LONG-TERM UPDATE 2 | Our Suzuki Jimny gets its boots dirty with Jimny Drive

Shortly after taking delivery of our long-term Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX MT five-door, I decided to go in search of training.

For beneath that cute Japanese exterior stretch the bones of a properly accomplished 4x4 vehicle, one which can happily deliver you to many amazing places should the need arise.

Take a quick squiz through the specification sheet and you will see all the desirable raw ingredients are there: a durable ladder chassis, an AllGrip Pro four-wheel drive system mated to a low range transfer case, and hill descent control. 

Unfortunately if you don’t really know how to exploit these features to their full potential, they’re not going to do you much good when you decide to explore the road untravelled. As I intend trading asphalt for dirt in my test unit (there’s more to these machines than hopping kerbs outside hipster eating establishments in the Cape Town CBD), I recruited the services of Jimny Drive.

Operating out of the De Wildt 4x4 Nature Park and Resort situated on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg between Pretoria North, Hartbeespoort and Brits, the operation offers specialised driver training courses specifically tailored for the fourth- and third-generation Jimny models.

Owner, chief instructor and self-proclaimed Jimny nut Ryno Cloete is armed with more than a decade of bundu-bashing experience and will today be taking me on his Level One course aimed at 4x4 novices: apprehensive newbies such as myself. 

After a strong mug of coffee, it kicks off with a comprehensive theory session created to lay a solid foundation to the ins and outs of traversing the semi-beaten path. It also explores the characteristics of the Jimny, facts, figures and design attributes some owners might not be aware of. For instance, the vehicle uses solid front and rear axles. While this can make the wee Suzuki feel somewhat vague on paved roads, the trade-off is excellent articulation when inching over especially scarred terrain.

Another feature of the platform is its relatively feathery kerb weight (1,215kg in manual GLX five-door specification) that pays dividends out in the wilderness. Less likely to bog down in soft sand or sticky mud, this lack of lard makes it easier to negotiate gnarly obstacles. With less to haul around, Suzuki can get away with fitting a small four-cylinder engine with moderate power and torque ratings. It is, if you will, a philosophy somewhat similar to that adopted by lightweight, uncomplicated sports cars such as the Lotus Elise.

One more benefit of minimal mechanical fat, Cloete explains, is less stress on brakes and drivetrain components, which should result in longer service life from these components. 

There’s a whole lot more to mentally imbibe over the next hour or so. Jotting down bullet points in my notebook (it’s like being in college lectures all over again, only more enjoyable), I learn about further 4x4 fundamentals such as approach, ramp breakover and departure angles. Ditto ride height, which Cloete tells me is measured from the bottom of the vehicle’s differential to the ground below. He also points out the front and rear differentials are in line on a Jimny with their centre axes more or less aligned to the left side of the steering wheel. This, he tells me, is a crucial bit of information to remember when navigating rocky terrain.

Another illuminating fact is the matter of gross vehicle mass (GVM) versus kerb weight. In a Jimny 1.5 GLX MT five-door like mine, the former is listed as 1,545kg. Subtract from this the latter (a claimed 1,200kg) and you’re left with 345kg – the amount of weight you’re left to play with when it comes to packing people, luggage or equipment. For some vehicular context this is exactly 230kg less than what you can haul around in a Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 4x4. So when it comes Jimny ownership it’s best to load ‘em as light as possible.

We touch on the subject of roof racks and how much you can strap on them (static weight vs dynamic weight) before focusing on the tools available to fourth-generation Jimny owners when perched behind the wheel. The headlining feature is, of course, the stubby gear lever lurking between the front seats, the actuation of which switches between the different drive modes of the AllGrip Pro four-wheel drive system.

Pushed fully forward, Cloete explains, the drivetrain sends power exclusively to the rear wheels and is intended only for tarmac driving. Pull it one click towards the handbrake and you’re now in 4H with torque distributed equally between the front and rear axles. As long as your wheels are straight you can engage this mode on the fly at low speeds to help circumnavigate gravelly/sandy/muddy back roads.

Another notch backwards and you’ll engage 4L, which calls to action the low range transfer case. A strong ally when it comes off-road adventuring, the latter engages a set of reduction gears to effectively reduce the Jimny’s overall gearing. While this greatly lessens the amount of engine speed you can carry in each gear compared to 4H, 4L makes the torque band more accessible and allows for much greater control when ascending or descending terrain.

The Jimny has a few more aces up its sleeve, including hill descent control that automatically limits your descent speed by 10km/h in 4H and 5km/h in 4L. Cloete points out it only works with the clutch out, so it’s important to ignore the nervous impulses of your left foot when slithering down steep inclines. The same goes for negotiating sheer slopes. Leave. The. Clutch. Alone.

Last but not least is Suzuki’s torque vectoring traction control system. Electronically aping the effect of a mechanical limited-slip differential, it applies brake force to any wheels it senses are slipping and seamlessly redistributes drive to those that aren’t. It’s a great feature and until now one I honestly wasn’t aware was part of the fourth-generation Jimny’s arsenal.

There’s a lot more theory packed into the morning session – including a sobering chapter on vehicle recovery and the perils of dealing with water – but to delve into more detail won’t leave much space for telling you about the practical side of the Jimny Drive training course.

