6 days ago
WATCH: Suzuki Jimny five-door provides more space with the same charm and off-road ability
The Suzuki Jimny becomes a mountain goat over rocks.
Image: Cherise Burger
You recognise it the moment you see it; there aren't any swooping lines or aerodynamic curves, and owners absolutely love them.
No prizes for guessing it's the Suzuki Jimny, which has burrowed into the hearts of South Africans unlike any other vehicle currently on sale.
They wave at each other on the road, have massive Jimny gatherings, and there are Jimny clubs scattered throughout the country that gather at off-road tracks regularly.
Five doors
This was the first time I had the opportunity to test the five door GLX version, having previously spent many thousands of kilometres in the three door driving up the West Coast's Diamond Route as well as a memorable trip through Botswana.
Purists initially said that adding an extra two doors would take some of the Jimny's charm away, but I'd argue it's a very small price to pay for a lot more space and stability at higher speeds.
It's still the same width and height but the wheelbase has been stretched by only 340mm as has the body to accommodate the extra space.
This slightly changes the approach angle from 37 to 36 degrees and the departure angle from 49 to 47 degrees while the breakover angle changes from 28 to 24 degrees, which is unlikely to make any difference in a real world application.
Ground clearance is still 210mm and its weight increases from 1,050kg to 1,200kg.
Exterior and interior
There's nothing much to say about the exterior. It's basically a box with four wheels that would heroically fail any modern-day aerodynamic wind tunnel test.
Inside the five-door Jimny, you get everything you need without any bells and whistles, which is part of the car's charm.
Analogue dials provide speed and RPM, with a digital display between the two that provides consumption and other information.
The nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system shows the reverse camera image, is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and like everything else about the Jimny, easy to use.
My biggest gripe with the interior is the lack of storage space.
There are two cup holders and very narrow door pockets, essentially for paper maps, and a cubbyhole. That's about it, so you're always trying to find a place for your keys, wallet and phone.
The seats are comfortable enough for average distances, but I know from experience that after a few hours of gravel driving, your backside is screaming out for relief.
What is patently evident, though, is that the interior is solidly put together.
Engine
Under the bonnet is Suzuki's 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 75kW and 138Nm of torque driving the AllGrip drivetrain with 2WD high range, 4WD high range and 4WD low Range and in the test unit's case, a five-speed manual gearbox or there's four-speed automatic transmission option.
When the going gets tough, the Jimny gets going.
Image: Cherise Burger
On and off-roading
It features a ladder frame chassis and is one of only three cars locally available with a solid or live front axle, the others being the Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
If speed is your thing, then the Jimny isn't for you.
While the engine doesn't mind high revving, it takes a while to pick up speed, and with one-up in the car, it's happy to cruise at the national speed limit.
The three-door is unstable at high speeds and heavily affected by crosswinds, requiring constant steering inputs. However, the extra length and weight of the five-door mitigate much of that.
For everyday suburban commutes, it's easy to drive with light steering and smooth and easy gear changes.
However, in highway traffic, trying to take a gap and picking up speed, the lack of power is very evident, especially at our high altitude.
I know that in the Jimny, they say the journey is part of the joy, but I can't help but wonder why they didn't consider the company's 1.4 turbo-charged Boosterjet, which has substantially more power.
The Suzuki Jimny is instantly recognisable.
Image: Cherise Burger
It would make owning the car as a daily drive a much easier decision.
That's the tar, but it's once you get into the gravel and dust that it truly shows its ability.
We took it for a 4x4 session with four adults loaded with camping chairs, recovery gear and a 12V fridge plugged into the back socket.
Getting there required many gear changes to keep up, but switch it to low range and it's a little mountain goat.
Fitted with a Brake Limited Slip Differential System that stops the spinning wheel and sends power to those that have traction, there's not much that it won't traverse.
Its only limitation is the standard ground clearance.
There's one obstacle that required lots of it, and I've seen quite a few vehicles there that have either had panel damage or damage to their undercarriage, so obviously, we gave that a miss.
A few hairy moments on another obstacle saw some rock packing and lots of delicate manoeuvring, but we made it on road tyres and even had a couple with a big Jeep Grand Cherokee applauding the little Jimny.
