[Samba]

Completed an 18-day, & 5,000+ km roadtrip in my Jimny through Arunachal.

I took the delivery of the Jimny towards the end of December 2023, and by March, I had only covered 1,500 km. I was a bit skeptical about how this car will perform at this road trip. We were used to the comfort of our previous Duster AWD, hence we were a little anxious about how comfortable will it be with the Jimny.

But in the end, I must say, my wife and I both are mighty impressed with this little car.

Few observations from the trip -

Let's start with the positives -

Peace of mind. Be it the mechanicals of the car, or the rough roads, I didn't have to worry about either.

This car can easily cruise between 90-110 km/hr on the highways for the whole day. I have pushed the car to higher speeds too, it is capable of reaching high speeds, but that is absolutely pointless in a Jimny. It's not meant for that.

For a body-on-frame car, the body-roll & ride quality is quite sorted. I will definitely not compare it with the Duster, but if looked at this car individually, it is good!

The small footprint with, high ground clearance is just tailor-made for rough hill terrain. The turning radius is a bit on the higher side, but I have not faced a single issue on this trip. One will get used to it.

In 2wd itself this car is mighty capable. At places where locals suggested 4wd will be required, with the esp off in 2wd mode this car easily crossed those sections.

The esp is very aggressive. Even before the tyres screech on fast turns, the ESP gets activated and cuts off the power.

The AC is a chiller, & the heater works like a charm.

The 1.5L NA engine is super tractable for perfect throttle modulation on steep inclines or bad roads. I felt the throttle input to be perfect too. I won't be going for a additional throttle controller.

Regarding the stock tyres, all I can say is, it's adequate for touring. For serious offroading, it's better to upgrade.

I have driven on deep slush, steep gravelly inclines in 2wd itself, the tyres never gave up. On fast corners the esp kicks in a bit early, may be with a better tyre that will improve.

For the overall trip I got a mileage of 13.2 kmpl. On the highways, I was maintaining around 100 km/hr and the rest were hills. By driving around 80-90 km/hr, a mileage of 15 km/L can be achieved.
Even on the hills the mileage rarely dropped below 12 km/L.

Now the negatives-

This is not a fast car. If you want to keep pace with the turbo diesel/petrol suvs on the hills, one has to work a lot on downshifting and revving the engine to higher rpms.

The brakes are strictly average. It's best to rely on engine braking while driving fast. Avoid late braking with this car. Better tyres might improve the braking a bit.

Maruti made the 5 door Jimny to accommodate more people in comfort, but they forgot to look at the modularity part. Simple yet functional parts like an arm rest, a dead pedal, few more bottle holders, and some storage space are sorely missed.

Though the boot space is adequate to accommodate a couple of big suitcases vertically, we had to use the rear seat for our luggage.

40L fuel tank capacity is just okay. On highways the sweet spot is to to refuel after every 400 km, and on the hills, refueling after every 300 km is safer.

This is a car for 2 people if considered for long tours. The available space is at a premium.

Families with kids will have a tough time to accommodate their luggage for a long road trip.

As of now sharing few pics from the trip. Will compile a travelogue later on.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by directinjection

How come there is not a single Tata product in the list? They do have a presence in South Africa and some other countries.

While Tata exports commercial vehicles , I am not sure they have had much success in the passenger vehicle segment abroad. Then again the data may be incomplete as I don't see any Mahindra offering there either. Both the Scorpio and the XUV700 are offered on their website.
Drive on,
Shibu

[dileep]

Originally Posted by Samba

Completed an 18-day, & 5,000+ km roadtrip in my Jimny through Arunachal.

The 1.5L NA engine is super tractable for perfect throttle modulation on steep inclines or bad roads. I felt the throttle input to be perfect too. I won't be going for an additional throttle controller.

Always wonderful to read your analysis of a car . Look forward to the travelogue.

I found the point on the throttle modulation interesting since this is something that I too have felt. If you know how to work the A pedal then the Jimny is capable of pulling off inclines, bad roads and even overtaking. A slight push of the A pedal and the AT gearbox shifts quickly, RPM surges and the car is powered enough for the manoeuvre.

I too haven't felt the need to install a throttle controller.

[aak7420]

Jimny AT Vs MT

I test drove Jimny AT and MT back to back for a 2-3 hour test drive each and here are my observations.

On the Tarmac/good hill roads :

MT is very peppy and responsive compared to AT. Unless it’s very steep climb, I would say MT feels almost as responsive as my Petrol MT Thar.

