The Suzuki Jimny XL takes what has been a cult traditional and makes it sensible with the addition of two doorways, extra legroom within the second row, and new infotainment know-how.
Nonetheless, it carries the identical naturally aspirated engine as its smaller and lighter brother – a pure drawback with regards to energy to weight.
Apart from being 340mm longer (3820mm whole size) and having an additional pair of doorways, it may also be distinguished by its distinctive gray metallic grille with chrome accents.
Not like the Japanese-assembled 3-door the Jimny XL is sourced from India, however the engine and main elements are all from Japan. It’s mainly shipped to India in a crate and assembled as an entire knock-down equipment (CKD) after which shipped to Australia.
Our market has had a good bit of say within the automobile’s improvement and a number of the options which are out there within the automobile now are a results of stress from the native operation right here.
Greater than 2000 individuals put their cash down for one earlier than pricing was introduced this week, and based mostly on Suzuki Australia’s confidence since, that quantity seems to have grown considerably.
This makes the Suzuki Jimny XL more likely to be one more hit for the Japanese model because it seeks to realize additional momentum going into 2024 with manufacturing capability for each the 3-door and 5-door fashions rising.
However will it’s as huge of successful because the extra conventional mannequin? We spent just a few hours driving it in Sydney this week and our first impressions are that Suzuki Australia goes to want to order extra XLs than it probably anticipated.
How does the Suzuki Jimny fare vs its rivals?
View an in depth breakdown of the Suzuki Jimny towards equally sized automobiles.
Suzuki
Jimny
How a lot does the Suzuki Jimny XL value?
- 2024 Suzuki Jimny XL handbook: $34,990
- 2024 Suzuki Jimny XL auto: $36,490
All costs exclude on-road prices.
The Suzuki Jimny XL is a reasonably distinctive beast, but it surely does compete with just a few off-roaders in Australia. To see the way it stacks up, use our comparison tool to construct a side-by-side comparability.
What’s the Suzuki Jimny XL like on the within?
The inside of the five-door is just about an identical to the three-door, moreover the additional legroom within the second row.
It’s a reasonably primary setup however keep in mind, this can be a automobile you can have on street for about $40,000.
As far as we may inform, there was nearly no distinction between the texture and high quality of the three-door and the five-door. In different phrases, the common individual (not to mention an skilled) gained’t be capable of inform which automobile is made in Japan and which automobile is from India.
Over the three-door Jimny, the five-door features wi-fi Apple CarPlay, DAB digital radio, rear parking sensors and, with the automated transmission, adaptive cruise management.
Though nonetheless a four-seater (no center seat belt), the legroom within the again makes an enormous distinction for those who intend to hold extra than simply children. That additional 340mm has gone largely into stretching the second row’s legroom, and it exhibits.
It’s now a extra sensible automobile to hold 4 adults and this opens the automobile as much as considerably extra patrons.
We wouldn’t nonetheless name it spacious as a complete, however given it doesn’t have a center seat there may be beneficiant quantity of room between the entrance and rear passengers so lengthy journeys might be had in consolation – and bouncing round off-road or on the seaside won’t see your occupants colliding (as simply).
It has 211L of cargo area, increasing to 332L with the rear seatback folded. Suzuki quotes a most quantity of 1113L. Though there are many SUVs within the phase that may match greater than double what the Jimny presents in boot area, it’s a important step up from the three-door’s nearly ineffective cargo area (85L).
What’s below the bonnet?
The brand new Jimny may be greater than the two-door, but it surely shares its naturally-aspirated petrol engine.
It additionally shares its deal with off-road capability. Method angle is 36 levels, break over is 24 levels, and departure angle is 47 levels. Operating floor clearance is 210mm.
Engine | 1.5-litre four-cylinder |
---|---|
Energy | 75kW |
Torque | 130Nm |
Transmission | 5-speed handbook, four-speed auto |
Pushed Wheels | 4-wheel drive (half time with 2H, 4H, 4L) |
Weight (kerb) | 1185 – 1200kg |
Gas economic system (claimed) | 6.4L/100km (handbook), 6.9L/100km (auto) |
Gas economic system (as examined) | ~12L/100k in handbook and ~15L/100km in auto (model new vehicles with restricted on street and largely off-road gas economic system) |
Gas tank | 40L |
Octane score | 91 RON |
How does the Suzuki Jimny XL drive?
There is no such thing as a hiding the very fact a automobile weighing about 1200kg with simply 75kW of energy and 130Nm of torque goes to be a bit of gradual. Extra so once you pack 4 adults inside. The three-door (which weighs roughly 100kg much less) was by no means brisk, and the Jimny XL provides extra weight to complicate issues additional.
