A few notes about the not-for-US Jimny after a brief test drive in California.
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| © Steven Ewing/Roadshow |
By Steven Ewing, Roadshow
There are plenty of cars that fall under the category of delicious
forbidden fruit, but not many in recent years have pulled at our heart
strings or set the automotive enthusiast space aflutter like the Suzuki Jimny. It's a tiny-tough little thing, equal parts urban warrior and off-road rascal. And look at it -- it's simply adorable.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Suzuki Jimny |
Suzuki no longer sells new cars in the US, but as part of the World Car Awards
test event in Pasadena, California this week, the Japanese automaker
decided to import a pair of Jimnys (Jimnies? Jimni?) for jurors to test.
Both editor-in-chief Tim Stevens and I are part of the World Car Awards
jury, and with a couple hours of Jimny driving under our belts, we'd be
remiss not to offer some quick impressions.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Suzuki Jimny |
Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens:
If you're an American, I'd
hazard a guess that the only time you regularly see a Jimny on the road
is on vacation to some tropical land, where they often serve as a rental
that's cheap yet still capable of reaching more remote beaches.
As
an American with similarly limited experience with the car, I wasn't
expecting much from the new Jimny. Sure, it looked cool sitting there in
the parking garage, but it must be garbage to drive, right? Actually
not. I walked away pleasantly surprised. My expectations were admittedly
low, so low in fact that when it came time to roll down the window to
get out of the garage I actually reached down for a hand crank. Not so,
dear readers: Jimny has power windows.
It's nicely equipped, in
fact, with lane-departure warning and a touchscreen-based infotainment
system that, while basic, includes navigation and Android Auto plus
Apple CarPlay. Even the quality of the drive didn't disappoint. Okay,
with a 1.5-liter engine making about 100 horses it's hardly fast (top
speed is 90 miles per hour), but the ride quality over broken roads
wasn't as punishing as I'd expected.
I didn't get a chance to
actually take it fully off-road, and that is a shame because that is
where I'm sure the Jimny would truly shine with its selectable 4WD mode
and lockable center differential. Indeed, this could be the perfect toy
for someone who wants to do some serious off-roading and doesn't have
far to get there.
Would it really succeed in the US, then? Sadly,
I don't think so. While I loved every minute in the car and it proved
second only to a Smart Fortwo when it comes to easy parking, the lack of
power and the presumably premium price would make it a mighty tough
sell in America.
It still is nice to dream, though.
Managing editor Steven Ewing:
Look,
much as I want to go all "shut up and take my money!" and complain that
we'll never get the Jimny in the US, the thing is, it wouldn't work
here. It's super-duper small -- look at it in a compact parking space!
-- and incredibly underpowered. Spend 20 minutes driving up the 210
freeway at 75 miles per hour, that 1.5-liter engine loudly droning at
4,000 rpm in fifth gear, and you'll find the experience... not super
rad.
That said, you guys, the Jimny is great. I love the way it
looks. I like the simple yet well-appointed interior. I love the short
travel of the clutch pedal and crisp throws of the five-speed manual
transmission. Around town, it's got plenty of power and is super fun for
running around. It's easy to place, super simple to park and actually
quite functional. Those rear seats might be pretty useless for
passengers, but fold 'em down and you've got a surprisingly capacious
cargo hold.
I find it kind of hilarious that my test route
involved a trip up Angeles Crest Highway, one of the best driving roads
in the greater Los Angeles area. With its 15-inch wheels and chunky
tires, not to mention its narrow stature and short wheelbase, it's not
exactly a shining beacon of stability. It pitches and dives and rolls
like you'd expect from a little, boxy SUV. And it reminds me of all the
stories from former Suzuki Samurai owners of how their cars were
susceptible to, uh, rolling over.
So do I find the Jimny cute and
endearing and enjoyable to drive around for an afternoon? Heck yeah. I'd
love to spend more time with one of these driving around the city, and I
bet the Jimny is an absolute hoot off road. But do I want one every
day? Nah, man. As a second car it'd be super cool. Give me one of these
and a Mazda MX-5 Miata, and I'd be happy as a camper.
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