2021 Suzuki Jimny vs 2020

What's the difference?

Bloody hell, the Jimny is a lot of fun to drive off-road, nice enough to drive on-road and it's easy to forgive it a few foibles if you're in it for the sheer driving joy of it.

If it sounds like I had a go at the Jimny earlier in this yarn, I didn't really. I like the thing; I like the fact that it's noisy and you get bounced and jolted around inside of it, and you have to really concentrate when driving. This is an engaging driver experience, the likes of which are few and far between these days in contemporary vehicles.

But, even though none of those characteristics are deal-breakers for anyone determined to get in a Jimny no matter what, it's worthwhile noting them.

The Jimny is a purpose-built fun machine and it does that job very well.

If you love the Jimny and are in the already excessively long line to buy one, you don’t need me to tell you it’s not the smartest, most advanced, and user-friendly choice to drive around town.

If you’re on the fence about it, just know this little box is retro to a fault, and if you’re not planning on going out of bounds once in a while, it really won’t be living its best life.

And while that might sound a bit negative, it has to be said I loved every moment of driving and looking at this car despite its SUV shortcomings.

Yes, if you think a little brick on wheels is interesting. And, bizarrely, lots of people – including me – do.

The Jimny is a successful blend of enough considerable nods to the past and slick contemporary stylings to turn heads anywhere and everywhere.

It remains one of the few new vehicles that everyone – drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, unicyclists, pedestrians... everyone – gawks at.

This whole car is pretty much built around the way it looks. Is it form over function? That depends.

For off-road capability it would seem form and function are in sync. But around town there’s a bit of give and take. We’ll explore that more in the practicality section of this review.

In terms of its retro look though it’s clear the Jimny is almost universally loved. It’s cute but tough, approachable but utilitarian.

The styling elements of the Jimny are intentionally made up of elements from each preceding generation. The rounded-out LED lights with separate indicators and its flat face are in reference to the original LJ10 which hit the market in 1960, the bonnet design harks back to the second-generation (SJ410) in 1981, while the slotted grille and pumped guards are in reference to the third-generation (aka the Sierra) from 1998.

There’s more than a little Toyota LandCruiser, Land Rover Defender, and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen about its guttered roofline, square profile, rear bumper, and window line, though.

Inside the rugged aesthetic continues, with grab handles and hose-out plastics adorning the dash. You probably shouldn’t actually take a hose to it though, because the modern screen, climate cluster, and multifunction wheel are lifted straight from the Swift, leaving no question this is a Suzuki product.

The seats are literal blocks of foam, the plastics are hard, and everything is manually adjustable – there isn’t even keyless entry or push-start ignition. Some will hate its lack of luxuries, but more than a few will be willing to forgive its commitment to rugged simplicity.

If I could make one change? Give the Jimny it’s own rugged-looking steering wheel! The modern Swift one looks almost out of place.

The interior is neat, simple and very function-friendly. Materials are either cloth (seats) or durable hard plastic (dash and everything else). Otherwise there are rubber mats and the like. It's basic but low-key appealing.

The Jimny has four barely-there seats, all of them bits of foam clad in durable cloth. They're all quite upright, but are generally comfortable enough for short-distance trips.

There's a shallow glovebox, a thin open recess above it for stuff, a small bin for pocket rubbish in front of the shifter, two cup-holders, and a narrow hard-plastic pocket on both of the front doors.

The driver gets steering-wheel-mounted controls for the entertainment system, cruise control etc.

The centre console is a hub of controls – for front power windows, hill descent and traction control – and there's a USB and 12V power point. There's a 12V socket in the cargo area.

Everyone except the driver gets an over-door grab handle. The front-seat passenger also has a solid glove-box-mounted grab handle.

With all seats in use, the rear cargo area is rather cramped, measuring 85 litres VDA. That equates to an off-roading first-aid kit, three small daypacks and not much else.

If you drop those 50:50 seats, the entire cargo area is 830 litres VDA; it's 377 litres if you only pack to the window sills.

