The Suzuki Jimny XL takes what has been a cult basic and makes it sensible with the addition of two doorways, extra legroom within the second row, and new infotainment expertise.
Nonetheless, it carries the identical naturally aspirated engine as its smaller and lighter brother – a pure drawback relating to energy to weight.
Moreover being 340mm longer (3820mm whole size) and having an additional pair of doorways, it will also be distinguished by its distinctive gray metallic grille with chrome accents.
In contrast to the Japanese-assembled 3-door the Jimny XL is sourced from India, however the engine and main parts are all from Japan. It’s principally shipped to India in a crate and assembled as a whole knock-down equipment (CKD) after which shipped to Australia.
Our market has had a good bit of say within the automobile’s improvement and lots of the options which are accessible within the car now are a results of stress from the native operation right here.
Greater than 2000 folks 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 prone to be one more hit for the Japanese model because it seeks to realize further momentum going into 2024 with manufacturing capability for each the 3-door and 5-door fashions rising.
However will it’s as massive of a success 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 wish to order extra XLs than it possible anticipated.
How does the Suzuki Jimny fare vs its opponents?
View an in depth breakdown of the Suzuki Jimny in opposition to 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 fairly distinctive beast, however it does compete with just a few off-roaders in Australia. To see the way it stacks up, use our comparability instrument 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 similar to the three-door, moreover the additional legroom within the second row.
It’s a fairly fundamental setup however bear in mind, this can be a automobile which 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 typical individual (not to mention an knowledgeable) received’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 positive aspects 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 should you intend to hold extra than simply youngsters. That further 340mm has gone principally into stretching the second row’s legroom, and it reveals.
It’s now a extra sensible car to hold 4 adults and this opens the car as much as considerably extra consumers.
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 will be had in consolation – and bouncing round off-road or on the seashore is not going to 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 can match greater than double what the Jimny provides in boot area, it’s a important step up from the three-door’s nearly ineffective cargo area (85L).
What’s underneath the bonnet?
The brand new Jimny could be larger than the two-door, however it shares its naturally-aspirated petrol engine.
It additionally shares its give attention to off-road capacity. Strategy 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 |
| Gasoline economic system (claimed) | 6.4L/100km (handbook), 6.9L/100km (auto) |
| Gasoline economic system (as examined) | ~12L/100k in handbook and ~15L/100km in auto (model new vehicles with restricted on street and principally off-road gasoline economic system) |
| Gasoline tank | 40L |
| Octane ranking | 91 RON |
How does the Suzuki Jimny XL drive?
There isn’t any hiding the very fact a automobile weighing about 1200kg with simply 75kW of energy and 130Nm of torque goes to be slightly sluggish. 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 steady on the street and fewer prone to transfer round when a truck drove previous.
Its turning circle isn’t fairly pretty much as good as earlier than, however it’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 by tight areas on- or off-road.
The handbook transmission is certainly the one to go for should you aren’t going to every day the automobile and need to have some enjoyable. It feels quicker and extra responsive however realistically, if you’re going to commute in your XL and spend appreciable time in site visitors, the four-speed transmission continues to be the way in which to go. Don’t really feel dangerous, your folks will get the jokes out of their system as a result of greater than 60 % have thus far opted for the automated.
We do must commend Suzuki for not happening the trail of a constantly variable transmission (CVT). As old skool because the four-speed is, it’s nonetheless a greater choice than pairing a small engine with a CVT.
The experience is a bit more settled than the three-door as nicely, 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 nicely. It’s the kind of automobile you’ll be able to simply drive on a regular basis.
We spent extra time off-roading with the Jimny than driving on the street, which emphasised what the true function of the car 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’ll be able to throw at it. Whereas it undoubtedly 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 challenge taking this nearly anyplace, however it would profit from higher off-road tyres should you begin to get slightly critical.
Finally, the Jimny XL is strong and can really feel proper at dwelling on an off-road monitor or any given seashore.
What do you get?
The Jimny XL comes commonplace with the next tools:
- 4-seat format
- Computerized 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
- Material upholstery
- 2 x top-tether baby seat anchor factors
- 2 x ISOFIX baby 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 Crimson Metallic
- Jungle Inexperienced
Scorching Crimson and Chiffon Ivory will be had with a Bluish Black Pearl roof.
Is the Suzuki Jimny XL secure?
The Suzuki Jimny XL doesn’t but have a security ranking from an NCAP physique.
Customary security tools consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane departure warning (at speeds of over 60km/h)
- Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
- Reversing digital camera with rear parking sensors
The automated positive aspects adaptive cruise management, which works at speeds of between 40 and 130km/h.
That is the kind of car consumers 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 relating 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 provides 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 underneath the model’s capped-price service plan.
CarExpert’s Take
The Suzuki Jimny XL is doubtless a automobile that many consumers 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 many who want the additional area.
It’s additionally priced nicely, which implies many consumers of the three door might 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 inside metropolis commutes.
It’s undoubtedly 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 fingers with the Jimny XL.