Suzuki Jimny Review 2015: They Still Build ‘Em Like They Used To
What’s Hot: Off-road nous, low price, rugged build.
What’s Not: Minimal equipment list, no side airbags.
X-FACTOR: Poorly equipped and awful to drive on tarmac, but strangely endearing. We adore the Jimny despite its foibles.
Vehicle Style: Compact SUV
Price: $22,990 (plus on-roads) (Note: $21,990 drive-away deal available at time of writing, check with dealer.)
Engine/trans: 62.5kW/110Nm 1.3 petrol 4cyl | 4sp automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 7.4 l/100km | tested: 7.8 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Recently we’ve been devoting a lot of space to compact SUVs, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re well and truly the flavour of the month.
But while the car-buying public can’t seem to get enough of the CX-3, HR-V, Trax and EcoSport, let’s not forget one of the cars that blazed the compact SUV trail in the first place: the humble Suzuki Jimny Sierra.
Updated late last year with the addition of electronic stability control (which allowed the Jimny to once again be sold in Victoria, where ESC is mandatory) and some minor cosmetic changes to the interior and exterior, the Jimny promises genuine off-road chops in a tiny package.
Okay, so it’s old, not as carlike as other compact SUVs, and its three-door configuration limits its versatility somewhat, but let’s not forget that this is the only live-axle 4x4 with a pricetag that starts with a ‘2’.
So if you actually want to go off the beaten track rather than just perch your FWD unibody “SUV” on the scenic lookout above it, the Jimny will take you where other compact SUVs cannot.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 2/5
- Power windows, central locking, power wing mirrors, air conditioning.
- Infotainment: AM/FM/CD audio headunit, two speakers
- Luggage capacity: 113 litres minimum, 816 litres maximum.