Here’s something that’s just as retro, and just as rugged – the new Suzuki Jimny. Here are official photos from a microsite, which fully reveal the small 4×4 that will hit showrooms next month.


The Jimny is not a small SUV like the ones your neighbours have (for Suzuki, that’s the Vitara), but a true off-roader famed for its ability to go further down the trail than its size suggests. The third-generation Jimny first surfaced in 1998, which means that it has been around for 20 years. This new one doesn’t reference the outgoing car in design though, going further back into the catalogue to look truly retro. And cool.

There aren’t a lot of official details to go with the pics, but the Jimny will continue with a ladder frame, three-link rigid axle suspension and part time four-wheel drive, with low-range transfer gear for off-road excursions. The boxy body can be had as it is, or with wide over-fenders – the former might be to keep dimensions within kei car boundaries.


Word is that the new Jimny will be powered by Suzuki’s 1.0 litre Boosterjet three-cylinder turbo engine, with the option of a 1.2 litre NA unit. A five-speed manual will be offered alongside a torque converter auto option, but both will get an old-school manual low-range gear selector, which can be seen in one of the interior images.