Armed with walkie-talkies, Cloete and I enter the reserve in convoy. We start in 4H but as we approach our first obstacle – some gentle axle twisters filled with pools of muddy water – he suggests I select 4L so I can start getting a feel for how it makes the Jimny drive. As my test unit has less than 2,000km on the clock and is barely broken in, this takes a few tries but eventually I get it right. Cloete passes through effortlessly and then tells me to do the same. 

“Keep it in second gear and keep it smooth. As slow as possible and as fast as necessary.”

Following his orders I get the little Jimny to zip through the muck with zero drama, our efforts rewarded with a generous smattering of mud on the wheel arches and side sills. From here we wind our way down to the edge of a dry riverbed, where Cloete suggests we stop to get better acquainted with the next obstacle.

To avoid mistakes and potentially damage your vehicle, Cloete explains it is important to always walk, if possible, terrain you’re unsure of. So we do. The steep, rocky drop-off into the river bed looks basic enough, but the climb out on the other side bends to the left and is pockmarked with a challenging mix of mild V-gullies and axle-twisters. He explains the best way to circumnavigate it and I listen intently.

Of course once back inside the Jimny, my body awash with nerves and apprehension, I have forgotten most of it. Fortunately Cloete says he will walk me through the exercise with the help of hand signals and voice guidance over the walkie-talkie. I use the hill descent control on the drop down to the river bed and am amazed at how well it keeps the Jimny in control.

With the braking duties taken care of, I’m able to concentrate more on picking the correct line and avoiding large rocks. Simple. After a quick breather on the river bed itself, I put my trust in Cloete and edge up the incline. The slope is steep and as such it’s difficult to see much in front of the Suzuki’s stubby little bonnet, which I find both foreign and somewhat disconcerting. But I keep the momentum going and make small but rapid changes to the steering angle when asked to and miraculously make it to the summit without incident.

During our on-foot recce I was sure the undercarriage would make contact with terra firma at some point, but it turns out 210mm of ground clearance, generous levels of axle articulation and the right lines are enough to keep you from clipping something you wished you hadn’t. 

After a few more runs of this obstacle (practice makes perfect) we continue on up the river bed and through a meandering S-bend section, the sides of which are steeply sloped. Here Cloete instructs me to hug the inside line, which immediately exposes the Suzuki to what experienced off-roaders apparently refer to as the side-tilt.

If you’re not familiar with this, it basically involves driving along at an exaggerated lateral angle, feeling as if you’re going roll over into the abyss at any millisecond. Again, this usually feels a lot more precarious than it really is with most vehicles capable of tilting over a lot more than you’d expect them to. The trick is to not tense up, keep up the momentum and if you do start to skid, then turn into it. 

Again, this exercise gives a good idea of how to place the Jimny when negotiating obstacles and how it feels when its steered across terrain you don’t encounter on a daily basis. It helps familiarise you with the unfamiliar, and as an off-roading newb this is absolutely crucial. 

With time running out, Cloete decides to test my mettle on one last exercise: a slow but steady burn up a challenging Level Three climb known as "Bobbejaan se Kirrie".

Roughly 50m in length, it’s basically a more hardcore version of the riverbed ascent I tackled earlier in the day with more aggressively shaped V-gullies and even deeper axle-twisters to send my internal anxiety meter spiking to new heights. To make things even trickier, the route is littered with small rocks and stones that’ll show the Jimny’s standard Bridgestone Dueler H/L tyres (already deflated to a grip-enhancing 1.2 bar) a whole new level of torment. 

Gritting my teeth, I again follow Cloete’s instructions and pray to the 4x4 gods above that the scarred earth passing beneath my chassis rails doesn't inflict any damage. The ride up is rough – the Jimny whipping from side to side – and all I can really see is the sky and Cloete’s head talking into his two-way radio. But after what seems like a breathless eternity I reach the top unscathed and relief washes over me in an awesome wave.

To prove this wasn’t some kind of rookie fluke, I do it one more time and on returning to the summit in a cloud of dust I’m left amazed at just how capable a bog-standard Jimny really is. I honestly don’t think I’d want to tackle anything trickier than this and the fact that the diminutive Suzuki shrugged it off with relatively little protest gives me great confidence for the road ahead.

Back at base camp, buzzing on adrenalin and grinning like a loon, I’ve got to admit the Jimny Drive Level One course is a thoroughly worthwhile exercise, one which I recommend to any Suzuki Jimny owner looking to get a genuine taste of the 4x4 experience. Even if you don’t plan on doing off-roading down the line, it serves to demonstrate the abilities of your vehicle and introduces you to a host of new, real-world driving techniques designed to make you a better, safer driver. And hey, if the bug bites then you can sharpen your skills further with the more advanced Level Two course. 

2024 Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX MT five-door | Update 2

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 1,526km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 1,805km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 7.3l/100km 

PRICE AS TESTED: R457,900

PRAISES: The Jimny Drive course opens my eyes to the Jimny's off-road abilities. And to a newb like me they seem mightily impressive.

GRIPES: AC blower fan has started to make a light ticking sound on lowest setting.

How Jimny Drive fits into the Suzuki Auto South Africa ecosystem

At the time of writing, the plan is to have Jimny Drive endorsed by Suzuki Auto South Africa, according to brand marketing manager Brendon Carpenter. Aimed at potential and current Jimny owners, the training will be extended to accredited venues and training staff to make it available for all customers nationwide. A new Jimny Drive website is being developed which will allow customers to complete the theory section before attending the practical course. A rollout date is yet to be confirmed.