Suzuki Jimny Review 2026
Suzuki Jimny Verdict
Adorable looks. Fun to drive (in a sense). Extremely capable off road.
Tiny boot. Not in its element on the motorway. In high demand and now only available as a two-seater van.
Find out more about the Suzuki Jimny
The old Suzuki Jimny was dire to drive on the road, its interior was basic and, by the time its 20-year production lifespan came to an end in 2018, it was long past its best. You only need to visit rural areas to see how successful it was, though - buyers loved it for its reputation for reliability, low running costs and its ability to go anywhere.
The brand could easily have replaced it with yet another fashionable crossover to take on the likes of the Nissan Juke. But it's already got the crossover market pretty well catered for with its Ignis, SX4 S-Cross and Vitara - so it's stuck true to its principles and launched a very quirky off roader.
Quirky is arguably a polite synonym for flawed. The new Jimny feels prehistoric to drive on the road - the steering takes a lot of turns from lock to lock, and you'll constantly be correcting the wheel to keep it in a straight line. It's underpowered and desperately in need of a sixth gear, running out of steam at around 60mph.
But that's the difference between a hatchback-based crossover and a proper, old-school 4x4 vehicle based on a ladder frame chassis. Most people will hate how the Jimny drives but there's a charm to it. Just like some people choose to drive classic cars, some people appreciate an old-fashioned off roader. Some people need an old-fashioned off roader.
There are just two trim levels on offer in the UK: the SZ4 and SZ5. We'd recommend paying the extra £2500 for the top-spec model, if only for a wider colour range and the more attractive navigation display rather than the old-fashioned radio.
Whichever trim level you opt for, don't expect to be able to carry your family and enough luggage for a weekend away. The Jimny can barely carry anything with all four seats in use - it has an official load capacity of just 85 litres with the rear seats left up. It's much better treated as a two-seater, with the rear seats permanently left down, in which case you get a fairly boxy, useful boot. Suzuki even sells a load cover to fit over the rear seats if you wish to do this.
Suzuki is bringing just 1200 examples of its new Jimny a year to the UK - and demand is far outstripping supply. Most buyers would be better looking elsewhere in Suzuki's range, but the Jimny is a charming (have we mentioned flawed?) car that has clearly struck a chord with so many buyers.
Reviews for Suzuki Jimny's top 3 rivals
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Suzuki Jimny handling and engines
- Engines range from 1.5 to 1.5 Automatic
While there’s a certain charm to how the Jimny drives, it’s not going to appeal to everyone. The engine is underpowered - Suzuki’s turbocharged BoosterJet engine would be a welcome upgrade - but the low gearing of the manual 'box means you’ll soon be in fifth gear at around 35mph. There aren’t any more gears, meaning the Jimny’s little 85PS 1.5-litre petrol engine is working very hard at higher speeds. There is an automatic gearbox; a four-speed torque-converter transmission which is equally strained on the motorway.
With the engine screaming away at 3000rpm at 60mph, you’ll have no real desire to drive the Jimny any faster. This makes for a noisy driving experience and doesn’t help fuel economy, either. The way the Jimny wanders around as you attempt to drive in a straight line, not helped by the vague and slow steering, also doesn’t encourage you to leave the inside lane - and you’ll know about it if you’re hit by a gust of wind.
We’ve established that the Jimny isn’t at home on the motorway, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun elsewhere. Around town, its compact dimensions along with a high driving position and good visibility means it’s easy (and amusing) to dart around, squeezing between gaps and hustling with other road users. Parking it is easy, although the lack of a reversing camera or parking sensors seems a strange omission.
Of course, it's off road where the Jimny is really in its element. Under normal everyday driving, the Jimny sends all its power to the rear wheels. Should you wish, you can pull a lever, which results in a satisfying clunk as four-wheel-drive is engaged. Pull it further and it selects low range, allowing you more control at low speeds - ideal for negotiating off road obstacles. There's also a button on the dash for hill descent mode, allowing the car to control the brakes while driving down a steep hill.
We've tried the Jimny on rocky tracks and it simply isn't fazed by steep ascents or axle-twisting obstacles. When it does lose traction, its traction control system will quickly brake the spinning wheel to redistribute torque to the opposing wheel with the most grip. It could do with a little more ground clearance and some serious tyres if you plan to follow a Land Rover Defender off road, but that's something the enthusiast market will cater for.
Whether you compare the Jimny to the Dacia Duster or more mainstream rivals like the SEAT Arona and Honda HR-V, it’s hard to deny that the Suzuki feels like it’s at least 20 years out of date in the way it drives on the road.
