By Jimny: Charming 4×4 is a winner

By Alan Douglas

October 22 2021, 6:00 am

The Jimny is a clever and capable all-rounder.

It’s quite sad really. That forerunner of four-wheel-drive, the aficionado of adventure and the omnipotence of off-roading is no longer with us.

The demise of the Land Rover Defender has not come as a surprise. After more than 70 years, the brick-shaped design may have softened and developed, but it fell foul of emission rules and safety standards.

Of course there is now a replacement, but like the rest of the Land and Range Rover models, it appeals more to the lifestyle market even though it is more capable than many owners want or need.

With the superb Allgrip four-wheel-drive system, the Jimny can handle almost anything you throw at it.

Whatever your view of the new Defender, for those of us who need a serious mud-plugger, it’s a difficult time as there’s so much choice around, but the tricky bit is deciding which 4×4 is best suited to the tasks you have in mind.

While the new Defender is a good looker, it is expensive and it’s really only practical in its 110 long wheelbase guise because the shorter 90’s boot is only slightly larger than an overnight bag, and the rear passenger cabin is tricky to access if you’re anything other than a three-feet tall contortionist.

The appeal of the Suzuki Jimny over the past 20-odd years has been down to it being a straightforward, simple and basic vehicle

So if your old Defender is past its sell-by date – which is unlikely because they seem to go on forever – your best bet for a go-anywhere workhorse is probably one of the Far Eastern pickups.

They are tough as old hob-nailed boots and are now sophisticated machines which can do a day’s work in the fields, then scrub up for a night out in the city. But there is one other option and it’s come about almost by default.

The fourth generation Jimny has all the charm of the original model.

The appeal of the Suzuki Jimny over the past 20-odd years has been down to it being a straightforward, simple and basic vehicle and the most compact SUV on sale in the UK.

It’s been a quiet success, with not much short of 50,000 taking to the UK’s roads over that time.

But it needed updating and Suzuki played a stormer coming up with a fourth generation, which had all the charm of the previous model but also did a pretty good impersonation of a scaled-down chunky Mercedes G-Class or Jeep Wrangler.

They couldn’t keep up with demand which far outstripped their allocation of UK-spec right hand drive models. But its 1.5 litre petrol engine fell victim to new stringent emissions legislation and it had to be dropped from the UK market last year.

Just one trim but includes aircon, cruise control, DAB radio and Bluetooth.

Suzuki, though, have come back with a masterstroke, creating a commercial two-seater version which isn’t subject to the same emissions controls… but still has the same remarkable off-road capability.

I’m still amused at the name, too, especially for those of us in Scotland. But see you Jimny, you’re alright.

There’s just one drawback. Because of limited supplies from Japan, it’s even rarer than its predecessor. Fewer than 500 are coming to the UK and they’ve almost all gone so if you fancy one you could face a long wait.

Outwardly, it looks just the same as the four-seater Jimny. Inside though, there are only two seats and the rear space has been sectioned off by a black mesh grille to keep things in place, whether that’s parcels and packages, tools or animals.

Straightforward and simple, the stripped down interior has two seats and decent cargo space.

Suzuki have kept things simple. There’s only one trim level but it comes with everything you’re likely to need including aircon, cruise control, DAB radio and Bluetooth.

As well as Suzuki’s superb Allgrip four-wheel-drive system with low ratio transfer gear, there’s also hill descent control for added confidence on steep drops and while it may not be quite as sophisticated as the systems you’d find on more expensive off-roaders, I can confirm that it works well even with standard road tyres.

A clever and capable package

It has the same 1.5 litre engine which does a remarkable job, and the five-speed manual gearbox is precise to direct power where and when it’s needed.

Economy isn’t brilliant at around low 30s mpg, and while the loadspace is nice and square it is fairly limited at 863 litres with towing weight for a braked trailer at 1300kgs.

It’s a clever package and remarkably capable but it’s pricey and you’ll be lucky to get your hands on one. You might find a rare second hand model in time… but it’ll probably cost more than the new list price.