Everything you need to know about Suzuki’s beloved compact 4×4 and its return to Singapore

– Correction: Sorry! 🙁 We jumped the shark and said the car launched last weekend but it’s actually this weekend, Saturday and Sunday April 27 and 28 from 1300h onwards.

SINGAPORE – It’s back: the Jimny, Suzuki’s compact 4×4 sport utility vehicle (SUV), launches this weekend (Saturday and Sunday April 19-20) at Singapore Expo, Hall 4, from 1300h onwards.

It’s priced at S$114,100 with COE. Only one variant is available, although there’s the option of a contrasting roof colour for $1,000 more.

That’s a very decent price for the charismatic little soft-roader, since it comes with quite a few features that aren’t always found on larger or more expensive SUVs.

To put it another way, a sub-S$120k with COE price is a pittance compared to a Land Rover Defender or Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.

For the past five decades, if you’ve wanted a car that can really hack the rough stuff, but wasn’t a gigantic beast to wrangle on normal roads the Suzuki Jimny has been the only choice.

“Since its launch in 1970, the Jimny has been an important car that showcases the off-road expertise of Suzuki”, said Mr Shuji Oishi, deputy executive General Manager of global automobile marketing at Suzuki Motor Corporation.

CarBuyer has had an in-depth look at the new Jimny, both inside and out, and here’s all the info you need to know about it, as well as our initial thoughts about the car.

Specifications

-1.5-litre inline four cylinder engine with 110hp and 130Nm
– Four-speed automatic, selectable high and low-range all-wheel drive
– 6.7L/100km VES C2, 156g/km CO2
– 0-100km/h and top speed to be announced

Appearance & Dimensions

Suzuki has been making the Jimny since 1970, and this is the new fourth-generation model. It makes the much-loved third-gen model look a bit blah in comparison, since the new machine is styled like a tiny version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.

The circular headlights (now LED units) are a signature that have been kept, as are the clamshell bonnet and front grille with oval slats, while the tall profile of the car gives better offroad visibility.

The thin A-pillars and cutouts near the side mirrors help further, while the upright windscreen blocks more sunlight than a raked one.

The contrast coloured bumpers are designed to be hard-wearing and to withstand scratches.

Three dual-tone colours are available (Yellow, Ivory, Blue, all with a dark roof) and five single-tone colours (Green, Gray, White, Black Pearl, Silver).

The Jimny has an outsized road presence but it’s actually smaller than a Suzuki Swift: At 3.64-metres long, 1.65-metres wide, 1,73-metres tall,  it’s shorter and slightly less wide than its compact hatch sibling, but obviously taller since it’s an SUV.

The car’s turning circle is just 4.9-metres – almost half that of a normal mid-sized Japanese family sedan – so if you can’t park the Jimny easily you should probably go back to driving school.

Interior and Practicality

The square themed design continues on the inside with the high-contrast dials, big passenger grab handle and lots of straight vertical lines – Suzuki says it’s to help the driver orientate better when offroad. The cabin’s plastics are designed to be stain and scratch resistant.

The Jimny might be tiny but it makes up for interior room by seating only four adults with a decent amount of comfort. Suzuki says the interior room has been improved and the seats have a wider range of adjustability.

Boot space has been increased by 53-litres to 377-litres, and the rear seats now fold completely flat. Cargo hooks and mounting points also allow for more flexibility, while the square door makes for a very wide, easy-to-load aperture. The seat backs and cargo floor are also coated in hard-wearing plastic.

Off-Road Capability

The Jimny is designed for real off-roading, unlike most SUVs, the engineering approach reflects as much.

It has a ladder frame and solid axles for extra toughness, though this mean it might not be the most refined car on the road (just like the Defender and G-Wagen).

Suzuki’s ‘AllGrip Pro’ all-wheel drive system is selectable for rear or all-wheel drive, as well as high and low range (‘Pro’ differentiates it from the normal AllGrip on the SX4 and Vitara). There’s a brake-based LSD system to help maximise traction in all situations.  

Safety

For a small off-roader, the Jimny has a surprising amount of on-road safety equipment. Passive systems include Suzuki’s TECT (Total Effective Control Technology) impact-absorbing platform, and a pedestrian impact-mitigating external body. Six airbags are standard.

Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS) is a new active safety feature, it’s Suzuki’s version of autonomous emergency braking which warns the driver if they are approaching obstacles, traffic, or a pedestrian too quickly. It warns the driver, boost braking power,  and finally applies the brakes to mitigate or prevent accidents. There’s also Lane Departure Warning and Vehicle Sway Warning which alert a driver if they’re swerving out of line.

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