SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 1998, the Suzuki Jimny has accumulated a major following of loyal owners around the world as a quirky alternative to a supermini or crossover SUV.

And now, finally, after months of internet leaks, Suzuki has officially revealed the much-awaited new Jimny.

From the photos, we can see that the new Jimny closely follows the design template of the outgoing model’s boxy shape, a style that dates back to the original LJ10/SJ20 model of 1970. In fact, this new Jimny has a whiff of Mercedes G-Wagen about it, and that is no bad thing.

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The Jimny is a proper off-roader and it retains its separate ladder-chassis and a solid rear axle, which has been made slightly more sophisticated by a three-link setup. It will also have part time four-wheel drive until you select low range and engage the diff locks.

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In terms of ride quality, some of the chassis development has been done in the UK, so there is a bit of hope that it will bounce around a lot less than the old Jimny.

The cabin looks a bit more sophisticated too with the lovely-to-use Suzuki touchscreen and infotainment on top of a simple dash.

Engine lineup has yet to be confirmed but we can expect it is use Suzuki’s current range of 1.0-litre BoosterJet and 1.2-litre petrol engines, although with the Jimny’s separate chassis, it’s not known if the mild hybrid system from the Swift and Ignis will be also used.

Sales for the new Suzuki Jimny will start in early 2019.

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