Suzuki Jimny (2018-2020) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Suzuki Jimny’s tiny footprint means it isn’t the most practical car. There’s enough room inside for four passengers to sit relatively comfortably – albeit without any luggage whatsoever. The boot is positively minuscule, in fact - even with the seats lowered. Still, if your idea of practicality is a small SUV that can go almost anywhere, the Jimny could be the car for you.

Size 

At less than 3.5m-long, the latest Suzuki Jimny is shorter than all its main rivals. It’s 30mm shorter than the car it replaces, in fact, making it easy to park and manoeuvre; or at least, it would be if the steering wasn’t so slow to react.

Sitting 20mm taller and 45mm wider makes it bigger inside, but doesn’t drastically change the way the car feels on the road. The short front and rear overhangs help make it one of the most capable cars on sale when it comes to off-roading, too.

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Legroom, headroom & passenger space

Despite its dinky dimensions, the Suzuki Jimny is surprisingly accommodating for front and rear passengers. There’s enough room for taller adults up front – although a lack of reach adjustment on the steering wheel can make for a slightly awkward driving position. 

Clambering into the back is no mean feat, but once you’re there you’ll find adequate head and knee room for a six-foot adult. The seats recline for extra comfort, but those with longer legs may find the floor a little high.

There are only two seats in the back, but both feature ISOFIX child seat mounts. Each of the rear seats is easily raised and/or folded from the boot, too.

Boot

By providing adequate rear-seat space, Suzuki has sacrificed the Jimny’s boot to a great extent. With just 85 litres on offer with the rear seats in place, there’s more luggage space in a Mazda MX-5. You’ll find enough room for a laptop bag or soft rucksack, but carrying anything more requires you to fold the two back seats. You can’t even blame a bulky spare wheel, as that’s fitted to the back door like before.

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Handily, the back seats split 50:50 and fold down to reveal a completely flat 377-litre load bay; almost as much as you get in a Volkswagen Golf with the rear seats in place. The Jimny is hardly the most practical car for carrying cumbersome kit, then.

That said, Suzuki will offer an optional fold-flat passenger seat, which should help when carrying longer items. Roof racks are available, and Suzuki even thought to reposition the aerial, to allow easy transportation of surfboards or top boxes.

Towing 

Despite its rugged looks and capable 4x4 system, the tiny Suzuki Jimny is only capable of towing a 1,300kg braked trailer. Fix an unbraked load to the back of the car and you’re limited to just 350kg.

Being a back-to-basics no-frills SUV, there are no fancy tow assist features.