The new Suzuki Jimny takes the cake for one of the most highly anticipated cars of last year, and finally this small compact SUV is now available in South Africa. The new Suzuki is the 4th generation Jimny, which was first launched in 1970. Suzuki built this car many years ago to purposefully be a small compact 4x4 that could handle some tough terrain. The new Suzuki Jimny still features some of the basics introduced with the car almost 50 years ago, which shows that a 4x4 does not need any fancy electronics in order to be a proper 4-wheel drive utility vehicle.
Engine, price and 4-wheel drive specs
The Suzuki Jimny was never built to be a performance car, and because of this the Jimny will never win any race. However, the power delivery is sufficient and manages to give a smooth ride and still manages to climb some rather steep inclines, with a 37° approach angle to be exact.
The Jimny is married to a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine, that cranks out a total of 75kW/130Nm and has an option between a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. Fuel consumption is not considered bad either, with a total average fuel consumption of 6.8L/100km.
Two different models are available in the Jimny: The GA and GLX. The GA version is completely standard and the GLX has LED headlights, Alloy wheels (GA version has steel wheels), cruise control and a few minor differences. Pricing for the Suzuki Jimny starts @R264 900 for the Jimny GA M/T, R299 900 for the GLX M/T, and the range topping GLX A/T @R319 900 (which adds the automatic transmission over the Manuel). Prices correct at time of publication.
4-wheel drive is easily the Suzuki Jimny’s best feature, as this small compact SUV is able to go places other serious money spending 4x4s can’t. The 4-wheel drive system is simple and there is only two different drive selects, permanently the car is in 2H (2-wheel drive High Ratio), however you can move the lever into 4H (this activates the front wheels), and the last setting is 4L (this keeps the vehicle in 4-wheel drive but actives Low Ratio). The insanely good approach angle, overall decent ride height and the short-wheel base allows the Jimny to climb some of the steepest hills that many other larger 4x4s wouldn’t be able to. This is mainly due to the ladder frame chassis, which means you have a strong frame that is connected directly to the wheels and suspension, and this benefits ride height clearance and approach angles. The Jimny also has a big advantage over other 4-wheel drive vehicles when it comes to weight - where most 4x4s are heavy, the Suzuki tops the weight scale at only 1,135 kg. This helps the Jimny not sink down to its belly in sand or mud terrain.
Exterior and interior
Suzuki has made the new Jimny a tribute car to the past three generations and you can visually see this with the exterior and interior details. The new car still has the spare wheel on the back boot door, round headlights, Jeep styled front grill, front passenger handle located on the dashboard, and many more smaller details.
The exterior looks interesting and funky and the Jimny is definitely a head turner in terms of looks. It reminds us of a smaller Mercedes G-wagon mixed with a Jeep Wrangler, and with the GLX trim you able to get a more updated look with LED headlights and alloy wheels which suit the Jimny perfectly.
As for the interior, you could never compare the build quality to something like a BMW, but the interior serves its purpose as an off-road vehicles interior. The buttons are chunky and the whole interior is tough and should be able to take a lot of beating, as there are no delicate controls or knobs that will break easily.
What do we think about the 2019 Suzuki Jimny?
The Suzuki Jimny is perfect for what it’s designed and built for, rough terrain and off-road intentions. Most of the Jimny’s interior is well designed and has a clever layout, with fairly strong build quality. The exterior looks great and brings the older generations characteristics into the 21st Century. Overall if you need a small 4x4 with good capabilities, then the 2019 Suzuki Jimny is by far the best value for money, as it is far more affordable than most 4-wheel drive vehicles you can buy brand new.
Looking for other 4x4s? Check out the Review section on our blog to find out about some of the latest 4x4s available to the South African market.
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