Over the years, the Suzuki Jimny compact SUV has become something of a cult figure
with its retro looks and its semi-serious off-road ability.
To date it’s only been available with three doors and so limiting its potential buyer base but
now the long-awaited five-door version has arrived.
Built in India, the new five-door Jimny joins the ongoing three-door Jimny and Jimny Lite
and comes in a single variant, tagged XL – as in extra-large – although at 3820 mm long
it’s hardly that.
It is however 340mm longer than its three-door siblings and with a 335mm longer
wheelbase although it still only has two rear seats.
Four key features which Suzuki defines as essential for a serious off-road vehicle are
included: a tough, full ladder frame, a long travel, three-link suspension teamed with rigid,
full width axles front and rear to deliver maximum traction, selectable four-wheel-drive with
a low range transfer case that delivers more torque at low speeds to climb very steep hills
and traverse rugged terrain, and excellent ground clearance
The five-door Jimny has yet to undergo ANCAP testing but when the three-door was
tested in 2018 it could only manage three stars.
Standard safety features across the Jimny range include front, side and curtain airbags,
hill-hold and hill descent controls, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, speed
limiter, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, and Isofix child seat
anchors.
The five-door Jimny’s approach and departure angles off road are virtually the same as the
three-door, an important factor in navigating tough terrain.
Ground clearance remains the same between the three and five-door with a minimum of
210mm.
Given that the five-door model is likely to be carrying more people and for longer
distances, the comfort levels have been significantly upgraded for rear seat passengers
with the rear seats having increased thickness and greater width than the three-door. They
also have two incline positions.
Despite the extra length, boot storage space is only 211 litres with the rear seats in place
and expandible to 1118 when raised and folded.
The Jimny five-door gets a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment HD display which features
Smartphone connectivity via Wi-Fi or USB cable. It is linked to a rear-view camera.
That’s a bigger, more sophisticated unit than the three-door and includes DAB radio with
four speakers – two in the front doors and two in the rear.
All Jimny variants share the same Suzuki’s K15B four-cylinder engine with outputs of 75
kW and 130 Nm at 4000 rpm. Transmission is five-speed manual of four-speed automatic.
An All Grip Pro drive train is carried across from the three-door. When a wheel loses grip,
a limited slip drive traction control automatically applies a braking force to the slipping
wheel so torque is redistributed to the other side, allowing the Jimny to regain traction.
There are three selectable driving modes: 2-wheel high, 4-wheel high and 4-wheel low.
Two tone and single tone colours are offered – the two-tone teaming a new red (sizzling
red metallic) and chiffon ivory metallic with a bluish black pearl roof.
Monotones are a new granite grey metallic joining the existing jungle green, artic white
pearl and bluish black pearl options.
Like all Suzuki models Jimny comes with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty
MODEL RANGE
Jimny Lite three-door: $30,490 (manual)
Jimny three-door: $31,990 (manual), $33,490 (automatic)
Jimny XL five-door: $34,990 (manual), $36,490 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your
Local Suzuki dealer for drive-away prices.