All in all, the cabin is a cramped but basically comfortable space.

Put simply: It’s not practical at all on the inside.

Let’s start with the driver’s area. Immediately annoying is no telescopic adjust for the steering, and minimal manual adjustment for the basic seats. Storage is limited to some very small binnacles in the doors, a tiny slot for your phone, as well as two non-adjustable cupholders and another tiny slot (which I put my wallet in for an idea of how big it is) near the transmission.

In terms of connectivity there is a single USB port, auxiliary input, and a 12V power outlet.

The rear seat is even more basic, consisting of a foam bench and some rudimentary seat backers which can fit two occupants. I was genuinely surprised to find dual ISOFIX child-seat mounting points back there, as well as top-tether anchors. Clambering in is easier than it might look thanks to the huge door aperture and I fit with limited room and comfort behind my own driving position.

Was it adequate? Yes. Would I want to spend much time there? Probably not.

Boot space is non-existent with the rear two seats in their upright position, but they do fold flat for a large, open and useful area when operating as a two-seater. Suzuki says this space is 377 litres, but it seems larger. Check out our pics to get an idea of what it looks like with a large luggage case and some extra equipment bags.

One drawback I found is the hard-wearing plastic surface made it impossible to keep loose objects from being thrown around in the corners. Consider investing in a luggage net, perhaps.

One practicality wonder for urban users will be this car’s tiny dimensions. At 3645mm long (including the spare wheel) and 1645mm wide, the Jimny occupies a footprint much smaller than even Hyundai’s new Venue small SUV.

This means you can park pretty much anywhere, although the 1720mm height makes for some sketchy moments in some multi-story carparks.

Given the Jimny's unique character, it’s hard to argue with its budget price-point. At an MSRP of $27,990 for the priciest automatic version (as tested here), it’s not even really expensive for its size-bracket. To get something which looks and feels like this, your next port of call is the Jeep Wrangler at a whopping $59,450.

Makes sense the Jimny is flying off the shelves, then.

Standard fitment isn’t too bad. Almost everything from the Swift hatchback is not only included but looks about the same, with familiar gear appearing in the form of a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as built-in navigation.

On the outside there are retro-inspired 15-inch alloy wheels in 'gunmetal', retro-inspired round headlights, and a straight-up retro full-size spare bolted to the rear door.

Other notable features include single-zone climate control, privacy glass, a small function screen nestled in the instrument cluster, a reversing camera, and of course, a low-range transfer case with H4 and L4 modes.

Options are limited to premium paints at $500 which can also be two-tone with a contrast roof for $1250.

There are some active safety features, although the Jimny misses out on a high score. More on that later.

As mentioned, the Jimny has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 75kW@6000rpm and 130Nm@4000rpm; low figures in the grand scheme of things but plenty enough to punch this 1110kg (kerb weight, auto) off-roader around the countryside. It has a four-speed automatic transmission.

It has part-time 4WD and an AllGrip Pro system of driver-assist tech includes hill descent control, hill hold assist and more.

The Jimny has a 1.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine producing 75kW/130Nm. There’s no getting around the fact this SUV is low on power and you’ll need to really kick it to the firewall at times to extract close to peak power (which arrives at a distant 6000rpm).

For this test, we had the automatic Jimny which comes with a four-speed torque converter automatic.

You read that right, four speeds. It even has an overdrive button. Very ‘90s.

The Jimny also has a real transfer case with low-gearing however, so it makes up for its low-tech drivetrain by having some real ability behind its tough looks.

Fuel consumption for the auto Jimny is listed as 6.9L/100km (combined).

I recorded an impressive 7.4L/100km on test and that included a lot of low-range 4WDing.

It has a 40-litre fuel tank.

The Jimny’s official combined fuel usage figure when fitted with the automatic transmission is 6.9L/100km. Sounds fine, although our weekly test which mainly kept to urban streets produced a dash-reported 8.5L/100km.

