Suzuki Jimny review by Paul Beard
We loaned our Suzuki Jimny demonstrator to motoring writer and loyal Tracks customer, Paul Beard. Here’s what he had to say:
“Over the years, the Suzuki Jimny has become a motoring icon and actually traces its roots back half a century to the first LJ variant launched in 1970. The latest version of Suzuki’s evergreen offroader made its much-anticipated debut here at the start of 2019, with a much boxier design that has been likened to Mercedes’ G-Wagen and Land Rover’s original, and now defunct, Defender – icons in their own right. It is a diminutive version of these of course but also costs a lot less. Don’t think that the cheaper price tag and smaller size makes the Jimny any less capable; it has enormous off-road ability and is renowned in its sector.
This particular car, which was very kindly loaned to me by Tracks Suzuki, Exeter for the weekend, is clothed in a very sharp ‘Brisk Blue’ coat of paint which really stands out, gaining a number of approving looks and comments from friends and passers-by. When I parked in the supermarket car park, a 2004 Jimny pulled in next door and the driver commented what a lovely car the new model was and said “Want to do a swap?” – he had owned his since new and still loved it. That’s the thing with the Jimny, it has a large loyal following and appeals to all sorts of people and for many different reasons. The exterior design, as I mentioned, is boxy and now has a really sharp appearance where the outgoing model was a bit rounded and out of date looking. In this the higher SZ5 spec, you get LED headlights with power wash, rear privacy glass, 15″ alloy wheels and heated mirrors. This being Tracks’ demo car, they wanted to up the spec to show what is achievable, so the wheels and roof are painted black, there are side window air deflectors, silver front bumper and side sill trims and most noticeably, of course, are those fantastic looking BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres. For my review, I kept to roads but actually found it more pleasurable an experience than I expected. There are some drawbacks though, as we will discover.
Jimny is a three-door car and so the doors are wider and access to the driver’s seat is easy. Once safely ensconced, you realize what a great little cabin this is. Admittedly, there isn’t a huge amount of elbow room, especially when two up but you do sit high up and get a great view across the fully visible bonnet. The seats are comfy and heated for those chilly starts and it is easy to get an ideal driving position; all controls fall easily to hand too. In front of you is an easy to read dash cluster that looks quite retro with its two square bezels surrounding the speedo and rev counter and the orange on black numbers. In the middle, there is a really handy touchscreen infotainment system and this includes sat-nav, DAB radio and shows what the optional rear camera sees. A chunky, leather-clad, three-spoke steering wheel houses controls for cruise control, volume and telephony. Storage on the other hand is not great, with narrow door bins, small glovebox and a token tray in front of the two gear levers. On the flip side of this though is that as accessing the rear seats is very tricky, unless you are a contortionist, and even if you do complete this task, the experience is not one of comfort, why not keep the seats folded and have a nice big load area for shopping, or animal food, or horse tack, or a dog, or… you get the picture!
You don’t buy a Suzuki Jimny if you want to go fast: top speed is 90 MPH and the 0-60 dash takes about 14.5 seconds. However, if you like sitting up high in a rugged little 4×4 that will take you on many adventures, on the road and off, this is the car for you. With its brick-like styling, permanent four-wheel drive and low ratio gears, all conspiring to increase the amount of fuel required, the average of 36 MPG isn’t too bad at all and CO2 at 178 is bearable. Out on the open road, I found the Jimny to be a fun little car that is easy to drive and you soon get used to the gear whine that comes through. With the chunky tyres, potholes and bumps are easily soaked up and the ride is not bad considering what sort of car this is; the steering has a good feel but is not greatly communicative. Roll in corners is to be expected and is certainly present; again though it could be worse. I was impressed with the braking: there is a solid feel under your foot and competent stopping power when required. This is a more robust feeling car than other Suzukis but then it needs to be bearing in mind the off-road capability that allows you to pretend you are a mountain goat! This is achievable thanks to Suzuki’s All Grip permanent four-wheel drive system and low transfer box.
Basically, I loved this little Jimny. It was funky, cheeky, stylish, fun and stands out in the crowd due to the lovely blue paint scheme, more muted colours are available if you don’t want to be so conspicuous, and square design. On the flip side though, storage is not great, it only has two doors, it’s not that economical and it’s a bit noisy at times – not terribly practical then. If these niggles don’t worry you and you want something a bit different that can take you just about anywhere you want and parks in space that most cars would struggle with, this could be the car for you. There are still cars available but you’ll have to be quick if you want one. I am very grateful to Tracks Suzuki, Exeter for the loan of this Jimny.”
