Both in the city and the desert, the Suzuki Jimny, with its modest looks and cool interiors, is a delight to drive, says Philip Shane.
In the late '90s and early part of the new millennium, digital photography went mainstream and everyone was busy taking photographs. People went around buying digital cameras, comparing specifications of the different models and brands, spending a lot of time, money and energy... contributing to the slow death of the photographic film
(which is not going away for good anytime soon). A lot of people with low levels of talent for art and photographs were taking pictures in the thousands.
Did digital photography make good photographers out of people who were no good with the old conventional cameras? I don't think so. What digital photography actually did was improve the photographs of good photographers by giving them more flexibility. People who never realised that they were taking a few bad photographs with film cameras were now taking thousands of bad pictures with digital cameras. The pros still take more or less the same amount of usable pictures with digital as they did with film.
When the automatic transmission systems became common and reliable, everyone wanted a car fitted with one. Few enthusiasts around the world today still insist on the manual transmission. Many of us can't imagine a day in traffic pumping the clutch and shifting gears at regular intervals. As with digital cameras, automatic transmissions made it easier for most people to drive, but it never made good drivers out of them. To use another analogy, it wasn't the Fender Stratocaster that made Eric Clapton a great guitarist. Instead, Eric Clapton is one of the greatest guitarists in the world, and he uses Stratocasters! You get the drift?
Who buys the simple stuff anymore? It's the people who believe in what they are doing no matter what anyone else thinks. At least, that is what I thought while driving the 2008 Suzuki Jimny on the dunes around Fossil Rock. I was astounded by the potential of this car! Its modest looks and basic interiors paint a completely different picture about its potential.
In a day and age where people don't hesitate to underestimate you without even waiting for a moment to understand your potential, it really takes a lot to get out there and prove yourself! My wife always says that you can understand and appreciate anything and anyone if you really want to, and it always proves right. All it takes to appreciate this car is to realise what it actually is and what it is capable of.
Well into its third generation since its inception in 1970, the 2008 Suzuki Jimny comes with a 1.3 litre, 16 valve four-cylinder, electronically fuel injected engine. The first generation came with air cooled 360cc engines. The Jimny is only available in manual transmission in this region and sports a ladder type chassis and also has a dual-ratio transfer case.
The first feeling you will experience when you see this car is one you would feel for a cute little pet you just got for your kid. A little budgie or puppy that couldn't do anybody any harm. That's exactly how it felt driving on road.
Everything about this car is so simple and direct. Taking up as little space as possible at parking lots, it is a city dweller's dream. You have no trouble parking it, and the way it runs, it feels like nothing could ever go wrong with it. And in case you did have trouble parking, it feels like all you needed was to get out and use one arm to safely nudge it into position. There was also this scary feeling of this car probably getting sucked into the large air filters of the larger 4x4s running around town if it got too close. Other than that, this car was perfect.
City driving was a breeze for the 1.3 litre engine producing 110Nm of torque @ 4500 rpm, although staying on the fast track on major roads was a challenge. Reaching the top speed of 140 km / hr did not seem like too much of a struggle considering the size of this engine. The power steering on this vehicle was fine; however, the suspension did seem to pick up the little imperfections present on roads and convey them to the steering wheel. The fuel economy was as good as it could get.
Great all-round visibility and a tall body design also added to the driving pleasure. It is a fun car to drive around in its own unique way. This car can actually make you realise how good a driver you really are. It responds to your driving styles and gear shift patterns like it was a part of you. It does everything perfectly for a car in this segment and price bracket.
When off-road, this 4x4 drives like 'nothing is impossible'. The off-road sand-dune session included other larger veteran 4x4s as well and to my surprise, the Jimny's performance almost gave most of them a run for their money. The larger 4x4 owners looked on with dropped jaws as the Jimny climbed most large dunes effortlessly.
With sufficient clearance, approach and departure angles, a light body, a suitable engine and transmission to match, the Jimny is well suited for most off-road conditions. Unlike many other crossover SUVs in this segment, the Jimny is a pure 4x4 vehicle. It has all the precision required where it matters to get the job done.
The Jimny is available only as a 3- door version and can seat four people. The foldable rear seats give this car the option of being used as a pure utility vehicle. Utility vehicles are fun. They are more fun than most modern lifeless cars that are built without any sense of reason or passion.
The lack of an automatic transmission in this region wouldn't exactly be attractive to many, but then enthusiasm has no limits or any rational explanation. General Motors would not have built a road-going version of the HMMWV (Humvee) if it wasn't for enthusiastic buyers. Jimny buyers buy their cars for specific reasons and understanding those reasons and taking action is greater than looking around and going with the crowd.
Philip Shane is a Dubai-based freelance writer.
