There are some real oddities in the new-car market. It’s well established that mid-size family SUVs do well, as it is true that affordable small cars have a market.
Yet it’s always surprising to see just how popular compromised, expensive and agricultural four-wheel drives are with the Australian buying public.
The main offender being the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series, yet the Suzuki Jimny suffers from similar shortcomings and manages to account for almost a fifth of sales in the Light SUV category.
Even if you don’t plan to go off-road, you could rationally cross-shop the Jimny with other small SUVs like the Mazda CX-3, Haval Jolion and Kia Stonic. It’s tiny, easy to park, easy to see out of, has four seats and a boot.
The Jimny also has tall suspension, an awful lot of body roll and rather ancient-feeling 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder. For 2026, though, there have been some key safety updates across the range including forward autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control.
That should make the Jimny more palatable for the urban buyer without sacrificing its key rough-and-tumble appeal. Living with it for six months should help us answer whether the Jimny remains worthy of consideration.
Month 1: Mixed Bag
- Kilometres: 1835km
- Energy consumption: 6.7L/100km
- Costs this month: $265 (fuel)
The Jimny is a vehicle of highs and lows. Sitting there waiting to be started with its twist-ignition key, the plucky, high-set 4WD calls you in with a warm smile. It wants to go somewhere fun.
For the first hour you’ll probably feel the same way, bouncing through the city and suburbs with a grin on your face as you swing with the chunky shifter through its five gears, revving the bejesus out of the little four-banger just to keep pace with traffic.
It’s cheeky, too, suggesting it’s possible to drive up that grass verge, or swing into a parking spot by bouncing the front left up and over a kerb, all ‘70s cop show-like.
This joy is held in balance by the bucking high-speed ride and the fact you’re turning over 3000rpm in fifth when cruising at 100km/h on the motorway. The steering is heavy and slow, too, so although the Jimny’s easy to fit into spots, it’s a workout to get it done.
What is it?
Let’s familiarise ourselves with exactly what the Jimny is. The name has been around since the 1970s and has been sold in Australia the whole time. The fourth generation ‘JB74’, which is still on sale, launched globally in 2018 and landed on our shores in February 2019.
The JB74 arrived in Australia to much fanfare, keeping the recipe of small basic 4WD very much intact. It still rides on a ladder-frame chassis, has a mechanical 4×4 system with a transfer case, and solid axles at the front and back.
Japanese Jimny buyers get a little more choice than Aussies, including a 658cc three-cylinder turbo with an even narrower body, so that it fits within Kei car regulations.
All Australian-delivered cars get the wide-body fenders, different offset wheels, and a 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder with variable valve timing developing 75kW at 6000rpm and 130Nm at 4000rpm.
How much is it?
When it arrived in Australia, the current-generation Suzuki Jimny was wildly affordable, from just $23,990 before on-road costs for the GLX manual. It meant you could drive away from a Suzuki dealership in a seriously fun, capable vehicle for less than $30,000.
Things have changed a lot in eight years, and now the Lite manual starts at $31,990 before on-road costs or $36,490 with them factored in.
Inflation is a normal part of vehicle pricing but looking at a Mazda CX-3, which has increased from $34,790 to $39,190 in range-topping Akari trim, the Jimny is a clear outlier.
And remember, the Jimny’s higher price today also buys you less equipment in Lite trim.
What’s the spec of our car?
We’re starting out in the most basic Jimny you can get, the three-door Lite with a five-speed manual transmission.
Jimny Lite equipment highlights
- Halogen headlights
- 15-inch steel wheels
- Black plastic fenders, mirror caps, door handles
- 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen
- Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- Two-speaker sound system
- Push-button air conditioning
- Cloth upholstery
- Four-way manual adjust seats
- Analogue dials with colour information display
- AllGrip 4WD system
There are some major safety updates to keep the Jimny in-line with Australian design rules (ADRs) for 2026, see below.
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Reverse camera (new for Lite)
- Adaptive cruise control
- Traffic sign recognition
There’s a higher spec available known simply as the Jimny, previously GLX which adds body-colour mirror and door handles, LED headlights, climate control, 15-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass and the option of a four-speed automatic ($2500).
For those after a little more space and a bit less pace, there’s also the Jimny XL, which is a five-door version built in India that was introduced in December 2023. It’s easy to distinguish with a 340mm longer wheelbase and chrome trim around the grille.
Suzuki backs its Jimny 4WD with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing that costs $2265 for the first half-decade.
How long is it sticking around for?
The Jimny Lite three-door will hang around for three months to start with, after which we’ll swing in the larger XL to close out our six-month Jimny experience to see what the benefits and drawbacks are to each body type.
What are we going to do with it?
In essence, the Jimny will be my daily driver, ferrying me, a partner and two dogs from home to work and on weekend adventures.
The latter portion is what I’m hoping the Jimny will excel at. As a general fast-car (and hot-hatch specific) lover, twisty roads and racetracks are where I’m usually found on the weekend enjoying myself.
But high speeds are stressful and hedonistic, so hopefully slowing down in the Jimny might offer a different kind of stress relief. After all, the marketing promises the little off-roader will enrich my life.
Initial performance
Thus far it’s been mostly urban running and commuting in the Jimny and it’s a mixed bag.
As a driver, you’re always doing ‘something’, as is the car, and in a way this feels like old-school motoring, like being back on P-plates, paying attention to every movement bump and sound.
Of course, this is tiring, especially so when you’re getting mugged by RAV4 hybrids away from the lights, or gripping the steering wheel for dear life as the Jimny surfs another B-double wash wave.
The real wake-up call came on a coffee run. We had Ponch, Lukas, shooter James and me shoved into the dark green box for a zip around the corner. Acceleration was slow, the ride suffered and the body squidged around on its springs.
We aren’t small gents, so when we got back I asked for everyone’s weight. The total was 347kg — just 3kg shy of the Jimny’s maximum gross vehicle mass (GVM). Add some coffee, cups and sandwiches, and we’re running mighty close.