Off the road/Very Steep Inclines in Low Range :

( More Context : Where you’ll need to crawl up a hill in as slow speed as possible, where torque matters than speed and you simply can’t speed - where you’ll need to sort of be able to hold the clutch momentarily - where Jeeps shine and Gypsys fail )

MT gave me jitters. It just kept stalling at various points throughout the drive. Practically felt the clutch was gone by the end of the TD. Just couldn’t get the vehicle up from standstill on a steep concrete slope without Low Range. Didn’t inspire my confidence at all.

P.S : It’s probably me not getting used to the vehicle. The Auto Start Stop not being turned off. TD vehicle being horrible. Just warning those opting for MT to take extensive TDs in the terrain you frequent often if you’r your use case is similar to the one described above.

AT gets the job done. You’ll need to throttle and keep modulating it ( 2000- 3000 rpm ). You leave the throttle and the vehicle with slip down in reverse ( 4L-L mode ). I so wish it had a crawl feature. My 30 year old Marshal is more effortless to climb but Jimny AT gets the job done without running out of breath.

The whole episode made me appreciate two things which are oft repeated:

- the oodles of Torque and Power my Thar has. Thar in low range and 1st gear climbs the whole track without any throttle input at <1000 rpm.

- Very proactive BSD is Jimny viz-a-viz Thar. What Jimny lacks in power, I think it makes up for it with the BSD. You can feel it getting you out of situations before you even realise that you’re in a situation. As for Thar, with all its torque, there’s no situation , with BSD only very occasionally kicking in.

- Very sensible Hill Descent Control in Jimny. Climbing down was a breeze. Maintains almost ideal speed climbing down. To compare, HDC is Thar in off roading situations is useless. It’s a pain climbing down in Thar in this terrain. It’s too fast for comfort and difficult to control with brakes without engine assisting you.

- Jimmy’s ride quality. That’s the most comfortable ride I’ve ever experienced in that track for all my existence. Thar is a tractor in that regard.


Summary :

Jimny AT is a very well engineered package; a very practical vehicle. Just gets things done.

Thar is literally a tank. It has the power of the tank, practicality of a tank, comfort of a tank and commands respect of a tank. No wonder it sells.

[Mile_Breaker]

Originally Posted by Samba

Completed an 18-day, & 5,000+ km roadtrip in my Jimny through Arunachal.

Very practical and to the point feedback of Jimny. Thanks Samba ! 40 L fuel tank seems to be very low for an offroader. However one gets used to it and have to plan accordingly. The lack of space in Jimny is another drawback. Suzuki could have launched the already famous two door Jimny rather than investing on the new design for a larger size Jimny. It is still a fully capable offroader with a lower price tag that is available currently in India. I want to buy one but not in a hurry. Will wait and see what Suzuki does with Jimny. For now will be eagerly waiting for your detailed travelogue.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by Samba

Completed an 18-day, & 5,000+ km roadtrip in my Jimny through Arunachal.
But in the end, I must say, my wife and I both are mighty impressed with this little car.

Wonderful scribble. Succinct, crisp, no waffling, to the point. Just how it should be. Just thought of adding my two cents to your observations on L'il Jim(my car's odo is now at 5500 odd clicks):

Positives (adding to Samba's observations...)

Visibility: Excellent frontal visbility with minimal "A" pillar blind spots. Rearward visibility aided by those huge outside rear view mirrors which allow you to actually "see the rear wheel outer edge" if you slightly dip the mirror down. Very useful for reversing in tricky situations. The high "eye - point" with very good upper and lower visbility arcs causes less eye-strain while driving long distances, I guess because you "squint" less, particularly at dusk and dawn.

Dash reflections: None. Attribute this to the super compact dashboard and the near vertical windscreen angle.

Nose dive under braking: Very well controlled. I expected Old Scorpio / Old Tata Sumo type of "Namaste Sir-ji" nose dive pose and posturing under heavy braking! Pleasantly surpised not to experience that.

Tyre noise: Surprisingly low. At least on my upgraded 215 Yokohama's. I think on the OE tarmac oriented Bridgestone's it will be even lesser.

Accuracy of Trip computer: Pleasingly accurate. I found a max difference of 0.3 kms per litre,(that is MID more optimistic), between the MID displayed value of Avg Fuel Consumption and Tankfull - to - Tankfull consumption(auto-cutoff to auto-cutoff)

Interior switchgear illumination: All switchgear are back lit including the power window switches, front and back (on centre console and handbrake console). Most manufacturers skimp on this nowadays.

