Most people prefer sedan rides on a daily basis. But others may have to bring their super compact 4-wheel drive and leave the rest salivating because their ride is an apple of the eye in the streets. Take for example the Jimny, the compact 4 x 4 with a rugged and retro look by Suzuki.
Suzuki Philippines sent over a test drive unit for a couple days and we used it like it’s our own ride.
The Suzuki Jimny has a meager 1.3L engine, therefore gasoline consumption is better compared to the full-sized sedan with 1.6L. The situation will change when you push the button and turn the vehicle into a four-wheel drive mode. But who says you’ll turn it on when your daily routine is the busy streets of Makati.
When your daily route is somewhere in the central business districts (CBD) of Makati, Ortigas or Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and your job requires you to move from one place to the other several times in a day, and parking requirement is crazy, this vehicle is for you.
Inside the Jimny are pretty much standard dashboard and all the stuff you need in a car. The entertainment head unit is a basic player, the steering wheel is not so big nor too small. Everything inside is pretty much standard. You will need to spend more if you like some upgrades.
But for me, the stock setup works just fine. If I need some little upgrades in it, it will be just a little darker tint.
How’s the ride
It is a compact SUV, therefore one should not look for the ride similar to a sedan. It is a little tough, you can feel it immediately when you hold the steering wheel. But it won’t tire you so much that don’t like to drive again next day.
You will feel the bumps when you hit the subdivision with unlimited humps.
It is an SUV, only smaller.
With 4 x 4?
Yup! I’m sure of that. And it has the most discreet 4 x 4 button or shall I say switch. Just press it and the four-wheel drive activates, press it again and you are back to the normal ride.
Turning the 4 x 4 is advisable when you are on a slippery highway. Or, if you are crossing some crazy offroad that you are not familiar with. Best to use it also if it is raining.
Eye-catching…. yes.
Look at this photo below. That little SUV there poses with pride while all other vehicles seem to agree that it is an eye-catching little machine to ride.
For single executives only, I think…
I might be wrong in this statement, but hey, this cute SUV is for single executives only. While this can’t be your regular daily car, it is impressive to have one to drive aside from your sedan.
Because you can’t have the whole family inside the car.
The most number of passenger is only one. And that should be your date, your wife or girlfriend, or a client that you want to a coffee for a quick meeting.
Street parking… the best!
Now this is one of the best characteristics of the Suzuki Jimny. You can park in any space, no problem. Maneuvering is quite easy. Let us credit Suzuki because of its compactness, you can park even on small space.
Is it affordable?
This is subjective. But if you are a junior executive and you got a company car as your daily car. Then you can afford this one. Starting price of the 1.3L MT is P738,000. You can add P107k and get the topmost model with automatic transmission. When you want to spend P845k for an SUV, I’d suggest you get a pre-owned full-sized SUV then.
For the savvies, here’s the technical specification of the Suzuki Jimny
Conclusion
Suzuki Jimny is a cute little SUV that is oozing with appeal. And since it belongs to the SUV family, it gives you the ride of a utility vehicle too. No complaints here. For the entry level pricing, you would surely add some accessories and upgrade especially the entertainment head unit and speakers. I have the budget, this will be my third car. I will be using this probably at least twice or thrice a week, mostly when it is raining.