You have to really like the Jimny to be able to overlook its flaws in the way it drives. In a world of cars that can park themselves and speed limiters that can switch themselves on, a car that’s as old-fashioned as the Jimny can, if you’re in the right mindset, be a huge amount of fun. Just don’t buy one expecting it to drive like a Suzuki Swift on stilts.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | - | - | 154 g/km |
| 1.5 Automatic | - | - | 170 g/km |
Suzuki Jimny interior
- Euro NCAP rating of three stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | - |
| Width | - |
| Height | - |
| Wheelbase | 2250 mm |
There’s no clever packaging going on here - the Jimny is small on the outside, and seemingly even smaller on the inside. With all four seats in use, the boot is barely big enough for a single shopping bag. It’s basically non-existent. You’ll have to drop the rear seats flat (a simple enough task) if you want to carry anything more than a newspaper, and Suzuki even offers a protective boot liner to cover up the backs of the rear seats when they’re dropped.
The driving position is similar to that of the old Land Rover Defender. Elbow room is lacking unless you drop the driver’s window, and there’s not much in the way of useful storage. Even the door bins are so narrow they’re almost unusable - save for, perhaps, an Ordnance Survey map. Suzuki has a clear audience in mind...
A high roof means there’s plenty of room for even the tallest of drivers (and passengers), although the lack of driver’s seat adjustment and steering wheel reach means it’s worth at least sitting in one before handing over any money. The front seats (heated on the SZ4) aren't the most cossetting, but we've spent quite a lot of time in the Jimny without any real aches or pains.
Due to the lack of a boot space in the back - it’s actually surprisingly spacious for rear seat passengers. And when you do drop the rear seats, there's quite a boxy and useful luggage space.
The top-spec SZ5 model comes with a seven-inch touchscreen display, incorporating navigation as standard. This isn't the slickest system to operate, but it does feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing you access to your phone's features such as Google Maps when on the move. It looks much better than the slab of plastic with an old-fashioned radio in the centre used on the dashboard of the SZ4.
Specifications (from launch):
SZ4 features Allgrip 4WD with low ratio transfer gear, ABS with brake assist function, ESP, driver and front passenger airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, lane departure warning, emergency stop signal, hill hold control, hill descent control, full size spare wheel, alarm, immobiliser, remote central door locking, cruise control with speed limiter, digital clock, fabric seats, electric front windows, 12V accessory socket on centre console, manual air conditioning, automatic headlights, high beam assist, front fog lights, electrically adjustable door mirrors, centre console cup holder, 50:50 folding rear seats, MP3 compatible CD player, DAB radio, Bluetooth, two speakers, steering wheel audio controls, 15-inch steel wheels, black exterior door handles, black exterior door mirrors.
SZ5 adds a three-spoke leather steering wheel, front sun visors with vanity mirrors, 12V accessory socket in the luggage area, automatic air conditioning, LED headlights, headlamp washers, heated door mirrors, heated front seats, navigation system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 15-inch alloy wheels, body colour exterior door handles, rear privacy glass.
Suzuki Jimny models and specs
At launch in 2019, the Suzuki Jimny was offered in SZ4 and SZ5 trim lines. The SZ4 was soon dropped, meaning most Jimnys on the second-hand market are found in SZ5 trim.
The SZ4 gets the bare basics, with 15-inch black steel wheels, a CD player with Bluetooth connectivity and air conditioning. Cruise control is also a standard feature, as well as automatic headlights with high-beam assist.
The SZ5 adds smart LED headlights, alloy wheels, privacy glass for the rear windows and a navigation system with smartphone connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s heated front seats, too, as well as a leather-covered steering wheel and climate control.
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | - |
| Width | - |
| Height | - |
| Wheelbase | 2250 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1135 kg |
| Boot Space | - |
| Warranty | |
| Servicing | - |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | - |
| Insurance Groups | 13–14 |
| Road Tax Bands | G–H |
| Official MPG | - |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | 3 |
| SUV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 1.5 SZ4 3dr | - | - | - |
| 1.5 SZ5 3dr | - | - | - |
| 1.5 SZ5 Auto 3dr | - | - | - |
Model History
June 2018
Suzuki reveals Jimny
The more upright A-pillars and flat clamshell bonnet enhance visibility from the windshield, while the dipped driver and passenger window lines expand visibility from the side windows.
Other exterior features include the drip rails on the roof edges, which prevent water ingress into the cabin when opening or closing a door, wheel arch extensions and side sill covers protecting the body from stone chips and rear lamps gathered on the bumper to achieve a simplistic design and also contribute to a wider rear door opening.
Eight body colours, including two new colours developed exclusively for the all-new Jimny. A high-visibility “Kinetic Yellow” designed to stand out in bad weather or rough worksites, and a low-visibility “Jungle Green” which blends in with natural scenery.
The interior is without excessive colours or decoration to minimise distraction and lets the driver concentrate on manoeuvring the vehicle. The horizontal lines defined by the instrument panel, and the vertical lines characterised by the meter cluster and centre console panels help the driver recognise the angle of the vehicle in rough and mountainous terrain.
