If you wondered where the name Jimny came from I have the answer, courtesy of Brendon Carpenter, the Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa, also known as Brandon-San. He says it is an amalgamation of jeep and mini; jeep mini; Jimny. It sounds right. In the 70s people spoke about smaller 4x4s generically as jeeps.
With the launch of the 5-door model in South Africa in mid- November, the Jimny grew a bit – but not in a bad way. In fact Suzuki got it just about perfectly right when they added 2 doors to this mighty mini without adding other stuff or making it bulky and ungainly. You could say they remained true to the original. It’s the same Jimny, just longer and easier to get in and out of if you are a passenger. They did beef up the driveshaft and brakes to deal with the added weight.
If you know the 4th generation Jimny, available since 2018, the 5-door is identical up to the ‘B’ pillar and the rear aspect is also unchanged. What has changed is the overhang at the back which is a little bit longer and of course the rear door is new. The bigger Jimny is 340mm longer and the boot twice as big as the 3-door with up to 1 100L cargo space with the rear seats folded down. With front and rear seats flat you can even sleep in the Jumbo. The good news is that it weighs only 105 kg more.
So, how does it behave? We joined Suzuki for an exploratory drive in the Tuli area of Botswana. On the way there from Polokwane, past Alldays to the Platjan border post we experienced ‘holey’ roads with potholes within potholes, and three generations of pothole warning signs, on the R521. The 5-door Jimny takes it all in its stride. No sweat. On gravel I think the 5-door is better than the smaller 3-door, probably as a result of the longer wheelbase. The same holds for the handling on tar. I think the longer vehicle sits better on the road. There is a bit of body roll when dodging around potholes but not unduly so.
In the Tuli we drove in the dry riverbed of the Molubatse River and its tributaries under the watchful eye of tour guide and off-road fundi Gideo Basson. Selecting 4H (4×4 high) or 4L (low range) is easy and can be done on the fly, the latter while in neutral.
The hot (it was 38°C) conditions and thick soft sand was no impediment. This car was built for this.
The hot and high conditions were perfect for us to evaluate whether the K15B normally aspirated petrol engine is up to the task. I think so, and it keeps the vehicle simple and straightforward as it was intended to be. We had no real issues getting to our overnight bush camp arranged with the Harina community by Patrick Hill and his team who built a wild camp at the confluence of the Motloutse and Limpopo rivers on a flat ‘island’ or slightly raised area. The crystal clear night sky and waking up to a lion grunting was bliss.
All-round visibility, driving position, easy-to-use controls, clear dials and displays all make for a great overland driving experience. I found the front seats to be very comfortable, bearing in mind we covered more than 800 km in two days, much of it either manoeuvring past potholes or driving in thick sand. The fuel consumption overall was below 8L/ 100km, which is very good under the circumstances.
New on the longer 5-door Jimny for the GLX derivatives are a 9” touchscreen infotainment system, with the GL models getting a 7” version, with both now being Apple Car Play and Android Auto equipped. The GLS also gets ABS and TSC as well as 6 airbags, a reverse camera, cruise control and a leather multi-function steering wheel. There are electric windows on all passenger doors, and the GLX models have automatic climate control while the GL has standard air conditioning.
My favourite is the Chiffon Ivory coloured GLS automatic. The small amount extra for the GLS specification is worth it, I believe.
There is no direct competition for the Jimny, whether SWB (short wheelbase) or LWB (long).
In a nutshell for R20 000 per door x 2 or R40 000 in total you get a more comfortable, spacious, better equipped and I think better handling vehicle than the SWB 3-door model.
Our safari to Botswana was an excellent way to get a feel for the longer Jimny. As always visibility is good. The glorious Mashatu trees along the riverbeds, and the spotting of impala, zebras, giraffe and ellies all contributed to a wonderful trip. The 5-door Jimny feels robust and sturdily put together. I found it has good headroom and comfortable shoulder space and a really good airconditioner. You could do 4 adults on a longish trip, but you would have to pack quite carefully or install a roofrack or roof storage box. Suzuki is expanding the list of approved accessories.
The new 5-door Jimny is available as a GL manual only, or GLX manual or automatic. I think the 5-door GLX auto is the one to get.
GL Manual R429 900
GLS Manual R457900
GLS Automatic R479 900
The 3-door variants by comparison start at R390 900 and top off at R438 900.
The Jimnys come with a 5-year or 200 000km warranty and 4-year or 60 000km service plan.
