When the 2016 Suzuki Jimny was delivered at our offices, there was a seemingly innocuous request to put it through its paces and reserve judgement regarding its size. True to form this pocket-sized 4×4 is a true offroader and comfortably holds its own amongst real 4WD vehicles twice its diminutive size. The Suzuki Jimny is neither an SUV nor a crossover – it’s a really good 4WD that has been designed from the ground up to tackle harsh off-road conditions. Suzuki Jimny is built on a strong ladder chassis, has excellent ground clearance, sharp approach and departure angles and, best of all, a two-speed transfer box to give you low-range gearing for ultra-tough offload conditions.
It is harder to distinguish from its predecessor since the introduction of the current Jimny shape in 1998. Weighing in at 1060kg the little Suzuki is a featherweight by all standards and spots a bonnet scoop (purely for decorative purposes), a revamped grille and front bumper. Our test Jimny came in the automatic guise which was cool for off-road testing as a novice 4×4 driver but lacked the speed when in freeway cruising.
Interior Finish
He inside trim is basic although there are new trim colours and silver accents on instrument dials. Trim levels are decent and offer a surprisingly comfortable albeit sparse cabin that belies the Jimny’s size. Do not expect to carry lots of luggage as space in a car this size does come at a premium. There is however enough space for four adults who can sit comfortably on a longish trip. While the luggage area may be small, it does have good height so a u can fit large suitcase or two weekend bags for a short trip off the grid. The two rear seatbacks fold down individually to greatly increase the volume if rear seating needs to be sacrificed. It is a challenge to get into and out of the back seats through the front doors but kids will cope just fine. Once seated at the back, it is a rather comfortable ride even for an adult.
Performance
With just over a ton in weight, the Suzuki Jimny has a huge advantage over the big 4WD boys, especially when driving on sand at the beach. In a Jimny, you can sail over sand in 2WD without digging the wheels into the sand due to the light weight. I was happy to stop and occasionally help the ‘big boys’ dig their 4WD behemoths out of the holes that had sunk into while trying to navigate their way along the beach.
It’s far quieter and more comfortable than seems possible for a tiny 4WD but the relatively short wheelbase lends itself to quite a choppy ride at times on bad roads, but on the whole it’s far quieter and more comfortable than expected for a tiny 4WD. This is no sporty 4WD but it holds the road at speeds unlikely to be attempted by the average driver, and the addition of the electronic stability program is welcome. The 62 kilowatts of power makes for a sluggish ride with a need to change down in order to tackle climbs or to overtake. Our test car was automatic which has a four-cylinder, twin-cam, fuel injected engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. I would have loved a manual gearbox as downshifts on steep hills were terrible and the car obviously struggled to keep up.
Fuel consumption is officially rated 7.4L/100km for the automatic although on our test we got a much higher 8.5l/100km. I know the fuel consumption levels were raised during downshifts of the auto gearbox on steep hills which was rather annoying and uncomfortable!
Verdict
The Suzuki Jimny offers a huge amount of driving fun for a very modest outlay. It is a real 4WD and will effortlessly wipe off the initial smirk on drivers of ‘serious’ offroaders once it shows them a clean pair of heels on 4×4 courses. Our only wish was for a manual gearbox as the auto turned the Jimny into a slug on open hilly N3 freeway going to the Durban coast. The Suzuki Jimny is perfect for a petite serious off-road junkie with a penchant for taking on the ‘big’ 4WD boys and winning!
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