Suzuki Jimny 5 door: Ownership review


It's one thing to have a girlfriend, another to make her your wife. When I bought my Jimny in August this year, I had had two test drives of around 5 kms each. Now with over 3500 kms on the clock, I know a lot more about her than before. So here it is. Ownership review of my Jimny Alpha MT, in a question - answer format, completely unbiased (I'll try):

1. Is it overpriced?
Ans- Let's tackle the elephant in the room first. Price is what you pay, value is what you get. For the capability and the versatility that this car delivers, there's a lot more value attached to the Jimny than the price it commands. With year end discounts currently available, the deal gets even sweeter. It is the cheapest 5 door, 4*4 car available in India by a big, big margin. Can't beat the value proposition. 

2. Is it underpowered? 
Ans- Fully stock, yes. With a just basic mod like a throttle controller, it's a day and night difference. Possibly to meet the ever increasing emission norms, Suzuki has built in a delay in the ride by wire throttle response. That's what makes the car feel sluggish. A throttle controller fixes that. An aftermarket air filter and some premium quality spark plugs can put the icing on the cake. My Jimny is now a rev happy, eager little puppy on the road! 

3. Kitna deti hai? 
Ans- 12 kpl in the city with moderate to heavy traffic, 15 kpl on the highway, cruising between 100-120 kph. 

4. Body roll?
Ans- More than a monocoque pseudo SUV that thuds through potholes rather than rolling over them. Less than any other body on frame real SUV that demolishes potholes in its way. In fact, the side to side roll is much lower than some monocoques as well. 

5. Ride quality, handling and high speed stability?
Ans- Bad roads and potholes don't unsettle the Jimny. There is however, continuous vertical movement in the car. Mild but present throughout. In terms of high speed stability, I need to put my second hand on the steering wheel above 100 kph and the car doesn't feel comfortable at all above 120 kph. True for most monocoque SUVs in this budget as well. 

6. Is it comfortable?
Ans- Fairly comfortable for normal sized adults in the front seats and for kids in the rear. For someone really broad, the driver's footwell is narrow and so is the front seat. The low width of the car feels evident on the inside. For the rear occupants, there is very little underthigh support and the backrest is too upright, even on its reclined setting. 

7. Is it a good daily driver?
Ans- Absolutely yes! The low width, the now peppy engine and the amazing visibility all around makes this a hoot to drive in the city. The steering and the turning radius is something that takes time to get used to but once you do, it pays dividends! The rear doors make it practical for rear seat passengers to get in and out. The boot gobbles up a lot more luggage than what its 200 odd litres on paper capacity suggests. The touchscreen, the sound quality, the reverse camera, the airconditioner, the cruise control, the hill hold assist, the auto start stop, everything works superbly well and makes driving and being driven around in a Jimny, a plush and a pleasant experience. 

8. Am I happy?
Ans- I absolutely love my Jimny. It feels very Japanese in the way it is built. Everything falls in place just right. Simple, raw and pure. Something similar to my 1987 Yamaha Rx 100. And I'm never selling my Rx! 

Hope this helps.

Happy Driving!

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