Road Test: 2012 Suzuki Jimny

Very few people know that the man who engineered this little Suzuki was actually a fan of the talking Cricket, Jiminy Cricket, from Walt Disney’s animated classic, Pinocchio.

That’s not true. As it was with Pinocchio, my nose should be growing a little bit now with that fib I just told you. Okay, so I have no idea if the engineer was a fan, but my goodness the slick talking, overzealous, (and interestingly enough, originally Italian) Jiminy Cricket would have loved the boisterous attitude of the little Suzuki 4×4 that is almost his namesake.

When it comes to staring down the Jimny face to face, you can’t help but wonder if it may be more of an acquired taste, more of a toy, more erring towards a niche vehicle. You wouldn’t be far wrong with that assumption, but after a week of driving it I genuinely didn’t care about any of its miniscule foibles, because the Suzuki Jimny brings to light the very best of Japan’s culture of miniaturisation and simplification.

The superb all-terrainer has just undergone a series of subtle changes and they’re all of a cosmetic nature, meant to give the little 4×4 a sharper presence inside and out. A combination of a new bonnet, an air scoop, a redesigned grille and a bolder front bumper, give it quite a self-confident attitude. The fog lamps have also been repositioned and are now located in recesses on either side of the air intake, which decreases the risk of damage during off-road driving, as does the extra protection at the cars’ leading edge.

The Jimny’s cabin gains redesigned head restraints, smarter cloth trim for the seats and ISOFIX child seat anchor points to make it a little more practical. Unchanged are the Jimny’s standard air-conditioning, remote central locking, electrically operated windows and mirrors, power steering and CD front-loader. An MP3 player or Bluetooth connection for your phone would’ve been nice, but like I mentioned, I’m willing to gloss over the slight lack of convenience for all the other joys it can offer its owner.

The Suzuki Jimny is a tool and I’m not being derogatory when I say that. It’s mobile utility in all its simplified glory and there is something wonderfully refreshing about a tool that just does its job with no fuss or hesitation. It has a robust box section chassis, rigid front and rear axles with coil spring suspension, low-range transfer case and push-button rear diff-lock and all-wheel drive. That’s all the pretty serious 4×4 stuff you’re ever going to need, but it gets even better, because the entire car weighs just over 1 000 kg, has 190 mm ground clearance and the most astonishing approach and departure angles.

Now I’m not an off-road driver by any stretch, and I would never want to become an expert, but this job comes with a fair amount of 4x4ing and I begrudgingly do most of the stuff required of me. Having said that, taking the little Suzuki Jimny on an off-road playground doesn’t just prove its astonishing talents, it is simply classic fun. It’s involving, easy and there are very little obstacles you can’t negotiate thanks to its extreme nimbleness. You just find yourself going further and further off the beaten track, over strange topography, through obscure farm gates and sometimes even onto people’s private property. As it turns out, the Suzuki Jimny is a great way to get yourself prosecuted for trespassing.

You think the measly 63 kW and 110 Nm of torque from the 1.3-litre engine under the scooped-bonnet won’t be enough to get you anywhere, but this car is very good at surprising you. Really thick sand, steep hills, mud, rocks, you name it and as long as you can maintain momentum you’ll overcome it. A low-range transfer case, the Jimny’s low mass, raised ride height and extended suspension travel, ensures exceptional 4×4 capabilities.

Sure, it takes 14 seconds to get to 100 km/h and it tops out at 140 km/h, (not that you’ll ever have that patience to try it for yourself), and the engine doesn’t sound all that refined, but the light chassis and diminutive size still make it fun to drive. Not in a sporty way, but in a way that makes you feel like you have size on your side. Traffic is a doddle, parking is a doddle, it’s almost the ideal urban car as well. Downsizing is cool these days don’t forget.

There is no denying the Suzuki Jimny is a terrific and unique little car: simple, versatile, full of character and with loads more to offer than there may appear to be on the surface. Those who will want it for its cute, diminutive nature won’t mind the utilitarian feel, and alternatively, those who respect its vast 4×4 capabilities won’t mind that others will underestimate it from the get-go.

What we like…

• Improved comfort and standard equipment.
• Light weight and off-road driving agility.
• Quirky good looks and kerb appeal.
• It’s actually a great urban run-around as well.

What we would like…

• If we were nitpicking we’d say it’s getting a bit expensive nowadays. They used to cost around R160 000.
• Some MP3 player and Bluetooth phone action would be the ultimate interior toys.

Photo Credit: Matteo Conti

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