Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX+ Estate

You May Have Thought That Suzukis Little Jimny Was A Simple No-Nonsense Kind Of Vehicle. It Is, But In JLX+ Trim Theres More To Get Excited About. Jonathan Crouch Checks It Out..

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If you want to buy a compact 4x4, there are umpteen choices out there on the market and the numbers of this kind of vehicle seem to be constantly growing. If you want to buy a compact 4x4 that you can use offroad, your options suddenly become much more limited. Suzukis Jimny is one of very few small 4x4 vehicles that you can drive on difficult terrain with any degree of confidence and without incurring hefty repair bills.

While £9,749 is the going rate for the standard JLX Jimny, here were looking at the plusher JLX+ - available to you for the princely sum of £10,649. What you get over the JLX is a series of styling and interior enhancements. Body-coloured door handles and spare tyre cover, graphite grey quarter panels and silver roof rails jazz-up the outside. Within, its a case of leather seats with leather headrests, a leather steering wheel, chrome door handles and new door fabric.

Its not the most salubrious collection of accessories but for its hard to grumble given the prices Suzuki are asking. You just cant get another proper 4x4 vehicle for this sort of money so the Jimny can only really be compared to ordinary family hatchbacks. Against these, it certainly has individuality on its side. At first glance, the Jimny Estate looks to be designed more for the mud than the metropolis.

Flared wheelarches, bulky side panels, roof rails and that spare wheel on the tailgate give it a purposeful look intended to reflect a 'rugged personality'. From the outside, the latest version can be distinguished by its revised five-spoke alloy wheels and fog lamps set into the front bumper, both now fitted as standard rather than an option. Underneath all that, however, it's all surprisingly car-like. Instead of the 'garden shed' aerodynamics favoured by most off roaders, the slippery body has a drag coefficient comparable with that of a normal family hatchback.

"You just cant get another proper 4x4 vehicle for this sort of money"

In town, that high seating position and excellent all-round visibility make it great for nipping in and out of traffic. The 1.3-litre all-aluminium 16v engine is in its element here too. On the open road, however, it can sound a little stretched due to the fact that most of its 85 braked horses are not available until you get the engine singing right up at 6,000rpm.

Since the Jimny's diminutive size means its unlikely to be often used on longer trips, this shouldn't prove too much of a problem for potential owners. True, four adults can be carried on short journeys (as long as they don't bring any baggage) but even then, front seat occupants will probably be called upon to sacrifice some legroom. The other disadvantage of carrying rear passengers is that the luggage area behind them is tiny. Better to think of the car as a two-seater and fold the rear bench down. Inside, things have been revised in the latest version, with more stylish fabrics and finishes, smarter front and rear seat designs providing greater support and comfort, a redesigned steering wheel and a fresh instrument panel featuring red illumination.

Automatic transmission equipped models get a different centre console and gear selector gate, while both manual and automatic models now feature push button selection of the four-wheel drive system, located below the heating controls. Finally, a better quality audio unit, with easy to use controls and a CD player is fully integrated within the latest dash. Handling around twisty tarmac is not as accomplished as the sharpest superminis, but its quite good enough to satisfy most. Besides, there's always the bonus, denied to conventional road users, that when the fancy takes you, the muddy stuff beckons. Like the original Vitara, four-wheel drive is selectable (these days via Suzuki's 'Drive Select' system), a surprisingly painless operation that can be accomplished whilst on the move. Over reasonably rough terrain, the little Suzuki feels very confident, thanks to its tough ladder frame chassis, a standard design feature that many small off roaders lack; this renders cars like Toyota's RAV4 effectively useless for serious off road work. You'll have to accept, however, that the Jimny won't ultimately have the wherewithal to reach the places that larger off roaders can. At least not in normal circumstances. Over in Iceland, they prefer light, simple little 4x4s like this because they don't sink into the snow: in soft boggy conditions here, it might well be the same. One drawback of all this off roading prowess is that it necessitates a harder, more jiggly ride. Again, it's not something that will bother you too much on short journeys, where the light steering, progressive brakes and smooth gearchange make the little Suzuki easy to live with. The cabin, though dominated by grey plastic, is equally user-friendly, with a neat, simple layout that will confuse no one capable of operating a payphone. For a small car, the driving position is excellent, accommodating for anyone up to a six-footer, with plenty of head and legroom. The Suzuki remains a unique proposition and if you want to do the particular selection of things that it does, at this price at least, there is no substitute.

The JLX+ trim level adds a little to the package but largely only on a cosmetic level. It still looks decent value though, at only £1,000 over the standard JLX model. Real 4x4 fun doesnt come any cheaper than this.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Suzuki Jimny JLX+ Estate
PRICE: £10,649 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 7D
CO2 EMISSIONS: 174g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 87mph / 0-60mph 14.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 38.7mpg
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3625/1600/1670