Suzuki Jimny 2022 review: Lite 4WD off-road test

Honestly, it should be even cheaper. But part of the reason this generation of Jimny is so popular is because there are no close-priced rivals with this much capability on offer at this point in time. The GWM Tank range may address that soon, but until then, you’ve got a Land Rover Defender 90 (from $74,516), Jeep Wrangler 2 Door (from $53,750), or a number of second-hand options. Heck, even previous generation Jimnys are fetching close to $25k at the time of writing. 

There are some big omissions from this Jimny Lite model that relegate it to a no-frills example. Lite, yes. Light on spec? Yes to that, too.

For $26,990 (MSRP - plus on-road costs) and available with the five-speed manual transmission only, you are paying three grand more than you would have for the better-specced model when it launched in 2018, and that car is now $4500 dearer than when it launched, at $28,490.

There are multiple considerable subtractions made to help it meet that lower (but not low) price point, too.

Gone is the 7.0-inch touchscreen with sat nav (later replaced by a 9.0-inch screen without sat nav on 2022 models due to the microchip shortage), and with that there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto - just a double-din CD player and AM/FM radio with Bluetooth - more on just how bad that is in the interior section below.

There’s also manual air-conditioning instead of climate control, you get 15-inch steel wheels rather than the alloys on the dearer model, and you even miss out on interior light, a 12-volt outlet in the boot, fog lights and LED headlights (Lite runs halogen lamps). Those headlights, at least, have auto on-off functionality, and auto high-beam, too.

The Jimny Lite features 15-inch steel wheels (Image: Matt Campbell).

You’ll miss colour-coding on the exterior - the mirrors and door handles are unfinished black plastic, and while those wing mirrors still feature electric adjustment, they don’t fold in like the higher-grade model.

What else is absent? A reversing camera is the last piece of the puzzle - and while it can be a potentially life-saving piece of safety technology, the Jimny remains pretty easy to size up when parking.

The headlights have auto on-off functionality, as well as auto high-beam (Image: Matt Campbell).

Colour choices for the Jimny Lite are White (like you see here) which comes at no extra cost, while the metallic paint finishes - Jungle Green and Medium Grey will cost you $695 and you’ll have to spend $1295 more if you want two-tone black-roof paint in Chiffon Ivory, Kinetic Yellow or Brisk Blue.

As for accessories, there are several to choose from direct from Suzuki, including an upgraded stereo sound system, a different grille, underbody protection, nudge bar, mud flaps, floor mats, front and rear diff guards, different wheels, roof rack kits with bike carrier or snowboard/ski/surfboard racks, and a tow bar kit. 

Want a really practical small SUV? There are heaps of other options out there if you’re the sort of person who covets deep door-mount bottle holders (none here), loves a really good centre console storage box (nope), or really needs a good size boot with all seats in play (nuh-uh).

This isn’t the most practical SUV unless your idea of practicality is stowing away those rear seats (which you hardly ever use, anyway) or even removing them entirely and fitting a camping setup in the back, then tackling severe off-road tracks.

The front seats fold down entirely (Image: Matt Campbell).

But it’s my job to tell you the things you should, so here goes, starting with the boot.

Cargo capacity is stated at just 85 litres with all four seats in play, but that increases to 377L with the back seats folded flat. They go entirely flat, though, and there’s a nice level load space to use as well. You can get fill-in plastics to make it level, and if you shop the aftermarket you can even find bed/mattress setups so you can sleep in it - the front seats fold down entirely, too.

Also, that side-mounted tailgate means you won’t have a spot to hide in the rain, so that’s probably why you see so many Jimny models fitted with an awning on the side or at the back. Thankfully, though it is a dumb design (hey, I can criticise it, I own a JB43 and I hate the tailgate), it is light and because the body of the car is short and wide, it’s not that huge of a consideration when you park it.

If you have children, the back seat is capable of coping with two seats as there are dual ISOFIX and top-tether points. And if your kids aren’t in capsules, they might be okay with the space back there, but anyone taller than average is going to have a bad time. It’s pretty tight, and not very comfortable.

Anyone taller than average is going to have a bad time in the rear seats (Image: Matt Campbell).

The front seats offer good adjustment and comfort, though an armrest / console would be a nice aftermarket upgrade (you can get them with built-in USB ports - pretty neat). There are door pockets good for a magazine and that’s it, cup holders on the floor console between the seats, and not much other storage besides a small cubby in front of the shifter and another above the glovebox.

Aside from the dumped infotainment system, and the manual air-con controls, not a lot has changed between this and the more expensive version. The Bluetooth capable CD player system that’s fitted is pretty horrible to be honest, and the two-speaker sound system is not great, either. I would suggest if you are interested in a Jimmy and you do care about music quality exterior upgrade could be an easy one for this car - it’s not like the more expensive version gets a heaps better stereo - it’s the same two-speaker setup.

