New 2019 Suzuki Jimny SUV: UK prices revealed
New Suzuki Jimny goes on sale on New Year's Day, with SZ4 and SZ5 trim cars available
Suzuki has revealed UK prices for the new fourth-generation Jimny, with the latest iteration of the brand's iconic small off-roader priced up at less than £16,000.
On sale in Britain from January 1 2019 two trim levels are offered, with no SZ3 Jimny in the fold for now. Priced from £15,499, it's around £750 more than the outgoing SZ4 Jimny, but equipped with air-con, a DAB radio, and cruise control as standard.
• New 2019 Suzuki Jimny review
The range-topping SZ5 Jimny is priced from £17,999. Standard equipment includes heated seats, climate control, plus a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and alloy wheels. An automatic gearbox is optional, for an extra £1,000. Metallic paint is a £485 option, while a two-tone paint scheme will cost £650.
The new Jimny arrives to end the third-generation car's impressive 20 year lifespan, though it doesn’t boast a modernising look. Instead, Suzuki has kept the Jimny’s design distinctively retro, with a tall boxy shape, flat clamshell bonnet, wide front grille and round headlights.
The design principles are functional too, as this still a car built specifically for tough terrain when it arrives. The boxy profile with large windows and small pillars maximises visibility, while the 15-inch alloy wheels are housed in chunky cladded wheelarches. Around the back a spare wheel is still found, but the taillights have been moved to the rear bumper to allow for a larger, wider opening tailgate.
At 3,645mm from the front bumper to the spare wheel cover the new Jimny is exactly the same length as before. It stands a little wider at 1,645mm across though, and 20mm taller too at 1,725mm. Ground clearance comes in at 210mm.
Inside, there’s a much more up to date influence with a modern dashboard layout. Some of the switchgear on the lower part of the centre console is lifted from the Swift, while a seven-inch touchscreen display sits in the middle of the dashboard, complete with Bluetooth and smartphone linking apps. There’s even a driver information display sandwiched in between the dials in the instrument binnacle. Suzuki claims that it’s still a functional and straightforward environment though, and that the switches are all large enough to operate while wearing gloves.
With the rear seats in place the new Jimny boasts 85 litres of bootspace, though this expands to 377 litres with the rear bench folded flat – 53 litres larger than before, and totally flat too. The boot floor and the backs of the rear seats are coated in plastic for protection against dirt and stains.
Just one engine has been confirmed for the European market. Suzuki’s popular 1.0-litre BoosterJet three-cylinder won’t power the new Jimny, but instead a brand new, simpler 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine called K15B arrives.
Compared to the current car’s 1.3-litre engine it's more powerful, boasting 101bhp and 130Nm of torque from 4,000rpm. However, it’s also lighter and neater packaging means it’s smaller too. The standard five-speed Manual Jimny claims a top speed of 90mph, while the four-speed automatic car tops out at 87mph. As measured on outgoing NEDC fuel economy and CO2 regulations, the new Jimny claims 41.5mpg with the manual box, dipping to 37.6mpg for the auto. CO2 stands at 154g/km and 170g/km respectively.
The 1.5-litre unit sits within a ladder frame structure, while Allgrip Pro part time four-wheel-drive with low range is standard fit. The drivetrain can be configured three ways – 2H driving the Jimny’s front wheels, 4H activating the four-wheel-drive system, and 4L activating the low range transfer gear for the harshest off-road conditions. Short overhangs front and rear make for an approach angle of 37 degrees and a departure angle of 49 degrees. The suspension is a rigid axle setup with coil springs both front and rear.
Suzuki claims that the new car boasts better on road manners too though, promising improved ride quality thanks to the more rigid ladder frame, plus a new steering damper which aims to minimise jolts and vibration through the steering wheel.
You can read our impressions of the new Jimny on and off-road here, with our full, in-depth review.
Alongside off-road assistance features such as hill hold and descent control, the new Jimny also gets automatic emergency braking, six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and high beam assist.
At the other end of the scale, read all about Suzuki's latest hot hatch - the 2018 Swift Sport
