The Suzuki Jimny five-door has finally arrived in South Africa and is ready to take you off into the wilderness for oodles of driving fun.
I recently had the chance to spend two days behind the wheel of the enlarged 4×4 on an excursion that took us across South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo and into Botswana’s beautiful countryside, where the Jimny’s off-road prowess was put to the test.
What’s changed
Suzuki’s baby SUV has always been known as a capable vehicle, dating back all the way to the first generation that launched more than 50 years ago in 1970 with the original LJ50, though the Jimny as we know it only truly came about in 1974.
Since then, the 4×4 has gone through four generations with the most recent models making their debut in 2018, and this is where we find ourselves with the new five-door.
It is the same as its three-door counterpart in most aspects and will be instantly recognizable to anyone with a passing knowledge of the Jimny, with the only surface-level difference being the two extra doors.
Since the SUV is still rather small by modern standards, it’s not immediately obvious that it has actually grown by 340mm at the back to accommodate the new points of entry while also substantially increasing the boot space.
This means it is now 3,965mm in length – though its height, width, and ground clearance are exactly the same at 1,670mm, 1,645mm, and 210mm – which has had the added effect of increasing the wheelbase from 2,250mm to 2,590mm.
The Suzuki still uses a ladder-frame chassis, but the centre frame has been extended and a new cross-member added to support the weight of the car over its stretched foundations.
The automatic transmission’s components have been reinforced, the rear propeller shaft’s length and diametre increased, the front brakes now use ventilated discs for better heat dissipation, and the front suspension’s coil springs have been optimized for better damping, according to the manufacturer.
The larger Jimny still comes standard with an AllGrip part-time 4WD layout and a low-range transfer box, the latter of which is accessed through a lever below the gearstick.
One more thing to note about the SUV is that its longer wheelbase has affected its off-road angles, going from 37 to 36 degrees for the approach, from 28 to 24 degrees for the break-over, and from 49 to 47 degrees for the departure.
How it performs
One of the chief advantages of something like the Jimny compared to the behemoths that pass for modern bakkies is that it has a relatively short wheelbase, making it great for navigating rocky terrain.
You have access to 2H, 4H, and 4L modes thanks to the transfer case, and the 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine generates a decent amount of torque within an accommodating powerband so you don’t need to be constantly changing gears to push forward.
Navigating our way up a rocky hill was no trouble, and part of this can also be attributed to the Jimny’s boxy design which makes it very easy to read and predict where any side of the car is and will be at any time, lowering the stress of avoiding paint scrapes on the side of a boulder.
You also have access to hill descent control regardless of the trim level you select, and this did a great job of easing the vehicle back down the terrain at a manageable pace.
Steering is a little heavy on account of the short wheelbase, but it’s not like you need Herculean strength to turn the wheel, and the SUV actually proved itself to be rather agile when dodging the millions of potholes dotting Limpopo’s rural roads.
On that note, the Suzuki’s suspension does an admirable job of cushioning the ride over rutted dirt paths and was even able to handle a moderately fast trek across the corrugations left in a sandy river bed by the cars in front of us without any major discomfort.
Final thoughts
All in all, the Suzuki Jimny five-door’s new wings have done little to impact its off-road prowess while giving it a new layer of practicality with a boot that has more than doubled in size to reach 211 litres.
Whether you will want the new five-door instead of the existing three-door will largely depend on whether you feel like you need that extra space and how often you have people sitting in the back.
Regardless of which version you choose, the Jimny should be more than capable of handling itself on your next overland adventure.
Suzuki Jimny 5-door
Keyword: How the new Suzuki Jimny 5-door performs off-road