The Suzuki Jimny will soon disappear from the European market. Too bad, because this is the nicest Suzuki you can buy. We take the Suzuki Jimny on a farewell tour and choose a very cool version.
The fact that the Suzuki Jimny ceases to exist in Europe is the fault of the European Union. It has recently imposed stricter safety requirements and the small off-roader from Suzuki cannot comply with this.
An example is the now mandatory speed assistant that screams bloody murder as soon as you exceed the maximum speed by even one kilometre. The Jimny does not have that. That is precisely a reason to choose the Jimny, but the EU thinks very differently about that.
Tip
No wannabe
The Jimny doesn’t even go that fast, at 145 km/h it gives up. Suzuki doesn’t say how fast or slow the Jimny goes from 0 to 100 km/h and that’s probably a good thing.
But don’t be fooled by the off-road qualities: this is a real off-road vehicle and not a wannabe. It holds its own because of its rock-solid ladder frame and large lean angles. The four-wheel drive has a low gearing as soon as it starts to become a kind of Mud Masters under the Jimny.
But even if you don’t have much to do with sand and mud, you can still have fun with the Suzuki Jimny. Precisely because the driving experience is so unprecedentedly high. The high seating position gives you an excellent view all around. But what else do you want, the Jimny is mainly square and design gimmicks that obstruct the view outside are absent.
Get to work
The Jimny is typically a car where you have to do your own thing. The gearbox feels jerky and you have to keep both hands on the steering wheel in sharp bends, otherwise you risk going off the road. How refreshing in a time when cars are taking over more and more actions from you.
The Jimny is not quiet. You are not at all looking forward to the proposed increase in the maximum speed to 130 km/h, because then the atmospheric 1.5-liter petrol engine suddenly turns 4000 rpm and you long for a sixth gear. Or more sound insulation.
Two sleeping places
We want a Jimny just for the design. The one we drove looked extra cool, with bright red mud flaps and a ladder on the back. This is handy if you want to attach and tie down luggage on the roof. The second (loose) ladder is placed against the side of the car, so that you can crawl into the opened roof tent (optional). Here you will find two sleeping places, but a real camper lives mainly outside.
We are not camping fanatics, but if we have to camp, then we like to do it this way. With the Suzuki Jimny, the journey to your holiday destination becomes an adventure. It is a shame that EU regulations put an end to the fun. If you are quick, you may still be able to score a stock model at the Suzuki dealer. Can we borrow it now and then?
Source: www.autoreview.nl
