2021 Suzuki Jimny Sierra Manual Two Tone Review

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AutoTrader NZ
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Published 4 August 2021

To view all available Suzuki Jimnys on Auto Trader click here. 

This week at Auto Trader we test drove the 2021 Suzuki Jimny Sierra Manual Two Tone. 

Overall, the Jimny is definitely a fun and eye catching car to drive especially in the Kinetic Yellow (pictured). I currently own a Suzuki Swift and am looking to upgrade, we have already tested the 2021 Suzuki Swift Hybrid. Last week it was time to test something slightly bigger on the road. I am no car expert, but here are my honest thoughts. One of my favourite moments was driving past another Jimny, giving them a wave and them doing a very enthusiastic Shaka back. You really do feel like you’re driving a car with a cult following. 

Pricing 

You really can’t beat the price of the Jimny, starting from $26,990 for the JX Manual all the way up to $31,500 for the Sierra Auto Two Tone model. There really isn’t another new true 4×4 on the market for that value. 

Boot/car space

It is great when the back seats are down. You have a huge amount of room in the boot of the Jimny, 377 litres (or about 6 ½ kegs of beer). The only issue is that when the seats are up the boot space is a bit minimal at only 85 litres. This makes it ideal for a road trip with two people, but you may need to invest in some roof racks (which Suzuki sells specifically for the Jimny) or a trailer if you’re bringing more mates. It does offer a towing capacity of 950 kg (braked) which means you could tow around 2,500 rugby balls (if you really wanted to).

Suzuki even sells some great accessories to optimise the space including trunk trays, luggage boxes and hooks.  

Car Design

The unique design of the Jimny is something that makes it stand out from the crowd, with it’s ladder frame and high ground clearance. When down, the back seats and rear floor are resin coated which is great for easy cleaning.  The Jimny can also be completely customised with the huge range of accessories that Suzuki offers. 

Safety Rating + Features

The 2021 Jimny comes with Suzuki’s 5 year extensive warranty programme which seems to be standard among their latest models. The great thing about the Jimny in regards to safety is that even the baseline model that we tested comes with all of their safety features as standard, including Electronic Stability Programme, lane departure warnings, dual sensor brake support etc. Each one also comes with 6 airbags throughout the vehicle to give you more peace of mind on your adventures. 

Fuel Efficiency 

The option to switch between 2WD and 4WD depending on how you’re using the Jimny, is an awesome feature that is great for fuel economy. With it being a 1.5L it won’t cost the earth to run, it would cost around $80 for a full tank of petrol, which for a 4WD is extremely economic.*

Ease of parking

Being a small SUV the Jimny works well around town as it can fit into most compact parks. My only real issue here is that there is no reversing camera or parking sensors as standard even on the higher spec models. However, parking sensors can be added as an extra on all models apart from the JX Manual.

Tech features

The Jimny comes with all the tech features you could need including Apple CarPlay,  Android Auto and bluetooth handsfree connectivity. It also has Sat Nav built in which is pretty key for a vehicle that is really made for off road adventures. 

Car expert opinion

The Jimny is a small SUV with rugged styling, serious off-road capability and a bargain price-tag. It’s also a fun and eye catching car to drive especially in the hero colour of Kinetic Yellow (pictured), so where’s the catch? We took to the road to find out just how well it goes in an urban environment. 

Initial impressions are overwhelmed by it’s cutesy Tonka-toy aesthetics from the outside which we (and the pedestrians staring at it) never got tired of. On the inside, it’s all about utility, hard plastics and classic square truck styling is everywhere – and it works. 

There are some ‘nice-to-haves’ that it didn’t have, such as a telescopic steering wheel, reverse camera and parking sensors, although those last 2 are helped by it’s diminutive size and great visibility. We also found that the storage areas could have been a bit more clever in terms of having specific spaces for our phones, but at least it has Carplay!

The Jimny comes with one engine option; a 1.5L petrol 4 cyl with 75kW/100hp and either a 4 speed auto or the 5 speed manual which we had. The lack of grunt is luckily not too much of an issue, helped by the Jimny’s meagre 1095kg kerb weight and the low gearing make it a pleasure to tootle around in. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought how sweet it would be if Suzuki had an option with their 1.4L turbo 103kW/138hp from the Vitara but maybe down the track sometime. 

So about that catch, if you want one of these bad boys, be prepared to wait. Since they came out, orders have outstripped supply and mean that if you bought one tomorrow it would be around 6 months until you get to drive it home. On the plus side, if you can wait, you’ll have a grin on your face the whole drive home.

The Verdict

Overall the Jimny is a real show stopper of a car that is incredibly fun to drive. It is fully capable of handling all your off road adventures, but also compact enough that it works for city life as well. You really can’t beat the iconic look of the Jimny and we definitely noticed it turns a lot of heads around town. If you’re looking for a durable, economical but compact 4X4 that is great value for money, it sounds like the Jimny is for you. 

*Estimated based on price per litre of petrol at $2.00

To view all available Suzuki Jimnys on Auto Trader click here.