Vents and HVAC: The centre vent adjustment knobs feel quite sturdy to operate and the lateral vent movement is also quite fluid. Circular side vents which can be rotated fully support the side window demisters nicely. In my Zeta variant the manual HVAC control knobs are chunky and easy to reach. You can operate them without taking your eyes off the road, which I personally feel is a great contributor to safety, in these days of fiddly touchscreens with their menus and sub-menu's.

RFID Tag reading: I do not know whether this is due to the flat and upright windscreen, but to me it seemed the FasTaG scanners picked up the Jimny FasTaG quicker compared to my ex-Swift, Nexon & Tiago FasTag's. In all cars the FasTaG's are positioned behind the Inside Rear View Mirror,(IRVM).

Wiping mechanism: Small but very effective front wipers. They cover the entire driver and passenger wiping zone. Very LR Defender like. The rear wiper is also very effective. The windscreen washer jets have a nice throw and spread. The windscreen washer fluid tank is also large and has a healthy capacity.

Negatives (adding to Samba's observations...)

Side window reflection: Bad. Particularly if a car is next to you on your right and vice versa and you suddenly look to the other side, you'll see that car reflected on to the other side window glass! At first, I was startled, as I thought another car was sitting on my Jimny's passenger seat! Now I have got used to it.

Rear dampers: Too soft. No two ways about it. A little bit of extra firmness, maybe just a bit of stiffening of the valving, would have made the rear behave far better. The rear steps out to do a "booty wiggle" on rumble strips and the infamous "thwack" when crossing speed bumps even at 15kmph. On the lookout for aftermarket slightly firm dampers.

Propellor shaft resonance: Sometimes. Particularly if you are lugging in 4th gear from say 35-40kmph with AC on. You can feel the resonance through the transmission tunnel.

Differential whine: Conspicuous from above 40 kmph. Reminds me of Gypsy and my old Fiat 1100 Delight. Have to live with this.

Love for Bugs: L'il Jim with its flat nose and upright windcsreen is a "Bug Magnet". Flies, Grasshoppers, small butterflies, Moths - you name it, will get pasted in no time. After every two hours of fast driving you will have to clean the gunk off the windscreen, headlamps, fog lamps etc. More frequently during night drives.

Headlamps: Many complaints regarding the halogen headlamps in the Zeta variant abound. The solution is that the halogen headlight units need to be adjusted properly via the headlamp adjustment ratcheted adjustment screw behind the headlight (open the bonnet and you'll see it).
After that is done, set the range adjustment twirly knob on the dashboard at position 1.5 or 2 and things are a lot better.
You can further improve night time visibility by pairing this combination with your foglamps (if fitted). A bulb upgrade to Philip ExtremeVision retaining the same wattage will enhance things further.

On the whole I am happy with the Jimny. On a "fit for purpose" scale it scores a 10 on 10. It is an acquired taste and not a car for all people particularly for those who crave the comforts of a "soft roader".

At the end of the day when I take to the highway, I feel a sense of calm reassurance.
It is as if L'il Jim is telling me: "Hey Bud....don't worry, I'll make sure that we don't get stuck anywhere, let's get rolling shall we?"

And that I guess is a feeling most "Jimny'ite's" would be identifying with.

[busydrive]

Congratulations on the Jimny. Have you sold off the Duster? It will be an interesting take to know your views of Duster vs Jimny. Aren't you missing your Duster on these long drives?
Waiting for the travelogue.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by busydrive

It will be an interesting take to know your views of Duster vs Jimny. Aren't you missing your Duster on these long drives?
Waiting for the travelogue.

Thanks.

The Duster was sold in Dec 2023.

My views on Jimny vs Duster AWD-

Both are completely different vehicles.

A monocoque, turbo diesel AWD vs a body on frame RWD petrol 4x4.

If I still compare both these cars-

The Duster scores in -
Comfort, space, fun to drive, handling, diesel (low running cost), the awd when kept in auto mode used to do 99.9% of its job.

What went against the Duster-
Reliability, availability of spares off the shelve, maintenance cost was on the higher side.
Due to the lack of availability of the spares off the shelve, I was a bit skeptical to take the Duster for long drives to remote places. If anything goes wrong, I would be stranded till the spares arrive, plus Renault service centers are also not available in most of the remote locations.
For my last few long drives with the Duster, I myself carried few spare parts which fails commonly in a Duster. I kept the toolkit ready too, in-case of a failure.

Where Jimny scores-
Peace of mind, old school petrol engine which can be fixed anywhere if anything goes wrong. Plus Maruti service centers are available everywhere. More capable on the off road drives. Plus I can take it to NCR anytime without the fear of BS4 diesel bans. The Jimny's small dimension is a boon for the congested city drives and parking too.

