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It has been 20 years since Suzuki’s last all-new Jimny.

The Suzuki Jimny seems to be the lime in our boxy 4x4 lemonade this summer. Mercedes-Benz’s all-new G-wagen is plucked from a similar mold, but it has become so much more expensive and luxurious than its original designers could have foreseen that it almost feels wrong to put one in harm’s way on a trail. And what exactly is the point of spending so much money on an otherwise capable off-roader when you don’t even intend to go on an adventure with it?

That’s where Suzuki’s compact, lightweight, and fully square 2019 Jimny comes in. It’s the perfect go-everywhere pack animal that now also has the looks to pass muster on your local boulevard.

Available in eight colors at launch, the new Jimny is a breath of fresh
air, coming after Suzuki basically left the predecessor well enough alone for two decades. Prior to that, the Jimny line can be traced through the 1981–1998 model, which we Yanks know better as the Samurai, to a hard-working, two-stroke tin can that was built under the LJ and SJ banner from 1970 through 1981. The new model doesn't stray far from those roots, with a ladder frame, solid axles, and part-time four-wheel drive with low range.

This compact off-roader is expected to play a huge part in Suzuki’s plan to increase annual sales in Europe from 245,000 vehicles to 300,000. The Japan market will be served by engines displacing as little as 660 cc, while export models can be fitted with 1.2- and 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gas engines or a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder. Suzuki will pair those powerplants with five-speed manuals or four-speed automatics, while wheel choices will come in 15- and 16-inch sizes.

For a touch of modernity, other goodies include air conditioning, cruise control, push-button start, a multifunction steering wheel, and automated emergency braking. We definitely want one, and the Jimny could only be better if it led a return to the States for Suzuki.

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Plus, new photos show redesigned Jimny in great detail

Last month, we were able to publish official images of the upcoming new generation Suzuki Jimny SUV. Now, Suzuki has released a detailed mega-gallery of the boxy 2019 Jimny and some essential information on its powertrain and safety tech.

The big news is that the Jimny's introductory engine choice will be bigger than anticipated, as it will be the 1.5-liter, 100-horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 96 pound-feet of torque. For the time being, no other powertrain options are available, and there's no word yet of a hybrid variant. The offered transmissions are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic, and 4WD mode is switchable from a separate gear lever with high and low range. Curb weight is mentioned to be as low as 2400 pounds.

As for the Jimny's safety, there's now automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning combined with "Weaving Alert," and also traffic sign detection — certainly high tech for a very small SUV. But it's outside the reach of any road signage where the Jimny is designed to shine, as the image gallery shows with photos of the vehicle off-road. The Jimny's approach angle is 37 degrees, the ramp breakover angle is 28 degrees and the departure angle a nice 49 degrees. The minimum ground clearance is mentioned to be roughly 8.3 inches.

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Currently, Suzuki's Japanese factory is unable to satisfy global demand for the Jimny, which leaves us wondering whether a second version such as this fantastic pickup could ever make it into series production.

However, while people wait for their regular Jimnys to get off the cargo boats, local tuner Liberty Walk came up with the perfect car for those who can't afford a G-Class, let alone one of Liberty Walk's Brabus-shaming G63 AMGs. And the size difference is hilarious.

Okay, so the Jimny is not the fastest SUV on this planet, whether you choose one with the 100-horsepower four cylinder, or the JDM turbo-three with 64hp. But with its road tires, the G63 happens to be more of a fashion accessory, which means that the adventure-focused Jimny would be more than able to keep up with it off-road. Not to mention that since the short-wheelbase G was discontinued in 2011, you don't have the option of a two-door. That's another plus for the Jimny.

Save money and fuel, fool everybody, and have fun! That's the Liberty Walk Jimny's message, and we approve.

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The Suzuki Jimny isn't the heartthrob of off-roaders the world over without reason. Its minimal weight, tiny dimensions, ample ground clearance (and affordable price) make it a comically capable four-wheeler by any measure. All that's wrong with it is that you can't buy one in the United States, and that denial will pain any red-blooded driver all the more when they learn that there will soon be a kit to make a modern Jimny look like an original Ford Bronco.Japanese vehicle customization firm DAMD Styling Effect has designed several conversion kits for Jimnys to make them look like everything from a Land Rover Defender to a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, and its latest Bronco-inspired kit may be its finest work yet. The "Dronco," as DAMD calls it, is inspired by "good old American original and beautiful styling," and invites Jimny owners to mount the kit to their vehicles to "become a Dronco and run around!"

