New and Improved Suzuki Jimny has finally arrived in SA

The highly-anticipated Suzuki Jimny 5-Door has finally arrived in SA. The original Suzuki Jimny has long been a beloved icon for its off-road prowess, compact size, and adventurous spirit; and now with the 5-door version you can look forward to even more practicality and versatility.

In this blog, we investigate the Suzuki Jimny 5-Door, with all the details on what sets it apart from other options in the market.

The 5-door Jimny will be offered with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder petrol engine, paired with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine can produce a maximum power of 75kW and 130Nm of torque. All the variants of this SUV feature a part-time four-wheel drive system with a low transfer gear, allowing you to drive them in 2WD mode on paved roads and seamlessly switch to 4WD for enhanced off-road capabilities.

This car can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 12.77 seconds and can reach a top speed of 135km/h. Moreover, it also offers an impressive fuel efficiency of 6.25L/100km. The shorter gearing and limited five forward ratios (making one yearn for a sixth) result in the engine maintaining 3,870 r/min at the national speed limit. This setup somewhat limits Jimny's long-distance capabilities when compared with more practically packaged mainstream crossovers. The new 5-door Jimny is more stable and refined on-road than its 3-door predecessor but still susceptible to crosswinds.

The Suzuki Jimny is known for its distinctive and rugged design. The 5-door version retains the iconic styling elements that have made the Jimny stand out, such as the boxy silhouette, round headlights, and prominent grille. With the addition of two extra doors, it has a longer wheelbase, providing more cabin space and a balanced exterior look. The 5-door Jimny gets 15-inch alloy wheels that feel quite small considering the purpose and design of the vehicle.

The interior of this vehicle is basic but functional. The dials are old-school and straightforward; there are cup holders and a cubby for storage, and the seats are pretty comfortable. The cabin of the 5-door Jimny is quite spacious and comfortable as well. You may find use of hard plastics everywhere in the interior and the overall touch and feel of materials feels quite cheap. The top variant also gets automatic climate control and cruise control.

The top variant of the 5-door Suzuki Jimny comes equipped with a 9-inch infotainment display. Whereas the base variant gets a 7-inch infotainment display. There’s nothing fancy about its display and the UI is also simple. Still, it does offer some of the basic features such as Bluetooth Connectivity, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, and displays various information about the car.

The main rivals of the 5-door Jimny are the Jeep Renegade and Fiat Panda. These cars share quite similar design elements, cabin space, engine specs, and price. Hence, you can check out these cars if you’re considering a 5-door Jimny. But you may also explore options such as Renault Duster, and Haval H2 as they are a pretty good option for the price.

The 5-door Jimny is available in three variants. The base variant GA will cost R399,900, the mid variant GL will cost R429,900, and the price for the top-of-the-line GLX will start from 457,900 for manual and 479,900 for automatic. (Prices correct at time of publication.)

The Suzuki Jimny 5-Door's debut in South Africa marks a new era of adventure and versatility. With the blend of practicality and ruggedness, it caters to a wider audience of car enthusiasts who seek a balance between daily usability and off-road excellence. 

Are you looking for a new crossover? They’re fast becoming one of the most successful body types on SA’s roads. Read our blog to check out other crossovers to arrive on our road. Visit the MotorHappy blog.