Suzuki

Buying a new car is the second-most expensive purchase most of us will ever make, behind the family home. A recent survey by Australian consumer site Canstar Blue found that Aussies spend, on average, $40,128 on a new car and then hold onto that new car for around six years.

The rumoured Suzuki Jimny five-door is expected to be unveiled this year ahead of its showroom arrival in 2021, according to an overseas report. Autocar India say Indian exports of the Suzuki Jimny three-door have started, and that the unveiling of the five-door is "six months away". The magazine says the Suzuki Jimny three-door built in India is identical to the version made in Suzuki's plant located in Kosai, Japan, where Australian vehicles are sourced.

There's an old saying that you should spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. According to consumer advice site finder.com.au, a similar rule applies when buying new cars. Ideally, it suggests, you shouldn't spend more than 15 per cent of your annual income on the purchase price of a car. That would mean someone on a salary of $100,000 (far more than the average Australian income) should be aiming for a car around $15,000 – not exactly achievable.

The Suzuki Jimny four-wheel-drive remains sold out for up to a year despite the factory ramping up production in an attempt to meet a new surge in demand. Approximately 2500 Suzuki Jimny four-wheel-drives have been sold in Australia since 2019 – more than 1000 of which have been delivered so far this year alone.