Alas, the Suzuki Jimny can’t be sold here any more as a passenger car — its emissions are just too high (which is kind of surprising given what a dinky little thing it is). Ah well, the good news is that Suzuki is relaunching the Jimny — complete with its mini-G-Wagen styling — as a commercial 4x4 van, and Irish buyers will be able to order one later in the year.
Limited numbers for now
Mind you, you’ll need to be quick with your orders — Suzuki in the UK is saying that supplies will be limited in that market, which presumably means that they’ll be pretty thin on the ground here in Ireland too.
For those lucky enough to land one, the Jimny commercial will come in one specification grade that includes air conditioning, ‘ALLGRIP PRO’ selectable four-wheel drive with low transfer gear, DAB radio, dual-sensor brake support, 15-inch black steel wheels and cruise control with speed limiter.
Classic 4x4 elements
As with the passenger version, the Jimny will appeal to those who need serious off-roading performance, but don’t want to spend lots of money on something bulky. It uses classical 4x4 elements such as a ladder chassis, that four-wheel drive and three-link live axle suspension.
In the rear, now that the back seats have gone, there’s an 863-litre cargo bay (that’s 33 litres up on the passenger version’s maximum) and a partition that separates the cargo from the cabin. Safety kit includes hill hold and descent control that support driving on slopes. In addition, eCall, an emergency messaging function following a collision, is also fitted as standard equipment.
Same 1.5 petrol engine as the passenger model
The engine is the same 101hp 1.5-litre petrol engine with 130Nm of torque. The maximum payload is 150kg, and it’ll tow 1,300kg braked, or 350kg un-braked. Fuel consumption is a relatively poor (for such a small vehicle) at 7.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.
The Suzuki Jimny commercial pricing starts at €20,995, including CVRT for vehicles with a solid colour. The optional metallic paint adds €370 and dual-tone metallic costs €750. Suzuki Ireland has said that the Jimny LCV will only be available in very limited numbers.
