(Image by Shawn Jooste)

Remember the TV series M.A.S.H? The satirical American black comedy from the early 70’s which aired for over a decade. Remember or not, you’ll remember the two door army jeep, which was most often seen as an open topper in the series. What’s that got to do with the newly nipped and tucked Suzuki Jimny? Inspiration for Suzuki’s version of the army jeep, named the HopeStar.

The original two door 4x4 vehicles from Suzuki were manufactured back in 1970 to 1981. Looking at it, you can see it wasn’t designed for much other than function, but still has an aesthetic character. M.A.S.H is gone but the Jimny hasn’t. Now in its third generation and fresh off the plastic surgeons table, the Jimny has had some cosmetic enhancements. The most notable are a new bonnet, a cosmetically pleasing air scoop, redesigned grille and a bolder front bumper. The bonnet gains a power bulge, which adds some brute to its cute. The grille has been revised and now incorporates a more geometric design, with vertical bars replacing the rounded apertures of the previous model.

The bumper has also been redesigned, and now features a larger lower air intake, while the fog lamps have been repositioned, and are now located in recesses on either side of the intake- decreasing the risk of damage during serious off-road driving. A lower scuff plate provides protection at the bumper’s leading edge.

Move on inside, and it is a simple affair. Less is more and function is king. The little all-terrainer is capable of seating four adults although front passenger leg room is limited. Seating a driver taller than six foot could be a comical episode as was the case watching my colleague get his six foot five inch frame behind the wheel. Cabin storage is limited to the cubby hole and thin door pockets which barely house an iPad. Although the cabin is compact the Jinmy does come standard with air-conditioning, remote central locking, electrically operated windows and mirrors, power steering, a FM stereo/AM receiver with CD front-loader, and an integrated alarm/immobiliser system.

From a safety perspective, the post cosmetic nip and tuck Jimny now offers ISOFIX child seat anchor points, which augment an array of active and passive safety features that already includes ABS anti-lock brakes, dual SRS front airbags, three-point inertia reel seatbelts, and front and rear head restraints.

On the move the 1.3-litre engine placidly pulls the high riding car around urban areas. Robot dashes are more like a gentle stroll, and in the event of climbing hilly roads down changing through the 5-speed gear box is essential. The short wheel base and firm suspension sends lots of feedback into the cabin. In other words, it is doesn’t have that ‘floating on a cloud’ sensation. But the Jimny does not pretend too. What it does genuinely promise and is very capable of complying with, is being a really 4x4 all-terrain vehicle. In fact to illustrate my point I have included a video clip of a Land Rover Discovery climbing a challenging assent, followed by the Jimny doing the same assent as the off road benchmark.

(Image by Shawn Jooste) 

The facts

Pros

• It is a real 4x4
• It is the cheapest 4x4 on the market
• Fun

Cons

• Underpowered engine
• Limited space generally but especially for tall drivers

The figures

The extra stuff

The price includes a four-year/60 000km service plan, and a three-year/100 000km warranty.

The verdict

On average the Jimny sells between 80 and 100 units a month, again on average that is about 1000 cars a year. In car sales term that would place the Jimny in the top 60 out of 201 cars currently available. That’s good going in car terms. The Jimny is fun, capable and somewhat practical for an active individual. It is R50 000 cheaper than its rival but is smaller and only has three doors though. Its competition, the DAIHATSU Terios, is better suited to a young mom because of its four door configuration and larger accommodation.

The Jimny is full of character and fresh from the body shop, while the Terios is over seven years old now. In my mind the Jimny has the clear advantage over the Terios.

Weblink to the Suzuki Jimny