 40-litre fuel tank limits the Suzuki’s range, however.
Test summary
Based on the continued high resale values and popularity of the original Suzuki SJ410 and Samurai models, we can only assume that the Jimny will build on the legacy of small and capable Suzukis. Of course, the Jimny will not cater for everyone’s SUV needs, purely from a size point of view, but those same small dimensions do come into their own in terms of agility and nimbleness in and around town. The fact that it is also a very capable off-road vehicle is an added bonus. In fact, at the price, there isn’t another vehicle listed in the CAR Guide that has better ability off the beaten track. And then there’s the smile factor. For a great many folks, the fun looks and quirky personality will be decisive…
