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Page last updated at 18:32 GMT, Sunday 31st January 2010
ROAD TEST: SUZUKI JIMNY SZ4 It’s getting on in years and is one of the cheapest new 4x4s that money can buy. But, as Paul Guinness discovers, the latest-spec Jimny still has plenty going for itBy any standards, the diminutive Suzuki Jimny is a bit of an old soldier, having originally been launched way back in 1998 before going on sale in the UK early the following year. And that makes it the second oldest 4x4 currently on sale in Britain, beaten only by Land Rover’s evergreen Defender.
So does that automatically make the Jimny hopelessly outclassed and not worthy of consideration nowadays? No. Far from it, in fact – as we’ve just discovered after a week at the wheel of the latest (and most expensive) SZ4 version. THE ‘POSH’ JIMNY This doesn’t mean the Jimny has been moved needlessly upmarket, of course. You can still buy the entry-level 1.3 JLX for a very reasonable £10,715 – or considerably less once your nearest dealer has agreed to the kind of generous discount we’ve come to expect in Suzuki showrooms. And when you consider that at that price you’re getting a ‘proper’ 4x4 (complete with body-on-frame construction, part-time Drive Select four-wheel drive, a dual-range transfer box, free-wheeling front hubs and coil-sprung suspension), less than £11k is surely a small price to pay? Even that cheapest Jimny is no stripped-out machine, rather impressively coming as standard with electric front windows, electric door mirrors, roof rails, front fog lamps, remote central locking, a CD player and ABS. But, it seems, some Jimny buyers prefer a tad more ‘luxury’ for their money, which helps explain the launch of the Jimny SZ4 – priced at just £11,225 and adding part-leather upholstery, air conditioning, rear privacy glass, leather steering wheel, new 10-spoke alloy wheels and smarter exterior trim to the overall package.
No amount of extra equipment, though, can completely disguise the Jimny’s on-road shortcomings, all of which have been well documented before. Compared with a brand new supermini, for example, the Jimny’s performance is raucous, its handling is compromised, its gearchange is ‘notchy’ and ride quality is harsh. But all of that’s to be expected, because this is a ‘real’ 4x4 of the old school – and that means some major advantages when the going gets rough. OFF THE ROAD The lightweight little Jimny really is an impressive off-roader. Select low-ratio all-wheel drive (via dashboard-mounted buttons on the latest model), head away from the tarmac and make the most of its eager nature and unstoppable feel. Even with normal road tyres in place, the Jimny is capable of some impressive feats, despite its lack of low-down torque (just 81lb.ft. at 4100rpm). We’ve off-roaded in various Jimnys over the years, and have often been amazed at just how capable they can be, even in the most inhospitable terrain. Of course, most buyers of a brand new Jimny SZ4 won’t be driving straight from the showroom to their nearest off-road course, but just knowing that their vehicle is capable of such antics appeals to many. And, of course, when the good old British winter does its worst (as it has this year), Jimny owners will delight in getting on their way in high-range all-wheel drive.
On a run, of course, the Jimny isn’t the most refined car at its price. But to criticise it for that is rather silly, given that there is no other 4x4 quite like the Jimny at such a low price. Closest rival is arguably the Fiat Panda 1.2i 4x4 at £11,000 – but as that’s an all-wheel drive version of a city car rather than being the no-nonsense 4x4 that the Jimny certainly is, comparisons are perhaps unfair. You’ll certainly enjoy a tad extra performance, better refinement and superior on-road handling in the little Fiat; but when it comes to getting down and dirty, the Jimny is (at this price) in a league of its own. Yes, the Suzuki suffers plenty of body roll when cornering tightly at speed – but what do you expect, given its narrow track and high centre of gravity? The good news though, is that its coil-sprung suspension does a fine job of maintaining control; you’d have to be driving particularly stupidly in order to get into serious trouble when cornering in a Jimny. VERDICT The Jimny isn’t – and never has been – the 4x4 for everyone. It’s too small for many buyers, while others aren’t prepared to accept its on-road compromises, despite the latest versions being pleasant enough to use on a daily basis. We did a 200-mile round trip in our test vehicle, and still felt reasonably fresh at the end of it. But it’s the very fact that the Jimny doesn’t try to be the perfect transport for every buyer that makes us appreciate this long-serving workhorse all the more. It’s an eager and energetic little machine, ready for hard work and prepared to give its all. And when the time comes to tackle the odd bit of tough terrain, it will rise to the challenge without protest. Those people who buys Jimnys are very loyal to the model, and understandably so. No other 4x4 on sale today offers the same level of off-road ability, charm and value for money that this little Suzuki provides. It will be a very sad day indeed when the final example of the current-model Jimny rolls off the production line. We can only hope that its eventual successor doesn’t go the ‘crossover’ route in order to appeal to a more general audience…
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Looking at the 2010-spec Jimny now, it’s obvious that the model has been altered remarkably little over the years. Okay, a new 1.3-litre 16-valve petrol engine – complete with variable valve timing – was introduced a while back, along with a freshened-up dashboard and minor trim updates. But, in essence, the latest Jimny is very much the same vehicle that first saw the light of day a full twelve years ago.
That means the SZ4 carries a price premium of just over £500, yet boasts substantially more in the way of on-board goodies. And for bargain hunters everywhere, that can only be good news – assuming your new Jimny isn’t being bought solely as a hard-working off-road farming tool, of course.
They’ll find this a practical machine in other ways, too. It might not be as spacious as a similarly priced ‘normal’ small car, but the Jimny is still a reasonable four seater, with a small boot area for odds ’n’ sods. Use it as a two-seater though, and you’ll be surprised just how much stuff you can squeeze in through the side-opening tailgate.| Email a friend | Français | Deutsch | Español | Italiano |
