Suzuki Yomper 4x4 is a Jimny ute

A Yorkshire-based 4x4 specialist has created a ute version of the third-generation Suzuki Jimny that is on sale now in the UK, priced from £20,000 ($A37,000).

Costing almost $A10,000 more than the cheapest Suzuki Jimny Lite available Down Under, the new small all-wheel drive pick-up, dubbed the Suzuki Yomper 4x4, is available with a choice of two wheelbases and comes with either a tray-backed 'Bergen' design or a drop-side 'Commercial'.

Both have a maximum payload of 500kg and come with the last-generation Jimny's 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

Despite being based on the previous-generation off-roader, each Yomper 4x4 is claimed to have been extensively overhauled and rebuilt in-house to emphasise its job as a workhorse and make it as close as possible to a new vehicle.

Part of the engineering work undertaken to create the 2250mm and 2750mm wheelbases for the ute involved the development of an all-new ladder-frame chassis.

The rear body, meanwhile, is also said to be all-new and made from a lightweight alloy. The only thing carried over from the donor vehicle is the powertrain and front body.

The Bergen variant is said to be inspired by the Subaru Brumby ute.

“We’ve always worked in an environment where we apply advanced engineering principles to meet the specific demands of a job,” said Yomper 4x4 CEO Giles Walker. 

“When I heard from a lot of people in my local community – many of whom are farmers – about the lack of a suitable small utility SUV on the market, I decided it would be a great opportunity to create one." 

Sadly, despite strong demand for a tough, compact all-wheel drive ute, the high cost of homologation is set to rule out the Yomper 4x4 for our market.

With waiting lists of up to a year for the fourth-gen Jimny and no sign of a factory-produced ute, commercial model or even a long-wheelbase five-door version, it's expected demand for the small 4x4 will continue to outstrip supply by some significant margin.