An authentic overland vehicle, just like the Willys MB or Land Rover Series 1, but a fraction of the size.
That was the design brief when the predecessor to the Suzuki Jimny was conceived. The LJ10 — LJ denoting Light Jeep — made its debut in 1970, fitting into the novel Japanese Kei-class of vehicles.
It was a simple four-wheel drive, devoid of luxuries, able to scamper through treacherous terrain without fuss and powered by a two-cylinder motor.
One hot December day in 2020 Suzuki let us drive a cheerful bright yellow example of the later LJ50 from 1976, over formidable off-road layouts in provincial backwaters.
That same day we heard an anecdote about how the Jimny nameplate came about, supposedly a hybridisation of Jeep and mini. But a Google search reveals many other theories behind the title, including that it was intended to be called “Jimmy”, but mistranslation meant otherwise.
Bear in mind there was a time where “Jeep” was colloquial parlance for just about any upright, open air 4x4. The Jimny is no relation to the American brand owned by Stellantis.
More than five decades after the launch of the LJ10, the Jimny JB74 can still lay claim to retaining the essence that made its ancestor unique. It remains the quintessential compact off-roader and can hold its own on the rough stuff against larger, more powerful and more sophisticated alternatives costing double.
Late last year the recipe was altered with the addition of a five-door derivative. The regular three-door has legions of followers, but what about those buyers who need a bit more space? The larger variant addresses one of the biggest criticisms against the Jimny: limited packaging.
The additional length does not come at the expense of its credentials on the rough stuff. It still has those short overhangs, enabling easy, unencumbered progress through technical ruts and other obstacles.
Aside from the overall length — now 3,820mm — the other body dimensions are unchanged. Width is 1,645mm; height 1,720mm and ground clearance is 210mm.
In addition to providing rear passengers with a bit more stretching space and easier egress and ingress, the five-door Jimny boasts more luggage capacity. The boot now offers 211l worth of space, instead of the paltry 85l. Fold the second row and the compartment opens up with a handy 332l.
The front seats can fold completely, integrating with the rear seats to offer two lay-flat beds. Suzuki says this will be welcomed by those wanting to sleep in their vehicles on cross-country jaunts. Additional storage compartments for oddments would have been welcomed. My smartphone had to be kept in the slim door pocket, as the tiny cove in front of the gear lever was not big enough to accommodate it.
There is a weight difference between the three- and five-door; the latter is 90kg heavier, with a mass of 1,185kg compared with 1,095kg.
It also has a larger turning circle, 11.4m vs 9.8m. You notice this in tighter urban conditions, making a U-turn after exiting a parallel parking bay on Melville’s 7th Street, for example.
Consumers who plan to use the transfer gearbox, ladder-frame chassis and three-link rigid-axle suspension will want to be aware of the differences in approach, breakover and departure angles between the three- and five-door.
In the case of the former, the numbers are 37°, 28° and 49° respectively. The five-door has an approach angle of 36°, a breakover angle of 24° and a departure angle of 47°.
Negligible, really, and the five-door Jimny is likely to get you through that muddied axle-twisting section just as easy as the three-door. Though it does without a mechanical differential lock, the traction control system mimics the application, braking the slipping wheels and applying torque where there is purchase underfoot.
The most glaring difference is the improvement in road manners afforded by the additional 340mm added to the wheelbase. It sits on its 195/80/15 wheels with greater composure, less inclined to fidget at freeway speeds, steadier on its feet when crosswinds strike. Our tester wore Bridgestone Dueler HT tyres.
The electrically-assisted power steering is on the stodgy, vague side, but that is to be expected from a vehicle of this type. You would experience similar driving a Jeep Wrangler or Toyota Land Cruiser 79, but the Jimny’s case is not as severe as those two.
As before, power comes from the trusted 1.5l, four-cylinder, normally aspirated K15B petrol engine (75kW/130Nm). We drove the five-speed manual, with its wonderfully tactile shift action. Faced with approaching ascents, you often need to shift down to keep the momentum. Best not to demand more than the national limit on the freeway. Our best fuel consumption was 7.8l/100km, Suzuki claims 6.3l/100km. You can have a four-speed automatic, which we imagine must be quite torturous.
There are two model grades, GL and GLX. We tested the latter. It is comprehensively equipped with six airbags, climate control, multifunction steering wheel, a touchscreen infotainment system and headlamp washers, among other things.
The five-door range starts at R429,900 (GL manual), topping out at R479,900 for the GLX automatic. Our GLX manual tester goes for R457,900. For reference, the three-door ranges between R390,900 to R438,900. Pricing includes a five-year/200,000km warranty and four-year/60,000km service plan.
Five-door configuration makes the endearing Jimny a more compelling prospect. Buyers who might never have considered it before may do so now, thanks to the added dollop of practicality.
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