New Suzuki Jimny revealed

The 2019 Suzuki Jimny has been officially revealed in Japan and is “soon to be officially released globally”.

Best news for fans of the iconic small SUV is the all-new Jimny retains a rugged ladder frame and dual-range 4x4 drivetrain, meaning it will continue to be one of the world’s only true compact off-roaders.

Also remaining faithful to the original Jimny of 1970 – and subsequent redesigns in 1981 and 1998 – is the fourth generation’s boxy, two-door exterior, which we’ve seen previously in a series of leaked and spy images dating back to August 2017.

Although there’s a host of eight vivid new paint colours for the 2019 Jimny – including the Kinetic Yellow hero hue plus Jungle Green, Silky Silver Metallic, Brisk Blue Metallic and Chifon Ivory Metallic, plus contrasting roof tones – there’s also an abundance of trademark design cues.

These include a clamshell bonnet, five-slot grille flanked by round headlights, side-hinged tailgate with rear-mounted spare wheel and a painted metal interior apart from the dash and door cards.

A pair of rear seats continue inside the compact four-seat cabin but this time there’s an all-new dash incorporating a rectangular instrument binnacle, large central touch-screen and multifunction steering wheel – the latter two items from the latest Suzuki Swift.

Underneath, a rigid but lightweight new steel H-frame chassis is matched to three-link live-axle suspension at both ends and part-time 4WD system with 2H, 4H and 4L gearing.

Two model variants will go on sale in Japan next month: the standard Jimny and the wider Jimny Sierra with side steps and wheel-arch extensions to match the matt-black front and rear bumpers.

The narrower Jimny will meet Japanese kei-car regs with its 660cc turbo triple, but Japan’s wider Jimny Sierra will be powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine.

Both JDM models will be offered with five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions, and other possibilities for export versions include Suzuki’s latest 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol triple and a naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre four-cylinder.

Importantly, the new Jimny will be available with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which is all but a prerequisite for the five-star ANCAP safety rating the Suzuki would require in Australia.

Suzuki Australia’s new management team was cautious not to officially confirm the new Jimny for our market, but the only real questions are when it will arrive here, at what price and in what specification.

“We can still not confirm whether [the] new Jimny will be available for the Australian market,” said Suzuki Australia’s automotive general manager Michael Pachota.

“However, we are hopeful, with Suzuki Motor Corporation's recent reveal, our request for this vehicle will be confirmed soon.”

Our sources indicate two versions of the Jimny Sierra will be launched in Australia by the end of this year, with prices starting not far from the existing 1.3-litre Jimny Sierra’s $22,990 drive-away mark.

The new Jimny will be produced in Suzuki’s Kosai plant in Japan, where more than 2.85 million examples have been sold globally over the past 47 years.