The stereo controls take a bit of learning in order to figure out the menus for the system, and it’s nowhere near as intuitive as a touchscreen. That’s why touchscreens became a mainstream solution. Because they’re good. At least this stereo head unit has buttons and knobs, though. 

The stereo controls take a bit of learning in order to figure out the menus for the system (Image: Matt Campbell).

Another thing I’m not a fan of is the lack of a digital speedometer. You can’t choose one in the TFT information screen, and I hate that.

You might also want to consider that the steering wheel only has tilt adjust (no reach adjust), and it’s a hard plastic tiller, too (not leather lined) and there are hard plastic elbow pads on the doors. At least the seat fabric is soft, right?

The steering wheel only has tilt adjust (no reach adjust), and it’s a hard plastic tiller (Image: Matt Campbell).

Vain? You’ll hate this car. There are no vanity mirrors at all.

Don’t go expecting to get more for less, here. It’s the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 75kW of power (at 6000rpm) and 130Nm of torque (at 4000rpm) as you get in the more expensive Jimny, but crucially, the Lite only comes as a manual.

That’s right - the five-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission option available, with the four-speed automatic gearbox reserved for the exxy model.

The Lite features a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 75kW of power and 130Nm of torque (Image: Matt Campbell).

Of course you also get a low-range transfer case because it’s a proper off-roader with a part-time 4WD (with 2H, 4H and 4L) system. 

Thinking about towing capacity? I mean, if you want to, you can - there’s 350kg unbraked and 1300kg braked capacity. The vehicle itself weighs just 1095kg (kerb weight) and the gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 1435kg, so be mindful that four oversized adults will put you over the limit. Lite, indeed.

That sticker you see on the windscreen of new cars? That shows you the official combined cycle fuel consumption figure, which is the fuel use you should theoretically be able to achieve across a mix of driving, according to the tests run in Australian Design Rule (ADR) compliance.

That number for the 2022 Suzuki Jimny Lite is 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres. It’s the same number whether you choose this Lite manual or the higher-spec manual. Emissions are 146g/km CO2.

On test, I saw a return of 7.0L/100km across a mix of on-road and off-road driving - and the official figure doesn’t consider off-roading, either.

With the $1500 you’re saving by choosing the Lite model, go get yourself a set of decent all-terrain tyres if you want to hit the hardcore tracks.

The 195/80/15 Bridgestone Dueler H/T rubber on the Jimny Lite is the same as you get on the expensive model, and it also exhibits the same shortcomings.

Look, those tyres are fine for mild off-road driving, and we’ve said it before - a set of BF Goodrich A/Ts would take this thing from being just another rooster to the king cockerel in the chook yard. It would certainly allow you to explore the potential of this vehicle even more.

But the off-road drive impressions, as you’d expect, are still pretty promising. The shift between high- and low-range is very simple - just push down on the lever in Neutral and you’re good to go. 

The ground clearance is 210mm, high enough off the ground to deal with big lumps in the road or ruts on the track (Image: Matt Campbell).

If things get steep and gnarly, there’s a hill descent control system that can take a little bit of getting used to, though the low-range gearing is aggressive enough that you may not even need it, depending on your experience. As Crafty put it in his earlier Adventure reviews of the Jimny, “in low-range first gear, it’s nearly unstoppable”. It creeps up hills without stress or strain.

And when it comes to the angles, the Jimny is a good’n. The approach angle is 37 degrees, breakover / rampover angle is 28 degrees, and departure angle is 49 degrees - so running up craggy rocky sections is easier than you might think, so long as you don’t find yourself dipping too far either left or right.

When it comes to the angles, the Jimny is a good’n (Image: Matt Campbell).

The ground clearance is 210mm, high enough off the ground to deal with big lumps in the road or ruts on the track, and the wheel articulation is impressive, meaning you can traverse lumpy tracks with wheels mostly staying in touch with the ground below.

There is some axle lift at times and that’s to be expected of a vehicle with a wheelbase this short. But like I said, it is a little bit tipsy feeling, and I would be just cautious in driving in very loose-surface situations as it doesn’t offer the driver huge levels of confidence, especially with the OEM tyres.

Be aware if you’re planning a long distance drive, too, that the 40-litre tank will see you through about 570km based on the on test fuel consumption I saw. A jerry can could be another good investment.

Buy a new Jimny and you get a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. That’s about what you’d expect in this day and age. Thinking of running your Jimny as a delivery truck or doing Uber / Uber Eats or any other commercial work with it? Just be aware that the warranty is five years/160,000km in that instance.

Servicing is covered by a five-year plan/100,000km plan. But weirdly, Suzuki also states the service costs for longer than that.

The intervals are 12 months/15,000km per service, and the costs are as follows: $329, $329, $429, $329, $239, $519 - yep, that last one is for the 90,000km interval, but for “vehicle less than 60 months old”. To complicate things further, earlier versions of the Jimny in this generation were due for service every six months/10,000km. Confused? Ask the dealer. 

Roadside assist is contingent on you servicing your Suzuki with the brand’s workshops, and if you do, it’ll span five years.