All you need to know about the Suzuki Jimny

The little Jimny can seemingly do no wrong. Since launching in Australia at the start of this year, the compact 4x4 has almost immediately achieved cult status, selling up a storm and generating a waiting list that stretches almost to a full 12 months, depending on what colour you want.

That’s quite an achievement for a car that’s priced just a smidge under $24K. The Australian public’s appetite for the Suzuki Jimny boils down mainly to two things: its rugged-looking design, and its genuine off-road capability. Dirt road enthusiasts love it just as much as image-conscious urbanites.

As we get set to give the Jimny its first small-screen treatment on WhichCar TV this Sunday afternoon on Channel Ten, here’s all the stuff we’ve written about the pugnacious offroader to date to whet your appetite:

Suzuki Jimny price and features

Here are the nuts and bolts on the Jimny offering in Australia. The range is simple, consisting of a single grade (for now) with a single petrol engine and the option of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. What else has it got? Click the link above to find out.

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Launch review

We got our first taste of the fourth-generation Suzuki Jimny in January, with the local launch allowing us to finally lay hands on the retro-tastic off-roader while also giving us the chance to attack some moderate off-road obstacles as well. It definitely delivered on expectations.

Offroad review

The lads at 4x4 Australia are the gatekeepers when it comes to determining whether a 4x4 has true offroad chops or not, and they subjected the Jimny to a proper bush-bashing jaunt up in Victoria’s high country. Curious about how it fared? Head here to find out how the 2019 Suzuki Jimny goes off-road.

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ANCAP

It’s not all good news with the Jimny, however. Some buyers may be put off by its three-out-of-five star ANCAP crash safety score, which stands out in an era where most passenger cars and SUVs tend to score a much healthier five-star rating.

Why did the Jimny do so poorly in crash testing?

Ute potential

Many moons ago, Suzuki offered a Jimny-based ute called the Stockman – and it was an absolute hit. Farmers loved it for its ability to tote tools and feed around paddocks, saving them the bother of firing up the tractor or having to buy a more expensive 4x4 for farm duty.

Flash forward to the present day, and enthusiasm for the Stockman’s return is incredibly high – so much so that Suzuki’s local head honcho is crossing his fingers and hoping that a load-lugging Jimny derivative is on its way.

The signs look promising: Suzuki themselves wheeled out a custom-built Jimny utility at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, and offroad enthusiasts went wild.

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Dressing up

The fourth-gen Jimny is a great example of retro styling done right, and its boxy shape and cute throwbacks to Jimnys of yore are tremendously endearing. If you squint, it also happens to bear a passing resemblance to other square-shouldered offroaders like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Land Rover Defender – something that’s been exploited by the aftermarket.

Want to make your Jimny look like a shrunken Benz? You’ll want to give it the Mini G treatment. Prefer something with a British flavour? Perhaps check out the amusingly-named “Little D” body kit from Japanese tuner DAMD