Becoming a Dronco seems to consist of swapping out the Suzuki's factory front and rear bumpers, tacking on some tasteful chrome trim (ahem, Ferrari owners), and mounting a ladder to the Jimny's tailgate. This can't yet be done, as DAMD says the pictures you see above are computer renderings, though it also says it plans to put these kits into production this year. Let's hope no lawsuit from Ford slaps those plans out of the sky—it's not as if the Blue Oval will lose "Baby Bronco" sales to modified Suzukis.

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The Internet's favorite little off-roader, the Suzuki Jimny, is already offered in several lengths depending on the market. The global version (known in Japan as the Jimny Sierra) is 3,550 millimeters (139.8 inches) long while the JDM-spec kei car is just 3,395 mm (133.7 in). The model sold in India is the biggest of the three, measuring 3,645 mm (143.5 in). As previously rumored, a long-wheelbase Jimny is in the offing, and these spy shots provide us with an early look.

Save for the extra distance between the front and rear axles, the prototype looks virtually the same as the shorter Jimny configurations, complete with the rear-mounted spare wheel akin to a Mercedes G-Class. Interestingly, it still has only two doors, although we're hearing a more practical four-door body style is on the agenda to make it easier for rear passengers to get in and out. Needless to say, the long-wheelbase configuration will pay dividends in terms of rear legroom and possibly enable a slightly more spacious cargo area.

We can't help but wonder whether Suzuki is also planning a pickup considering the Jimny Survive concept for the Tokyo Auto Salon a couple of years ago had a tiny bed. The lengthened wheelbase and a possible rear seat delete could make room for a bigger truck bed, but it remains to be seen whether it's going to happen.

A more pressing matter is the Jimny's status in Europe because Suzuki was forced in 2020 to turn the current model into a two-seater commercial vehicle to help meet the company's fleet average CO2 emissions. Homologating the Jimny as a commercial vehicle means it's subject to a far less stringent EU fleet average target of 147 g/km rather than the 95 g/km for passenger cars.

In an ideal scenario, the Jimny LWB will have a more efficient (and powerful) engine than the lethargic 1.5-liter naturally aspirated mill with its measly 100 horsepower offered today. A thriftier engine, possibly with hybridization and turbocharging aids, would bring back the passenger version, but it's just wishful thinking at this point.

Suzuki is expected to unveil the stretched Jimny later this year when the four-door derivative could join the range as well. From what we've heard, the version with rear doors will be assembled in India by using kits imported from Japan, but we are hoping the automaker has global plans for the more family-friendly Jimny.

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The people have spoken, and the message could not be clearer: more Suzuki Jimnys, please! To appease the insatiable appetite for its rugged little 4x4, Suzuki Australia is adding a new variant to the Jimny line: the Jimny Lite, which arrives in August.

The Jimny Lite is a full-on Jimny, minus a few tidbits here and there. As the name implies, it's slightly lighter on options and features. For example, it'll only be available with a manual transmission in contrast to the automatic option of the Jimny. It'll also roll on standard 15-inch steel wheels instead of alloys. (Rockin' steelies? Heck yeah!)

On the outside, the Jimny Lite further visually deviates from the Jimny courtesy of its plastic textured side mirror covers and halogen (not LED) projector headlights. On the inside, the Jimny Lite gets an old-school in-dash audio system with standard Bluetooth connectivity rather than the Jimny's touchscreen infotainment system with navigation. More information for the Jimny Lite, such as pricing, will arrive by August.

Sure, the Jimny is underpowered and tiny (and our market is replete with competent off-roaders including the Ford Bronco Sport and Jeep Wrangler), but we can't help but lust after the Jimny and Jimny Lite.

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The Suzuki Jimny is a name that plenty of off-road lovers are familiar with, a compact 4x4 known for its adorable aesthetics and legitimate trail-driving chops. Although the current generation of the Jimny isn't sold stateside, it's coveted by a lot of American enthusiasts—so much so that some dealerships still try to sell them here.

I wanted to know more about these imported vehicles for sale, a few of which have been sent in by readers or written about by other publications. In a quest to get more info, I called two dealerships that claimed to have them available. It did not go as expected.

