Bigger Brother for Popular Suzuki Jimny

The launching of the new Suzuki Jimny 5-door has coincided with more accolades for the highly popular shorter wheelbase Jimny 3-door model.

An independent Australian survey of used cars aged between two and four years revealed the Jimny holds its value best of all models.

The survey showed the Jimny actually appreciated over time with a retained value of 136.1 per cent, according to the Australian Automotive Dealers Association and AutoGrab which conducted the research.

Saxon Odgers, AutoGrab’s chief commercial officer, said, “The Suzuki Jimny’s appreciation in value is incredible and indicates the strength of its resale market.”

There has been high demand in both New Zealand and Australia for the much loved fourth generation Jimny in the past three years. Appeal for the Jimny range is almost certain to widen with the arrival of the new 5-door version of the compact, selectable four wheel drive SUV.

More than 3.3 million Jimnys have been sold world wide and the model has been an award winner. At the 2019 World Urban Car award in New York 86 motoring journalists voted the Jimny the top urban car and also rating it one of the best ten cars in the world outright. It was also named Compact SUV of the Year by the New Zealand 4WD magazine which said Jimny delivered surprise and delight in both performance and appointment.

Fifty years ago Suzuki was a pioneer in developing a small Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with four wheel drive capability and low fuel consumption. Suzuki began development of the original Jimny in 1968 and when the LJ10 Jimny arrived in 1970 it was the first mass production 4WD in the Japanese domestic mini-car category.

The model evolved into the SJ413 Samurai that went into local assembly in New Zealand in 1985, using a lightweight Suzuki Swift engine and incorporating special modifications for off-road operation. Early popularity of the Jimny has continued unabated with demand usually outstripping supply.

Suzuki redefined the four wheel drive technology under the ALLGRIP name and added more useful specification while retaining the Jimny charm that is winning so many hearts.

“The Jimny is an ultra-honest, unpretentious SUV that appeals not only to those seeking an economical off-roader while also being an ideal city and urban vehicle,” said Gary Collins, General Manager of Motor Vehicle for Suzuki New Zealand. “During the last five decades Suzuki has earned world-wide respect for the design and technological expertise in producing a unique range of four wheel drive models like the Jimny.”

With its distinctive retro looks, personality and convenience, the Jimny is said to be a car with no peers, resulting in a cult following in Australasia. While the technology has advanced, the body shape of the latest Jimny 3-door bears strong resemblance to the 1974 Suzuki LJ50.

At a time when most new car buyers favour automatic transmission, the Jimny is an exception to the rule. Last year more than half the New Zealand buyers of Jimny 3-door models chose a manual gearbox - a pointer, perhaps, that the motorists buying these special cars are a little different from the mainstream.