New Suzuki Jimny is a blocky cute-ute with shades of G-Class
It's totes adorbs.
In the US, if you want a sport utility vehicle with the aerodynamic profile of a brick colonial, you're pretty much stuck with a Jeep Wrangler or a hella-expensive Mercedes G-Class. But buyers in Europe will soon have a more affordable (and cuter!) option.
Suzuki revealed its all-new Jimny SUV, and it's a looker. This slab-sided utility vehicle bears more than a passing resemblance to the Benz, with loads of straight-edged features, circular headlights, low-slung taillights and a prominent spare wheel on the back. It's available in a wide variety of colors, including two-tone options with a black roof.
There's only one picture of the interior, but it seems pretty rugged. The controls are prominently displayed below the integrated infotainment screen, looking closer to a Jeep Wrangler than a G-Class here.
Performance specs haven't been revealed on the Jimny's site yet, but Suzuki did show off a picture of the Jimny's ladder frame with a four-cylinder engine attached. It's packing solid-axle suspension and a part-time 4WD system with a low range, so it should be pretty solid when the asphalt turns to rocks and dirt. It's believed that the Jimny could pack all manner of powertrain options, from 0.6 liters to 1.5. It's a small guy -- you're not going to find a V8 here.
It's a huge improvement over the last Jimny, which looked like a first-generation Kia Sportage and has been in production since 1998. It almost makes me wish Suzuki still sold cars in the US, because our strong love for small SUVs would give the automaker a solid business case for bringing the Jimny to the US. But with 2.85 million Jimnys (Jimnies?) sold since its inception, the SUV is doing pretty well without us.