Fine for a capable off-roader, I suppose, but less impressive in the context of the Jimny’s size and relatively lean 1090kg kerb weight.

Not too shabby.

The Jimny is 3645mm long (from front bumper to back edge of the spare wheel cover), with a 2250mm wheelbase. It is 1645mm wide, 1720mm high, and the auto has a listed kerb weight of 1110kg.

It's light and narrow with a truncated wheelbase so – surprise, surprise – it's a fun little drive around town, highly manoeuvrable – with a turning circle of 4.9m – and punchy enough off the mark or on the go to make entering traffic from a standing start or overtaking on the highway simple enough tasks.

It feels like you're driving a go-kart on the road. In a good way.

It does, however, feel underpowered and vulnerable on highways. Watch out for the 'wash' of passing bigger vehicles, especially trucks, and drive with extra care on stretches signposted "High Wind Area" or "Caution High Winds" because the little Jimny can be rocked quite severely by surprise gusts.

Overall, on-road ride and handling are okay for something so diminutive. Ride is firm and jittery via a light narrow body on a ladder frame chassis and coil springs.

Also, be warned, it is noisy inside.

The Jimny is on 15-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Dueler H/Ts (195/80R15) and those are fine for on-road driving, but far from ideal, for obvious reasons, for off-roading.

In terms of comfort, all seats are more firm than comfy but they're fine for short trips.

The Jimny drives how it looks, for better or worse. The good includes visibility thanks to its big upright windows and generous rear vision mirrors, the ride which is so beyond capable for urban use it’ll have you driving over roundabouts and mounting kerbs for fun, and your distance from the ground makes the cabin surprisingly quiet despite thin sheet metal.

You’ll probably never tire of its fun interior fittings and touch-points which blend the modern feel of the Swift’s steering wheel and multimedia screen with the distinctly military-look dial cluster, manual handbrake and transfer case shifter.

There are some quirks of the Jimny though, which you will tire of over time. The steering is fine at most urban speeds, but gets vague above 80km/h and annoyingly heavy at or near a standstill, making parking more of a chore than it should be.

The little box’s centre of gravity is notably high, too, and you feel disconnected from corners and the road generally thanks to its ladder frame and capable suspension. You’ll find yourself slowing down for bends, which at best are tipsy and at worst uncomfortable.

The 1.5-litre engine and old-school four-speed auto combine to make a less-than-enthusiastic package. You’ll really need to kick the Jimny in the guts to get it up to speed, leaving you very little power in reserve for overtaking.

What’s more, the transmission is noisy and incredibly transparent about what it’s doing, lurching between gears in an acceleration experience which is a little too reflective of cars from 20 years ago.

At this point, I know what you’re thinking: “So, you didn’t like it very much?” Actually, quite the opposite. The Jimny possesses an honest old-world charm few vehicles on the market today come anywhere close to. There is something genuinely appealing about how it wears its flaws on its sleeve, so I subjectively enjoyed the drive experience quite a lot, bouncing around in the driver’s seat with a smile on my face every trip. Potential owners deserve to know it is nostalgic to a fault, however.

The Jimny’s less-than-impressive three-star ANCAP rating was widely publicized near its release, and one look at the photos from the offset crash tests are enough to make you a little uncomfortable behind the wheel.

Still Suzuki has put effort in to include active safety refinements, like auto emergency braking (works from 15-100km/h, detects pedestrians but not cyclists, limited function at night), and lane departure warning. There is no lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, or more advanced items like traffic sign recognition.

Six airbags are standard along with electronic brake, traction, and stability controls.

The Jimny has a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12months/15,000km and cost an average of $331 for a total of $1655 over five years.

Suzuki offers all of its vehicles with an updated five-year unlimited kilometre warranty (on par with other mainstream automakers) and requires servicing once every 12 months or 15,000km whichever comes first.

Service pricing is fixed for the first six visits and costs between $239 and $519 per appointment and comes out to a yearly average of $362.33. Not bad.