Photo: Steven Ewing of Roadshow
Now that the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show is in full swing, the peeps at Suzuki thought that it would be interesting to bring the Jimny over to California to take in the sunshine. Despite the fact Suzuki gave up on automobiles in this part of the world in late 2012, FYI. As curious as this sounds, the Jimny was brought to North America to be tested by the automotive media.
Steven Ewing of Roadshow is one of the journalists who had a go in the mountain goat as part of the “World Car Awards test event in Pasadena, California this week.” Despite the five-speed transmission and tight space in the back, Ewing believes “the Jimny is great. I love the way it looks. I like the simple yet well-appointed interior… Around town, it's got plenty of power and is super fun for running around.”
The truth of the matter is, the Jimny wouldn’t work in the United States because of the underpowered engine and pint-sized body shell. If Suzuki were to bring it to the U.S., the Jimny wouldn’t be anything more than a niche product that would sell less than 10,000 units in the first year on the market.
Because the U.S. infrastructure relies on freeways a lot, the Jimny makes even less sense considering the off-road nature of the vehicle. Those 15-inch wheels and all-terrain tires? Yeah, not helping with high-speed stability either, let alone handling in the corners.
Over in Germany, the cheapest Jimny starts at 17,915 euros and comes with all the essentials, including the AllGrip Pro part-time four-wheel drive. Converted to U.S. dollars, make that $20,370 at the current exchange rate. If you thought that’s expensive, the Jimny has a bigger issue in regard to safety. More to the point, it received three stars from the Euro NCAP, which is not enough even compared to subcompact crossovers such as the Hyundai Kona.
Regardless of what’s right and what’s wrong with it, the Jimny is an absolute darling of an off-road vehicle. You can think of it as the Mazda MX-5 Miata of its segment, a pygmy Mercedes-Benz G-Class with tons of charisma. And a lot of capability off the beaten track, of course!
The truth of the matter is, the Jimny wouldn’t work in the United States because of the underpowered engine and pint-sized body shell. If Suzuki were to bring it to the U.S., the Jimny wouldn’t be anything more than a niche product that would sell less than 10,000 units in the first year on the market.
Because the U.S. infrastructure relies on freeways a lot, the Jimny makes even less sense considering the off-road nature of the vehicle. Those 15-inch wheels and all-terrain tires? Yeah, not helping with high-speed stability either, let alone handling in the corners.
Over in Germany, the cheapest Jimny starts at 17,915 euros and comes with all the essentials, including the AllGrip Pro part-time four-wheel drive. Converted to U.S. dollars, make that $20,370 at the current exchange rate. If you thought that’s expensive, the Jimny has a bigger issue in regard to safety. More to the point, it received three stars from the Euro NCAP, which is not enough even compared to subcompact crossovers such as the Hyundai Kona.
Regardless of what’s right and what’s wrong with it, the Jimny is an absolute darling of an off-road vehicle. You can think of it as the Mazda MX-5 Miata of its segment, a pygmy Mercedes-Benz G-Class with tons of charisma. And a lot of capability off the beaten track, of course!
Final Jimny take: It’s neat to drive, quirky, and I bet it’s fun off-road. But it’s too slow and small to work in the US, and would ultimately end up being way too expensive. No one here would buy one. Hopefully it sells elsewhere. I’m glad I got to drive it. @WorldCarAwards pic.twitter.com/fMijPmU6Qb
— Steven Ewing (@stevenewing) November 25, 2018
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