By Brendon Carpenter
“If you wanna play with the big dogs, don’t pee like a puppy”. Nowhere is this phrase more appropriate than in the testosterone filled world of off-roading. So, at the very first glance of the new Suzuki Jimny, I thought I’d better cover the driveway with some old newspapers...
Fact is that this is the very first 4x4 review that the UJ Observer Motoring Section has ever attempted. So, if the Jimny’s off-road capability wouldn’t let us down, our lack of proper off-road driving experience would. Nevertheless, we decided to head to In the Gorge Adventures in the Cradle of Humankind and test our skills in the Jimny over an array of 80 obstacles.
On the Eye
If I had to describe the design of the Jimny using only one word, it would definitely be, Funky! The short and stubby overhangs, widened wheel arches and relatively large wheels situated at the far end of every corner, shows that this little 4x4 means business. The Jimny’s silly face however, suggests that you shouldn’t take it too seriously. It looks like a cheeky Jack Russel showing its teeth in an attempt to frighten the neighbours Doberman. Although the colour of our test vehicle is classic and hides any amount of dirt rather well, we suggest that a darker, more masculine colour would fit the underdog appearance rather well.
The inside can only be described as “Old School 4x4” and in my book, that’s a good thing because there is less to go wrong. It feels solid and to a large extent even unbreakable. The interior houses all the necessities and nice-to-haves. The door panels are solid and the seats provide adequate comfort for a vehicle in this class. One nice addition is the red needles on the icy-white instrument panel as you travel at night. All of these features, however is not enough to distract your attention from the sheer lack of interior space.
On the Spec Sheet
The Jimny is equipped with most of the comfort and safety features that you would expect from a vehicle in this price category. Comfort features include air conditioning, electric windows and an mp3 CD front loader radio, while safety features include remote central locking, front fog lights ABS brakes with EBD and both driver and passenger airbags. The real party piece however, is the three buttons in the centre consol labelled “2WD”, “4WD” and “4WD-L”.
On the Road
The road going ability of the Jimny borders on acceptable. The soft, long travelling suspension absorbs most of the big bumps but the short wheel base makes urban travel a rather bumpy experience. The high driving position and tight dimensions make the Jimny easy to park. The gear shifts are rubbery, unlike the sleek secure action that we came to love in other Suzuki models. On the highway the Jimny settles at around 100km/h. You don’t really want to travel faster than 110km/h. That’s the “Joy” of 4x4 driving, I guess. The owner’s manual suggests using “2WD” mode for urban travel.
Off the Road
At first we were anxious to test the Jimny off road. The gentleman at In the Gorge Adventures told us that we had the freedom to explore all of the eighty obstacles in his resort at our own discretion. Is that a good thing? Here we are, two students, alone, on a daunting 4x4 track with eighty odd obstacles ahead of us and with very little off-road driving experience. Time to activate four wheel drive, low range, I think... Gulp!
Selecting “4WD” and “4WD-L” is as easy as pressing a button. The drive train and gear ratios change automatically and then all hell breaks loose. One single button transforms the little Jack Russel into a furious mountain goat, with agile manoeuvrability and rock climbing abilities to match. Our lack of off-road driving ability was quickly compensated by the sheer ease of drivability. The Jimny belongs in the Cradle of Human kind. All its sins of daily impracticality and bounciness are forgiven. The 1.3 litre, 4 cylinder power plant develops 63kW and 110Nm of torque. Despite the figures, that’s more than enough. The Jimny encourages you to push further, climb higher and never ceases to amaze. Awesome!
The track leads to obstacles of various dimensions and proportions, from thrilling drops to challenging climbs consisting mostly of loose sand and hardened rock. The pathway then led through some thick bush and twisted over and into several pathways across the small river. The Jimny made mincemeat of most of the obstacles and even attracted the attention of the noisy quad gang.
On the Pocket
At R189 900 the Jimny is the cheapest, proper 4x4 money can buy. Included is a 4year/60 000km service plan and a 3year/100 000km warranty. It also boasts with the best fuel efficiency in its class and represents good value for money, if practicality is not an issue.
On Our Short List
We can easily compare our experience at In the Gorge Adventures to any of the adrenaline pumping track days that we attended. The thrill of not knowing what to expect as you creep over each obstacle is just as thrilling as the skidpan doughnuts in that BMW M3 at Zwartkops.This is the ideal vehicle for that well deserved weekend break, away from it all. If you can find a more capable, brand new off-roader for less than R200 000, I will lick the dust off its wheels.
Thanks to In the Gorge Adventures for giving us the freedom to explore. To book your 4x4 adventure, feel free to contact Walter on 076 156 7492 or visit www.inthegorge.co.za for more information.
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