Suzuki Jimny (2018-2020) review - Interior, design and technology
With a rugged charm, the Suzuki Jimny’s interior feels built to last rather than in any way luxurious
The latest Suzuki Jimny is a rugged 4x4 that has been redesigned for the 21st Century. It’d be fair to say there are hints of Land Rover Defender, Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes G-Class in the design, but despite its rudimentary ladder-frame chassis, it’s better to drive and more comfortable than before.
Inside, the exterior’s square theme continues, with plenty of straight lines and harsh edges. Quality is on par with rivals like the Dacia Duster, with scratchy plastics on the dash and doors; the Jimny is built to stand the test of time rather than feel particularly luxurious.
This being a Suzuki, most of the kit you’d want comes as standard on SZ5 cars. However, the firm is hoping to offer a selection of customisation options – including styling tweaks, roof racks and different front grilles. There are lots of vibrant colours to choose from, too, including Kinetic Yellow, Brisk Blue and Chiffon Ivory.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Only top-spec Suzuki Jimny SZ5 models benefit from a touchscreen as standard. Basic SZ4 cars get a CD player, Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio, but make do with a simple screen and manual air-conditioning.
Here, we’ll focus on the SZ5’s infotainment set-up. It’s a system we are familiar with from various other Suzuki models such as the Swift, S-Cross and Vitara. It’s not the most responsive unit, but there’s loads of functionality – including sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The main menu consists of four easily distinguished shortcut squares, which allow easy access to things like the radio and phone settings.
Unsurprisingly, there are no digital dials or fancy night vision settings, but the dash is easy to navigate and intuitive to use. There’s a small screen in between the speedo and rev counter – providing trip information like fuel economy and predicted range.
