Suzuki Jimny pickup is the workhorse we need
It's the Samurai pickup conversion we didn't know the world needed.
So rad.
The Roadshow staff is still collectively bummed the Suzuki Jimny isn't for sale in the US. We even got a chance to drive a Jimny and it was wonderful. Alas, we can only look on to other countries with envy.
Well, New Zealand has gone ahead and given the world the reborn Samurai we didn't know we needed. The Jimny conversion comes from West City Suzuki in Auckland, New Zealand, but a company by the name of Cowper Trucks is the one responsible for the pickup.
Both a short- and long-bed option are on the menu and it looks like a wonderful mashup of modern engineering and retro looks. Hauling gear never looked so cool.
What doesn't change is the powertrain. There's still a 1.5-liter inline-four engine good for 100 horsepower and 95 pound-feet of torque. Also standard is a five-speed manual, which sends the power to a four-wheel drive system.
While we won't see the Jimny, or this reborn Samurai, reach our shores, those down in New Zealand can take one home for about $23,000 at current exchange rates. Money well spent, folks.
First published March 17.