[7 4 7]

Wanted to share the experience of my recent purchase of a car which defines Automotive simplicity like very few cars do these days, the Suzuki Jimny 5 Door;

^ The above VIDEO captures the excitement of the Delivery Day when I get to experience & drive the Suzuki Jimny for the very first time.

Exterior Looks;

Designed to Look boxy, Retro & Battle Ready to take on the rough stuff;



Interiors;



^
The interiors carry forward the retro vibe. Space is decent but the headroom is impressive. Good amount of features provided & the screen is good (same as my Toyota HyRyder hybrid) but misses out on TPMS & USB-C. Seating position is easy to find hence no complaints that it misses out on a height adjustable seat or steering reach.

Engine Performance;

1.5L Petrol NA (K15B) engine performance is something I was looking forward to experience & it has matched my expectations so far. Whoever thinks the Jimny lacks performance may not know how to gauge performance. Because performance is not just about outright speed or acceleration but also how the engine behaves in various situations or does it knock in low speed / RPMs or how linear it is or how strong the bottom end is or how it performs with emissions (apparently it still meets the norms in most countries, just check the export numbers) & finally how simple it is. 105 HP is good enough in my personal opinion and it keeps you engaged in a good way to gain speed, it keeps you busy.

Manual Gearbox;



Long gearstick adds to the old school cool factor, however the gearshift action is not as long as the gear lever but not too short as well hence suits the car's personality. 1st to 2nd is smooth, 2nd to 3rd is smoother, 3rd to 4th is the best, 4th the 5th is still freeing up. Downshifts are good too. The clutch is light & the short 1st gear means you can very easily release the clutch with no throttle and crawl along in traffic easily. The manual would be quicker to accelerate than the A/T due to the shorter 1st gear & more drivetrain loss for A/T's (As Jimny's A/T is not modern).

4x4 system;

Jimny drives as a RWD but gets a switchable part-time 4-Wheel drive transmission system.



We can manually engage 4WD(H) mode. In 4WD H Mode the front drive train (propeller shaft, differential, half axles etc.) and the front wheels get connected to the transmission as well after that the axles receive the equal amount of torque all 4 wheels. However, because the transfer box contains no center differential, the front and rear propeller shaft always have to rotate at the same speed in 4WD mode. This mode for the Jimny must not be used on non-slippery surfaces when in 4WD mode to prevent transmission damaged. The Jimmy gets 4WD Low mode as well to further strengthen its off road capabilities.

Ride & Handling;

I was waiting to experience Jimny's ride as I had heard a lot of good things about it, hence the 1st time I drove out of the showroom and a few minutes in I could relate to how people were appreciative about its ride quality but I still thought that the tyre pressures weren't right hence the next day I checked & found out them to be around 44 PSI.
After reducing to around 26 PSI the ride quality enhanced like it should. The OE tyres are also a contributor here which add to the cushion. Speaking about the tyres, these are fresh too as I got 33rd week of 2024 manufactured tyres.



I personally would not change the tyres to A/T yet as I would like to explore the potential of the stock car before doing any upgrades. Similar theory applies to the suspension which IMO does a good job & not sure why people rush into suspension upgrades immediately after delivery. Also seeing so many modified Jimnys on social media a stock Jimny is a breath of fresh air. Modifications, customisations etc. are inevitable for a car of this type but for me nothing immediate.

Regarding Handling, I have experience of driving body on frame vehicles of around 15 years with my Toyota Fortuners hence I know what to expect & what to not in that sense the Jimny is a good handler. In fact it can be very agile in making its way through traffic too thanks to its compact dimensions. On the flip side the Jimny's steering keeps you busy (in a good way) as that again adds to the driver engagement as Lately cars have been too easy to drive in that aspect Jimny keeps you thrilled.

Shall keep updating this thread with new posts of my drives, adventures & modifications.

Thank You !

[FC4]

So cool.

I want one of these so bad. Not bad enough to jump through the hoops necessary to get one in the US, but I'd absolutely get one if they were readily sold.

It's like a G-Wagon, but less embarrassing to drive.

[Sedoy]

G-Wagon bodykit is a must. Too bad we don't have it in US.

[chassis]

Congrats! Looks great.

Belted bias ply tires, correct?

[Davil]

Love these.

I’ve got a 2023 Swift Sport in the fleet (non hybrid). Such a fun car.

[7 4 7]

Originally Posted by FC4

So cool.

Thanks !

It's like a G-Wagon, but less embarrassing to drive.

Originally Posted by Sedoy

G-Wagon bodykit is a must. Too bad we don't have it in US.

^ That feels like a good looking & high quality kit but personally I would not want my Jimny to impersonate a G.

Originally Posted by chassis

Congrats! Looks great.

Belted bias ply tires, correct?

No. These are regular Highway Terrain tyres developed by Bridgestone in this size (195/80 R15) for the Jimny. Dunlop also supplies Grandrek but not to their Indian factory.

Originally Posted by Davil

Love these.

I’ve got a 2023 Swift Sport in the fleet (non hybrid). Such a fun car.

[7 4 7]

^ In the above video I discuss the following;

1) Why I changed the oil at a non recommended service interval i.e. 1000 kms.
2) Recent recall of the steering Kingpin assembly.
3) 1st service tips.

[Efthreeoh]

We have this in the US. It's called the Ford Bronco.

[7 4 7]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

We have this in the US. It's called the Ford Bronco.

Correct, they may look similar but the Jimny has a significant weight advantage by being almost 1000kgs lighter. Also I personally feel the Bronco is positioned opposite the Wrangler & the Jimny was designed to be a Kei car in Japan. Overall would love to have a Bronco in India but unfortunately not available in India as they don't make Right hand drive versions and also because Ford quit India some years back.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 7 4 7

Correct, they may look similar but the Jimny has a significant weight advantage by being almost 1000kgs lighter. Also I personally feel the Bronco is positioned opposite the Wrangler & the Jimny was designed to be a Kei car in Japan. Overall would love to have a Bronco in India but unfortunately not available in India as they don't make Right hand drive versions and also because Ford quit India some years back.

In the 1980s the USA had the Suzuki Samuri, which most of the market found amusing. I doubt the current Jimny would fair any better.

Ford is reintroducing the Endeavor for 2025 in India. The Endeavor is based on the global Ford T6 platform, which is the same as the Bronco. Perhaps the Indian market will find the Endeavor appealing as the Bronco is in the US.