I’m a little disappointed with the fuel economy and don’t think 15+ is remotely possible in a highway run unless you have an MT and preferably stock tyres.
BHPian Vikram9193 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Did Dehradun to Delhi and back in the Jimny AT. One person in the car, AC on, 215 AT tyres, sunny afternoon conditions.
Drove with a heavy foot to Delhi and a light foot on the way back to assess performance and fuel efficiency.
Performance
On the way to Delhi, I had no trouble at all making overtakes since the AT kicked down willingly and, revs allowing, a second kickdown was available for tighter overtakes. The first kick-down produced audible noise but with the road noise and music, it wasn’t an issue. I think with company it might’ve been an issue, and this is really a turbo’s trump card.
The second kick downs were very rarely deployed and definitely made a huge racket. That said, I don’t think I was ever overtaken by anyone doing legal speeds – there were a few people who did serious triple digit speeds for brief stretches. The Jimny felt like it could keep up until 120-140, but I refrained.
I also didn’t have any real trouble with sweeping corners on the highway, bumpy concrete surfaces or expansion joints. I wasn’t happy with the spongy brake pedal feel, but there weren’t any panic braking moments to really test the brakes.
Fuel efficiency
On the way back I tried cruise control at 70 kmph with AC off for a few kilometres, which gave an indicated 18.5 kmpl, while 90 kmph with AC on yielded 14+ kmpl. For the rest of the drive, I allowed the car to shift up at 3000 rpm (no kick downs whatsoever, but enough pressure on the pedal to keep it from shifting at 2000 rpm – this is fine in town but on the highway, you have to let it rev just a little) and topped out at 95 kmph.
Fuel average was sadly well below 14 kmpl even before I hit the hilly climb entering Dehradun, where the numbers went lower. I’m a little disappointed with the fuel average and don’t think 15+ is remotely possible in a highway run unless you have an MT and preferably stock tyres, or are willing to stay below 80 kmph max.
Comfort
The Jimny may not have the monocoque or the stiff, tied-down suspension to ride properly flat over poorly surfaced roads, or the right sort of aerodynamics, but is perfectly capable of triple digit cruising in reasonable peace and comfort.
The AT may be slower in 0-100 but the ease and predictability with which it kicks down makes it faster in the long haul. The AC and tinted glass kept me comfortable. The narrow dimensions and high seating position were a plus. I had a metal water bottle standing in as an armrest, and definitely think an armrest would be helpful. Even the awkwardly placed dead pedal was less of a bother than I had anticipated.
That said, it isn’t a patch on the quietness, fuel efficiency or sense of reserve power that many other, more low-slung and modern cars offer.
Keyword: Assessing my Maruti Jimny AT's performance, fuel efficiency & comfort