From the very beginning in 1970, the Jimny has never been a high-performance utility vehicle. As a matter of fact, the LJ10 had a two-cylinder engine and Suzuki took its time until the SJ20 to introduce a four-cylinder option.
The fourth and current generation of the lil’ mountain goat tops with the K15B in the Jimny Sierra, a.k.a. the global model. At 102 PS (100 horsepower) and 130 Nm (96 pound-feet) of torque, the 1.5-liter motor is hardly exciting despite the ridiculously low curb weight (1,165 kilograms or 2,568 pounds).
Even in off-road scenarios, the limited amount of torque and the lack of a crawler gear for the five-speed manual transmission hinders the Jimny. In an alternate universe, a bi-turbo diesel with plenty of punch would be offered.
Graphic designer Fritz Carl Lobarbio took the Jimny Sierra and morphed it into a Ford Ranger Raptor-inspired pickup truck. Workhorse conversions are available in various parts of the world – including an official conversion in NZ – but a go-faster dune basher has yet to roll out for the Japanese off-roader.
Known as MP Designs TV, the Filipino pixel artist has also made a video on how he turned the Jimny into the rendering before your eyes. As expected, the process starts in Photoshop with cutting and pasting the Raptor grille.
The front-end bash plate, wheels and rubber boots, as well as the side steps were borrowed for this digital build, and the finishing touches come in the guise of roof lights and LEDs neatly integrated into the front bumper.
As a brief refresher, the 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine of the Ranger Raptor is more powerful than the 3.2-liter Duratorq straight-five option. 213 PS (210 horsepower) and 500 Nm (369 pound-feet) of torque from 1,750 revolutions per minute are more than adequate for a single-cab Jimny pickup, more so if the 10-speed transmission were to replace the Jimny’s manual or auto.
However, Suzuki isn’t interested in a pickup truck or an off-road brawler either. The Japanese automaker is in the process of electrifying its entire lineup in Europe over the 2021 emissions target of 95 grams per kilometer.
The Jimny is reportedly going to be updated next year, and chances are that Suzuki will sell it as a commercial vehicle for a particularly good reason. The N1 category is exempt from the incoming emissions target.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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