Déjà vu for Suzuki
Suzuki certainly kept the best for last today as it publicly launched their brand new 5-door Jimny at the 2023 Festival of Motoring (Kyalami Race circuit), just like they did with their 3-door version in 2018. This follows a very busy week for the brand, which saw the reveal of two other completely new models, namely the Fronx and the XL6.
Read more about these two models here:
XL6: https://www.namwheels.com/launched-2023-suzuki-xl6/
Fronx: https://www.namwheels.com/launched-2023-suzuki-fronx/
Since the international launch of the 5-door version earlier this year, the 5-door Jimny’s local arrival has been one of the hot topics in the motoring industry. Suzuki SA even teased the public recently with a Reel on its #JimnyGathering social pages.
Luckily, the wait is now over and while the exact sales dates are still unknown at this point, the public can view the new model at the Kyalami Race Circuit (Johannesburg) this weekend at the annual Festival of Motoring. Although unconfirmed, it is also highly likely that the 5-door version will be available for preview at the Jimny Gathering and the Suzuki Safari Festival in Clarens on 23 September 2023.
This festival will not only be a celebration of 50 (now 52) years with the iconic Jimny, but will also aim to beat the World Record for the most Jimnies in one geographical area.
Known for its stellar 4×4 abilities, the Jimny is well-known for its competitive nature on any rough terrain. The 5-door Jimny promises to take this identity forward, also featuring two more doors and more rear leg- and luggage room.
Although many admire the versatility of the 3-door Jimny, it might have its limitations in terms of practicality. More particularly, the 85-litre boot space proved to be the main point in question.
The new 5-door Jimny certainly proves to be a more enticing option for larger families or heavy packers, as the boot space has now been increased to 209-litres, while still allowing for rear occupants to be seated comfortably.
Fully loaded with 4 fully-grown adults, we took on the 4×4 course of the Festival of Motoring. This proved to be no problem for the new kid on the block.
To be more precise, the new Jimny is 340mm longer than the 3-door version.
This results in only a one degree loss in its approach angle (now 36 degrees), a two degree loss in its departure angle (now 47 degrees) and a loss of 4 degrees in its ramp break-over angle (now 24 degrees). Although there might be somewhat of a difference, in contrast to the three-door version, it still proves to be better than most other 5-door competitors on the market.
We feared the new 5-door Jimny to be more lazy when it comes to its power-to-weight ratio, yet the new 5-door Jimny proves to only be 105kg heavier than the 3-door version. With the same K15B (1.5L VVT) engine in the car, the 5-door delivers 63kW per tonne.
Ultimately, the new Jimny weighs in at 1.2 tonne, and the engine will deliver 75kW (at 6000 rpm) and 130Nm (at 4000 rpm). By now, this specific engine has been proven to be very reliable as it is fitted into most other Suzuki model.
As with the 3-door GLX version, the new 5-door version will also feature a luggage area light, as well as a very handy 12V socket. However, in contrast to the 3-door GLX, the 5-door model has a new 9” touchscreen unit.
The new 5-door will also be sold in six monotone colours (celestial Blue, Jungle Green, Granite Grey, Arctic White, Silky Silver, and Bluish Black) as well as three dual tone colours (sizzling red, chiffon Ivory, and Kinetic Yellow), which will all feature a black roof.
As the 5-door Jimny has not been officially launched yet, we cannot confirm any sales dates or prices. Be sure that we will keep our readers up to date as soon as this information is revealed.