The instrument panel and surrounding parts have a scratch and stain-resistant grained finish, and the grip and switches are easy to operate so that it can be handled in off-road conditions as well as while wearing gloves.
The meters set in cubic housings are always lit up for clear viewing on and off-road, when the vehicle often passes between sunlit and shaded areas. For intuitive operation of the audio system, a Bluetooth compatible Smartphone Linkage Display Audio unit with a 7-inch infrared touchscreen is equipped on higher grades.
The rear luggage space can be expanded by folding the rear seats, creating a 377 litre luggage space which is 53 litres larger than its predecessor. Flat all the way across, the quarter trims and seats have been carefully designed to increase storage width, and the backs of the rear seats and luggage room floor are coated with plastic for easy dirt/stain removal. Five utility screw holes are available on each side under the quarter windows along with four luggage hook screw holes around the floor area for flexible usage of the luggage space.
From its ladder frame structure to its 1.5-litre engine, the all-new Jimny is built for rough-road adventures. But on-road ability was not compromised, with the higher torsional rigidity of the ladder frame providing a more comfortable and solid ride on the road, and newly equipped steering damper on the front suspension minimising steering wheel vibration and kickback. Whether navigating the urban jungle or exploring off the beaten track, the Jimny is sure to satisfy adventurous minds.
The Jimny incorporates the four essentials for serious off-roading — a ladder frame, the three angles, 3-link rigid axle suspension with coil spring and part-time 4WD with low range transfer gear. Designed for professionals, it features ALLGRIP PRO.
The approach angle of 37 degrees, ramp breakover angle of 28 degrees and departure angle of 49 degrees allow the Jimny to climb over obstacles and steep hills without scraping its bumpers or underbody.
Rigid axle suspensions thrive in bumpy off-road driving. When one tyre is pushed upward by an obstacle, the connected tyre on the other side is pressed downward, giving superior grip on uneven terrain. The Jimny equips the rigid axle suspension on both the front and rear, allowing it to travel even on rough roads.
The Jimny features a part-time 4WD system with low range transfer gear, which can be easily switched from 2H (2WD-high gear), 4H (4WD-high gear) and 4L (4WD-low gear) modes by a shift lever directly connected to the transfer gear. Compared to the 4H mode, the 4L mode can transfer more torque to the tyres while in lower gears, for better traction on steep slopes and rough terrain.
The former 1.3-litre engine is replaced by a 1.5-litre engine in the all-new Jimny. It delivers stronger torque at all rpm than its predecessor, with ample torque at low revolutions enhancing driving performance especially while driving off-road, where low revolution is often needed. Despite the increased displacement, it has smaller overall dimensions than the engine it replaces, with 15% reduced weight, contributing to enhanced fuel efficiency.
The 5-speed manual transmission has optimised gear ratios for the new engine and also offers better fuel efficiency. The shift lever has been redesigned to reduce vibration, and also provides a more solid and direct feeling when changing gears. The 4-speed automatic transmission has also been redesigned to offer less friction and better fuel economy. The shift pattern has been changed from the former gate type to the straight (aligned) type to simplify operation.
November 2018
Suzuki Jimny prices announced
Suzuki has announced UK prices for its new Jimny 4x4.
The off-roader is available in two trim levels from launch: the SZ4 priced at £15,499 and SZ5 from £17,999. The SZ5 4-speed torque converter automatic is £18,999.
The SZ4 offers selectable 4WD with low ratio transfer, Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS), Air Conditioning, CD Tuner, Bluetooth connectivity, Cruise Control and front foglamps. Moving up to SZ5 adds 15-inch alloy wheels, LED Headlights, Climate Control, Navigation with Smartphone link, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and body coloured door handles.
Other functions included as standard equipment for both grades include Lane Departure Warning and weaving alert function which help the driver stay alert, and high beam assist supports relaxing and courteous night driving by automatically switching the high and low beams at speeds of 25mph and above.
Six body colours are available at UK launch including a new colour developed exclusively for the new Jimny: a high-visibility “Kinetic Yellow” designed to stand out in bad weather or when in use on rough ground worksites. Metallic paint is a £485 option with dual tone metallic paint available as a £650 option.
What to watch out for
Andrew Frankel of 'Autocar' made a very fair point that a few more of us should have thought of before. When Suzuki makes an excellent, low CO2 1.0 litre 3-cylinder turbo engine that is even offered as a mild hybrid in the Swift, why fit a lumbering old non-turbo 1.5 4-cylinder engine in the Jimny? The 1.0 Boosterjet turbo would solve the above problem at a stroke. Suzuki's reply was that the UK company had queried this but were told by the company that "the 1.0 Boosterjet engine does not suit the general usage requirements of Jimny as the characteristics of the turbocharged engine may be unsuitable when driving off road. This is why a conventional 4-cylinder 16 valve unit is used."
24-06-2019:Rated 'Unacceptable' by Thatcham for proximity key security.