We previously covered a somewhat similar case that involved a VW Amarok being sold in the U.S. That pickup was registered as a farm truck with a clean Michigan title, though when it came to these Suzukis, the dealerships were pretty cagey about providing any details.

The first dealer I called was Iconic Motors of Oklahoma City. Initially, I was told what I was expecting to hear. The truck was brought north from Mexico and, in fact, it had allegedly already been sold to a customer. The man on the other end of the line then told me they had a meeting going on, and instructed me to call back later. A promising start, I thought. Maybe I would get some more information.

The second dealer, Barrett Auto Gallery in San Juan, Texas, had two Jimnys for sale, though they were listed as Samurais. This might be an even better lead, I thought. I picked up the phone, dialed the dealer's number, and someone answered straightaway. I explained who I was, why I was calling, and then I asked how they got the Jimnys. San Juan is right on the Mexico-U.S. border, so I assumed they were brought here just like the others. I was right.

"We bought them in Mexico and brought them back here," the dealer employee said. I prodded them about how the vehicle was registered, if at all. Then they seemed to get suspicious. "Do you want to buy one?" they asked me. I responded that, no, I wasn't going to buy one, but it's unusual for a Jimny to come up for sale in the United States, and I wanted to write an article about the two they had for sale. A few seconds of silence passed and just as I was about to ask another question, they hung up.

I thought that was odd, but something even stranger was that shortly after the call ended, both vehicles were removed from the dealership's website. I got screenshots, though, which you can see below.

Perhaps they got a little sketched out after gaining attention for two vehicles that aren't really legal to drive on our roads. Either way, they're not on the site at the time of publishing this story.

After that, I called Iconic Motors again. A different person picked up, so I explained who I was, what I wanted, etc. The phone was then handed off to another employee. He reiterated the fact that the truck had already sold, but he had a little more to say. As we talked, he reiterated that Iconic Motors bought the truck in Mexico, though he added, "They're a very popular truck outside the United States, so we figured we would sell one here." That's... as good a reason as any, I thought.

I felt like I was on a roll, so I asked what the deal with the title was. "It has an Oklahoma title," he said. When I asked how you'd go about tagging it, he said, "Just go register it." Right, of course.

That particular Jimny is actually still up on the dealer's website as of publishing despite allegedly being sold. I also archived the link so it's saved forever if you're curious. Originally, the sticker price was $45,000—similar to the other two at Barrett Auto Gallery.

If you actually wanted to buy a Jimny here, it is technically possible. Step one is, when you call to ask about it, don't say you're a journalist. Step two is to only use it off-road once you purchase it. If you drive it on public roads, you could be in serious trouble. There are, however, all sorts of ways you could go depending on your state government. Who knows, maybe you could get the thing at least somewhat legal on American highways, like what was done with the Amarok. That being said, I'm obviously not responsible for any sort of Jimny-related shenanigans you get into. The bottom line is the federal government doesn't like these things, and buying one is always going to be risky. Let's hope you have an easier time getting some information about them than me.

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We hope you’re sitting down folks, because Suzuki has just let slip that an all-electric Jimny is in the works. Hurrah!

Yep, the Japanese firm may have only unveiled its first electric concept car – the eVX that you can see pictured at the bottom of this page – earlier this month, but in a new ‘Growth Strategy’ briefing document we can see the unmistakable Jimny silhouette in a section marked ‘battery EV lineup’. Does confirmation get any more concrete than that?

That is pretty much all the detail we have so far, but we’re confident that an electric Jimny could improve on the standard car’s 100bhp from its naturally aspirated four-pot engine. It would also allow it to be sold on our shores, with the current combustion 4x4 limited to Jimny Commercial-spec because of CO2 regulations.

There’s no word on whether the electric Jimny will be the first EV that Suzuki launches over here, but we do know to expect at least one model in 2024 and then four others after that. And is that a little kei-car sized EV lurking in the shadows? Yes please, Suzuki.

We’re also told that by 2030 Suzuki reckons its sales split in Europe will be 80 per cent EVs and 20 per cent hybrids. However, the company isn’t quite going all-in on electric just yet. “To provide a full range of products and services, Suzuki will provide not only battery EVs but also carbon neutral internal combustion engine vehicles that use CNG, biogas, and ethanol mixed fuels,” says the briefing document.

Excited for a Jimny EV?

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