Who would ever have predicted that a Suzuki vehicle would become a popular run around in South Africa?
It may have seemed far-fetched, but that’s what happening now with the gutsy little Suzuki Jimny.
While it already has a reputation as being an adventurous outdoors type, what’s perhaps been overlooked is its usefulness as something of an urban vehicle, too.
City slicker may be pushing it, urbane perhaps a touch too, but when it comes to style and suitability for coastal town living, it’s a perfect fit.
There’s always something buzzing at Suzuki South Coast in Port Shepstone under the creative, out-of-the-box thinking of dealer principal Elmi van Beek.
The new five-door has arrived at around the same time that Judy Comins has officially been appointed sales manager.
Suzuki’s reputation is well established, and Judy is no newcomer either, having been with the company for a number of years.
Being sales manager is a new role for her, though, and she’s looking forward to it, especially seeing the exciting impact the new model is expected to make.
Yours truly recently had the chance to take it for an afternoon drive, surprising the children by picking them up from school when they were expecting Mom or Oupa to be there.
There was a lot of excitement (they’re only 12 and 10), so why not? I let them carry on like it was ours for a short while. Maybe one day.
“This is such a cool car; good things are happening here,” was my daughter’s response.
“It’s an automatic, okay. I think I will get an automatic car when I get my license,” my son announced. That’s only six years away (gulp).
They were easily impressed with the infotainment touchscreen (sorry about a few grubby pawprints) and Bluetooth connectivity, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This was especially the case when their mother phoned, and they got a fright seeing the number on the screen.
Overall, it’s such an easy drive, with the rearview camera and extra height a real plus. Road handling was solid, and I found it could move in and out of traffic nimbly.
The Jimny hasn’t lost any of its rugged element and so handles our potholed roads just fine. Hill-hold and descent control certainly help.
It’s small, but there’s a surprising amount of space and legroom. In the five-door, you can fold back the seats.
Perfect for daily driving and day-to-day errands, it could well suit younger families with its dual-purpose abilities.
It’s not just for the weekends to get you to the beach to go fishing or for some off-roading with its part-time four-wheel drive.
The Jimny comes with six airbags and blends trendy fashion and function quite nicely, as well as a 1.5l engine and fuel consumption from 6.4l/100km.
You can also personalise your Jimny with loads of accessories, but you’ll have to phone or visit the dealership to find out more.
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