Mountains, city and sea, it’s yours to explore in the Jimny

It’s not often you see a vehicle as comfortable in the traffic-choked roads of Cape Town as it is in the slopy, unforgiving dunes of Namibia or the shale-strewn mountain passes of the Cederberg mountains. If you’ve ventured out into any of these types of places, chances are you’ve seen a Suzuki Jimny and its owner do their thing.

Jimny owners tend to be fanatics in the same way that some people care deeply about birds. The difference is that they are fanatical about their cars, not necessarily cars in general. It’s their own Jimny, first, and the Jimny belonging to their auto-kinspeople second.

If two Jimny owners should ever sit around the same dinner table it’s a safe bet that conversation will centre around their vehicles. The model, the colour, the size, “no way, you’ve got the 5-door!?”, all will be discussed. And, as conversations tend to go, they will eventually end up with a bit of self-indulgent bragging about the vast epicness experienced in their respective Jimnys. The highs of a mountain pass, the depressions of a desert dune, or even a feat of superhuman parallel parking in some dingy, forsaken part of the inner-city. As Brendon Carpenter, a seasoned owner of both a 3-door and 5-door Jimny, puts it, ‘Every drive is an occasion.’"

The Jimny's ability to conquer any terrain, from city streets to wilderness trails, has made it a common sight everywhere. Its combination of nimbleness and toughness is hard to beat.

“What makes the Jimny special is that it feels like you’re on holiday even on your way to the office,” says Henno Havenga, the proud custodian of a Jimny 5-door. “You don’t feel the pressure of traffic. The Jimny is just laid back. Except when it’s not.”  

Made for roughing it

The Jimny is a genuine 4x4, offering the flexibility to switch between 2-wheel drive for city driving and 4-wheel drive for off-road adventures. The 1.5 litre engine turns out more than enough torque to get you up and over a hill, whether tarred or marble-like loose gravel, The jimny loves to be cheered on as you put pedal to the metal during overtakes. The 4-wheel drive mode has a high range and low range setting, the latter serving up maximum traction and torque for soft sand or unforgiving rocky slopes. Even when driving on gravel, the 4-high gear gives that added traction allowing for exceptional stability. 

“The nice thing about the longer wheelbase is its stability on the gravel road,” says Brendon. “When I drive on gravel, I also switch to 4-high, which  gives more stability, as you don’t lose traction from front to rear.”

Google what the Suzuki Autoclub puts their Jimnys through in their 4x4 courses if you have ever doubted this compact little beast’s off-roading abilities.  There’s also the hill descent control function that auto-assists when descending a mountainside by braking to maintain a steady speed, 10km/h in high range and 5km/h in low range.  

Brendon recalls a trip along the Oxwagon Trail in the Southern Cape, a route used by early 17th-century pioneers, hunters and traders in the 17th century, that winds along the same path through the bush. While not one of the most technical routes, the Jimny’s size made it easy to navigate the narrow path without scraping along the bush. It’s also not intimidating in the rough stuff, says Brendon, especially when driving next to a sheer cliff or on rocky terrain. “The offroading principles are the same for every 4x4 vehicle, but it doesn’t have that much weight and size. If there was a washout in a route, it might mean that you would have to climb over some rocks to get there,” he explains.  

Henno realised that the Jimny is more than a car that gets you from one point to the next while he was sitting atop a hill, braai smoke billowing into the air, the awning on the Jimny down and casting shade over the family. “It offers a lifestyle,” he says. 

The one caveat from Jimny owners that have outgrown their vehicles was that a level of Tetris-like packing skill was required to fit bags, partner and ride-alongs when going on a road trip, but the release of the 5-door late in 2023 solved this. There’s more space, allowing for both luggage and a few passengers, in the new 5-door without the vehicle seeming obviously bigger than its 3-door counterpart. It’s still the compact Jimny you love, it’s still got the power and off-road capabilities to put the larger 4x4s to shame, it’s just a matter of choice and circumstance, really. 

“I firmly believed that the Jimny had to remain a 3-door to preserve its character, but when I drove the 5-door I realised you get that same warm feeling as when driving the more compact version,  but with more practicality,” says Henno. “It was expanding my love for Jimny.” There’s something to note here how Henno refers to the car as Jimny. Not the Jimny, or a Jimny, but on a personal name basis. Jimny.  “The kids are excited that they now have their own doors,” he says. 

The bells and whistles 

Few would describe the Jimny look as futuristic, and it’s very much by design, but the technology inside is in keeping with modern times. “You have the tech, the touchscreen, wireless car play, LED headlights… all these elements that add to the experience,” says Brendon. “It’s got the authentic design but all the features you want in a modern vehicle. By the time I start the vehicle,  my phone’s connected and I can listen to my music and podcasts. The GLX model also has a large  9-inch screen,” he explains. 

The Jimny 3-door obviously works for the vast majority of its devoted supporters, but if your road-tripping needs have become increasingly demanding with the addition of another family member, furry or human, the 5-door could be an answer to these life changes.

Stick with what you love. South Africa has cities with white-sand beaches on the stoep, and you can literally hop in your Jimny, drive two hours and be in remote mountains where leopards roam in the wild. Or, at the very least you can feel like you’re on holiday on your commute to the office. You’ve got choices, the Jimny makes it possible to realistically consider all of them. 

Looking back at a decade of owning Jimnys, which  involved getting married, having kids, and now road-tripping with the family in the latest 5-door, Brendon says, “Jimny helped me grow up without having to grow up.” It's about as good a summation of what the Jimny stands for as you can get.

Want to know how your dream wheels feel on the road? Book a test drive now.