The attention-grabbing factor is, the noticeably longer wheelbase on the XL makes it a much more planted factor. Though we didn’t get to expertise it on a principal freeway with cross winds, the place the the outdated one was knocked round a good bit, the Jimny XL simply felt extra secure on the street and fewer more likely to transfer round when a truck drove previous.
Its turning circle isn’t fairly nearly as good as earlier than, but it surely’s nonetheless one of many best vehicles to get round in and park within the metropolis. The width of the automobile has remained, making it a slender however sensible factor to string via tight areas on- or off-road.
The handbook transmission is certainly the one to go for for those who aren’t going to every day the automobile and wish to have some enjoyable. It feels quicker and extra responsive however realistically, if you will commute in your XL and spend appreciable time in site visitors, the four-speed transmission remains to be the way in which to go. Don’t really feel unhealthy, your folks will get the jokes out of their system as a result of greater than 60 % have to this point opted for the automated.
We do must commend Suzuki for not happening the trail of a repeatedly variable transmission (CVT). As old-fashioned because the four-speed is, it’s nonetheless a greater choice than pairing a small engine with a CVT.
The journey is a bit more settled than the three-door as effectively, with a bit extra weight and an extended wheelbase, the Jimny XL didn’t bounce round as a lot as we anticipated and absorbed the bumps effectively. It’s the type of automobile you possibly can simply drive on a regular basis.
We spent extra time off-roading with the Jimny than driving on the street, which emphasised what the actual function of the automobile is. Though it has an extended wheelbase the core performance of the Jimny stays, whether or not it’s a 3 or a five-door.
We took it up and down loopy hills and thru muddy water, together with just about another factor you possibly can throw at it. Whereas it positively bottomed out just a few instances, it by no means batted an eyelid.
The hill descent management, the 4WD LO and HI modes labored a deal with and given how little the automobile nonetheless weighs, you’ll have no situation taking this nearly anyplace, however it’s going to profit from higher off-road tyres for those who begin to get a bit of critical.
Finally, the Jimny XL is strong and can really feel proper at residence on an off-road monitor or any given seaside.
What do you get?
The Jimny XL comes normal with the next gear:
- 4-seat structure
- Automated projector LED headlights with handbook levelling
- Entrance fog lights
- Privateness glass
- Hill descent management
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- 15-inch alloy spare
- Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
- 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto
- DAB digital radio
- Cruise management
- 1 x USB outlet
- 2 x 12V retailers
- Cloth upholstery
- 2 x top-tether youngster seat anchor factors
- 2 x ISOFIX youngster seat anchor factors
The Jimny XL is offered within the following colors:
- Arctic White Pearl
- Chiffon Ivory Metallic
- Bluish Black Pearl
- Granite Gray Metallic
- Scorching Pink Metallic
- Jungle Inexperienced
Scorching Pink and Chiffon Ivory might be had with a Bluish Black Pearl roof.
Is the Suzuki Jimny XL protected?
The Suzuki Jimny XL doesn’t but have a security score from an NCAP physique.
Normal security gear consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane departure warning (at speeds of over 60km/h)
- Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
- Reversing digicam with rear parking sensors
The automated features adaptive cruise management, which works at speeds of between 40 and 130km/h.
That is the type of automobile patrons are conscious is made for a particular function, which is to be a cult-classic SUV with insane off-road capabilities for its dimension and worth. For that cause, its security credentials with regards to energetic security options are seldom referred to as into query.
How a lot does the Suzuki Jimny XL value to run?
The Suzuki Jimny XL is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
Suzuki presents capped-price servicing for the primary 5 years or 100,000km, whichever comes first, with servicing required each 12 months or 15,000km.
The primary 5 providers value $449, $429, $589, $449, and $349 respectively below the model’s capped-price service plan.
CarExpert’s Take
The Suzuki Jimny XL is doubtless a automobile that many patrons have been asking for. Combining the practicality of extra legroom within the rear with the benefit of entry supplied by the extra two doorways makes this a much more compelling case for individuals who want the additional area.
It’s additionally priced effectively, which suggests many patrons of the three door could look to improve – or others who would have dominated it out beforehand will now look towards the XL as a viable SUV for not simply off-roading, however interior metropolis commutes.
It’s positively missing a little bit of go and might definitely do with a extra highly effective turbocharged engine, however for what it’s and what it prices, Suzuki Australia has one other winner on its arms with the Jimny XL.