The Suzuki Jimny is loved equally by cash-strapped off-roadists and Balearic Island rental fleets. Mainly because it’s so cheap it’s practically disposable, yet so rugged it’ll actually last for ages and need very little care or attention. It’s also full unstoppable engineering, making it incredibly capable in the rough stuff.
This is the new one – the fourth-generation. And boy we’re excited.
Isn’t it bloody excellent? Kind of like a baby G-Wagen. It shares the same iconic boxy silhouette that’ll allow it to cut through society like a knife through butter. So, if the G-Wagen is anything is to go by, everyone from the military to the Kardashians will fawn over it. And it’ll be a lot cheaper than that imperious Merc. And there’ll be endless opportunities to modify it. Yay!
Just check out the spec sheet: a ladder-frame chassis, beam axles at both ends, a high seating position, a short wheelbase. You can speculate on the result (a pogo stick will probably be better through a series of curves), but the long-travel suspension and diddy overhangs for good departure angles should deal with huge lumps and bumps with surprising ease, even if engines are small.
They’re not confirmed yet, but expect a four-pot – probably the one from the Ignis which is good for 88bhp and 121Nm - as well as an entry-level turbocharged 1.0-litre Boosterjet three-cylinder. But it’ll be light. And there’ll be part-time 4wd with a low-range transfer box to plod through pretty much anything you can throw at it.
Inside it’s very similar to its Ignis sibling; cheap and cheerful but ergonomic. Good for when you’re covered in mud. There’ll no doubt be a distinctly off-hand approach to fripperies like soft-feel plastics, but why let that get in the way. Because baby G-Wagen!
We won’t see it properly for a few more months. But oh-my-giddy-aunt we’re excited. Look how cute it is. There’s a boot-mounted spare wheel and everything. We want it. Now.
