Power felt adequate, in fact much better than most NA petrol engines south of or up to 1.5l.
BHPian prashant316 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I have been late to the party but I join it now. I test-drove the Jimny finally.
Everything that has been said already is how I felt about the car, for the most part. Covering how I felt about it from the perspective of my last 5 years in a Polo GT.
First Feel – It definitely feels bigger inside than it looks outside. And the doors opened and closed, unlike anything I have felt in a Maruti. They felt well built with a decent subdued thud. A very pleasing sound and feel if you ask me. Definitely thumbs up.
Drive – Power seemed sluggish when compared to the Polo. I missed having a turbo. But after the drive, I felt the power delivery was not going to be a deal breaker. It felt adequate and in fact much better than most NA petrol engines south of or up to 1.5l.
The recognizable whine of the drivetrain was the most audible element of the engine sound. Reminds me of being in a Gypsy. Again not a deal breaker.
I really missed knowing what gear I am on. It was an AT. But I could feel the car seemed eager to downshift but also eager to get to at least 3rd in city traffic in gentle driving. There were noticeable Jerks on gear changes. I could almost hear myself missing the 7DSG. I am guessing this is a sore point for me. Because I am still thinking about it. I will have to adjust myself to be comfortable with a 4AT, not because I like it so much.
Comfort – Much more comfortable overall than my Polo. The seats and the suspension. Rear lumbar has been talked about a lot and for good reason. Half my thigh flab was hanging in the air in the rear. But the front seats enveloped me quite well. Overall I am happy here.
Ergonomics – I don’t think there are too many cars that beat a Polo on the ergonomics from a driver’s perspective. The jimny doesn’t either. The window switches don’t come to hand, you have to lean forward to get to them.
The screen is hanging on top like most new cars and is an ergonomically uncomfortable experience to navigate through it. Thank god for steering controls. The Polo’s screen integrated below the AC vents is so so much easier to use.
Also, I too wish there was a height adjustment for at least the driver seat. Though I thought I had pretty much found my preferred driving position, a slightly higher one would have felt perfect.
Although getting in and out of the car felt easier than other hard-core SUVs.
Overall the ergonomics are a thumbs down.
Music System – Meh. Just about ok in the sound quality department. The clarity and deepness are nice, though the speakers feel out of breath for the quality we now come to expect in this price range. I can only imagine how much worse the non-Arkamys system must be.
The Smart Pro itself was easy to use, just I was constantly leaning forward or had my head completely away from the road. I miss having certain physical buttons for quick navigation.
Overall, it’s livable. Maybe down the road, I will get slightly bigger speakers or maybe I will get used to this.
Sitting in the rear – Now this reminded me of sitting in the back of a Bolero. You sit higher up for a good view, which is good. But the boxy shape of the windows and the recline angle of the seat does make you feel that you are in an old school ‘Jeep’. Space for your legs is good. The height over your head is great too.
The recline angle on the first level felt like I am sitting on a school bench. 2nd level was the only acceptable option for me, even though the difference is not much. We are used to more reclining or the illusion of reclining in most cars sold today. I think this is a rear to get used to rather than feel at home straight away.
Showroom experience – Underwhelming at best. The sales guy with me in the TD was unenthusiastic. No, he was not interested. I had to scrape information out of him, which too was barely anything. I do wonder if there actually has been any decent training for the Jimny for these guys. Or has the self-selling nature of the car brought about lethargy? I had far more knowledge of the cars’ features than him. And they still had no clue about the list of accessories. I had to make them aware that it can now be ordered from the website and it seemed to come as a surprise to them.
The attitude was more like “Here is the car, you check it out”. In fact, my own enthusiasm to experience the car was dulled. I couldn’t fall in love with the car as I had expected. If I had not already made up my mind to buy it, I might have actually been in two minds after the overall experience with the Sales guy. The showroom was Nexa Greater Noida.
I have had far better reception at the VW sales showroom and the service facility each time. The people there seemed more explanatory and willing to clear your doubts.
Now the question is, when do I get the car? Or is it do I want this car?
Keyword: Jimny test drive impressions from the perspective of a Polo GT owner