I remember when police cars were Maruti Gypsy or Jimny as it was branded globally, as a kid they were one of the best vehicles one could find on Indian roads and rightly so, it could tackle any terrain. They were weird little 4×4’s which seemed somewhat unstoppable no matter the terrain, whilst also not costing the earth to own and being cost effective to fix when broken, and super cheap , one of the reasons they were adopted in the military and the police. The gypsy ended its reign but its brother Jimny might be headed for India.
the car looks like a Jeep , thanks to the grille and the round headlamps but its much lighter and its such a simple design that it grows on you. Even in the images it looks like it a minimilistic design with no fuss about it. Externally it’s simple, easy to look at and covered in easy to replace plastic should you crunch it off-road. Whilst somewhat of a brick, it’s not totally un-aerodynamic and the ride height certainly suits the type of lifestyle Suzuki have envisaged for it. It’s rather what us millenials would call CUTE!
For such a small price, you shouldn’t really expect much from a car. However, somehow Suzuki fill the Jimny with a good amount of tech as standard – including forward collision assist, automatic climate control and a decent infotainment unit. The speakers aren’t up to much, but there are only two for the entire cabin so I’ll let it off.
The seats are comfortable, the driving position offers good visibility and it feels somewhat like a long-lasting interior ready to take a lifetime of abuse and neglect. The rear space is somewhat limited, however no worse than the previous generation. If you find yourself taking lots of luggage you will however pop the rear seats down, then the Jimny basically turns into a go-anywhere van.
On longer runs the Jimny is comfortable and quiet, however the engine drone (3k+ RPM at 70mph) does cut through at times. Fortunately it’s not too bad, and these aren’t made for motorway driving – I’ve only seen one or two in the last 6 months on a motorway.
THE OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY IS MORE THAN THE MOST EXPENSIVE SUVS…
Yup, you heard me. Put this up against a Range Rover, a Land Rover – heck even the new G-Wagon.. and it’ll surprise you in the result. The fact it’s so light and nimble means it never gets stuck, the short wheelbase ensures you don’t get beached on anything and the low-range box sorts everything else. I took my test vehicle down a green-lane which is specifically for the ‘best of the best’ off-roaders… and it didn’t struggle one bit.
The 1.5 petrol engine produces about 100bhp/95lb ft torque, however because the Jimny does only weigh about 1100kg it’s more than enough for general driving. Around town it can nip about, the gearbox does offer a huge throw but it’s incredibly engaging and fun. Back roads are with slightly lumber – however it doesn’t feel like a total sponge cake in the slightest. The Indian roads are a perfect fit for this bad boy.
My take on some cars 