Though I know we can’t (always) have our bread buttered on both sides, it seems the new Suzuki Jimny does just that: a cute yet tough 4x4 vehicle making any woman who loves driving feel capable cruising over rough terrain, while also laughing in the face of any small parking spot.
After spending a week in this car, testing it on different terrains and cruising on the open road, here are my personal top five reasons why the new Jimny is a great 4x4 vehicle for a female.
The Suzuki Jimny's size is one of the characteristics that has made it so popular over its almost-50 years of existence. Though the fourth-generation Jimny has gained 45mm in length and 50mm in height, the manufacturer has managed to still keep its small, cute looks - without making it look too meek.
The hardy boxy styling with its contrasting bug-eyed front and bold colour options make it stand out among other off-roaders. The more you look at it, the more you want to smile. The more others look at it the more they seem to smile at you - it shouts pure fun but also “don’t mess with me, I might be into jiu-jitsu”.
Fancy features or a little bit of luxury is never a bad thing - it makes any drive more desirable. But personally, I enjoy the simple things in life. I like that the Jimny isn't too fancy inside. After all, it's a car you have to take on paths less trodden. What's more important than fanciness for an owner of a Jimny is practicality.
Even though cup and bottle holders seems to be rather small (at least for my water bottles), generally, the new model’s cabin is more ergonomic.
Though you feel like you want to pinch its cheeks when you look at it, the new Jimny’s looks take nothing away from the fact that it’s is a remarkably capable off-road vehicle. It comes in two specification levels (GA and GLX) and with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto transmission, both of which come with a high/low transfer gear ratio selector, making it suitable for basically any off-road driving.
Its full-width rigid axles - both front and rear - ensures superior grip on diverse surfaces: when an obstacle pushes one wheel up, the axle presses the other wheel down. Ground clearance of 210mm is perhaps not huge, but the Jimny’s clever wheel-at-each-corner design makes tackling steep angles without scraping a cinch.
This model is powered by an all-new 1.5-litre petrol engine, which produces peak outputs of 75kW and 130Nm of torque. According to the manufacturer, the car’s lighter engine with its higher compression ratio helps to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 14%.
In all honesty, at some points I felt like I might blow off the N7 into the Karoo with the vehicle being so light but fuel wise, a lighter car is fantastic. The claimed consumption figure for the manual derivative is 6.3L/100km and 6.8L/100km for the automatic.
A girl likes to feel safe when she’s driving. Particularly when she’s driving alone. Suzuki has put in a lot of effort to make the new Jimny safer. All Jimny models are fitted with ABS brakes with emergency brake assistance (BAS) and electronic stability programme (ESP) to prevent wheel slip on all wheels and to help the car track true on slippery surfaces and at high speed.
For those inside the vehicle, the TECT-rated body, additional side-impact bars and two front airbags ensure the best possible passive crash safety. Apart from driver and passenger safety, the manufacturer also focussed the new design on pedestrian safety: the new model has impact-absorbing zones in the bumper, wipers, cowl, bonnet and hinges, and fenders to protect pedestrians. On the active safety side.
A little ripper of a thing in the rough stuff, and cute as can be when you need someone to give you a gap in peak traffic, the new Suzuki Jimny is a win for any woman.