Where I miss the Duster AWD-
Jimny lacks the outright highway performance of the Duster, the Duster was a much faster car than the Jimny, be it on the highways or on the hills. The space and comfort of the Duster is still unmatched.

[blueberry]

Originally Posted by arjab

Propellor shaft resonance[/b]: Sometimes. Particularly if you are lugging in 4th gear from say 35-40kmph with AC on. You can feel the resonance through the transmission tunnel.

Do you also notice a minor vibration in the IRVM when propellor shaft lugs?
I happened to catch a glance of this only when engine RPM was less than 1500 in 2wd (In a narrow band between 1250-1500 RPM, under acceleration).
IRVM is stable at both higher RPMs and during deceleration.

[MithunSathianat]

I got the below mods done on my Jimny last week.

1. Dual Armrests from StreetTrackLife. This is an imported product. Made in Sweden.
Very high quality product and fully adjustable. I installed this as DIY. Took around an hour to install this. Need to cut the seat cover and seat cushion very minimally to fit this.







2. Aluminum Roof Carrier - In my opinion, it increases the visual appeal of the Jimny.
But there is wind noise above 70kmph.

3. Sand Ladder and Side Carrier

[bj96]

Not a review as enough has already been said about Jimny in this thread. Just a few moments captured from my recent ride to Konkan, and a couple of observations.



1) Small cabin and UV cut glasses helped auto climate AC, set at 25c, to keep us comfortable even at 44-45c ambient temperature in some sections e.g. near Mahad on the Goa Mumbai highway.

2) 12.9 kmpl despite long ghat sections and the long weekend (city/toll) traffic.

3) Start/stop can be easily controlled by modulating foot pressure on the brake pedal. No need to turn it off using the switch.

4) Small footprint plus high GC meant we didn't sweat when google directed us through the narrow lanes of Sangameswar bazaar and rural hilly terrains leading to Ganpatipule / Malgund.

5) Enough space and engine grunt for two adults and one 14y old plus their weekend luggage. Was easily able to maintain triple digits when roads permitted.

Delightful 5.7k kms on the odo so far (in ~4.5 months) .

Cheers,
-BJ

[GT145]

Originally Posted by MithunSathianat

Sand Ladder and Side Carrier

Are we good using them in Kerala?

[ShivC]

A Whimsical Tale of Jimny Showa Sequential Taillights

Introduction: In the charming town of Bangalore, with its chock-a-block traffic and concrete structures along with a smattering of some trees for its landscape, lived a peculiar car enthusiast named Shiv. Shiv had a deep love for his trusty Maruti Suzuki Jimny, a compact 4X4 SUV that had faithfully accompanied him on countless adventures. However, he often felt that his Jimny lacked a touch of uniqueness that would truly make it stand out on the road. Little did he know that his quest for individuality would lead him on a whimsical journey involving Showa Sequential Taillights.

The Discovery : One sunny afternoon, while browsing through a global website on Jimny products, Shiv stumbled upon an product that piqued his interest. It was the Showa Sequential Taillights, a revolutionary lighting system known for its mesmerizing sequential pattern. Immediately captivated by the idea, Shiv embarked on a mission to acquire these intriguing taillights for his beloved Jimny with a little help from DHL Express. The day of reckoning came – the Showa Tail Lights (which had traversed a long way from Japan to Bangalore ) were delivered by a trusted old friend – DHL Express .

The Installation : With the Showa Sequential Taillights in hand, Shiv eagerly set out to install them on his Jimny. However, what was supposed to be a straightforward process turned into a comical escapade. Armed with a toolbox and a can-do attitude, Shiv dove headfirst into the installation, only to find himself tangled in a web of wires and confused by an instruction manual that seemed to be in a language only known to aliens.

The Unexpected Outcome: Despite the initial setbacks, Shiv's determination remained unwavering. With the help of his trusty garage CarMed, a trusted lovable bunch of car experts, they ventured into uncharted territory. With each failed attempt, their frustration transformed into laughter, creating a bond that went beyond mere car enthusiasts.

The Transformation : After hours of tinkering and tweaking, the moment of truth arrived. As Shiv turned on the ignition, a wave of anticipation washed over him. Suddenly, the Jimny was illuminated by a mesmerizing dance of lights. The Showa Sequential Taillights came to life, casting a spellbinding glow that transformed the ordinary SUV into a magical chariot.

The Envy of Bangalore : Word of Shiv's eccentric modification spread like wildfire throughout the town. Curious onlookers would gather in awe as the Jimny gracefully maneuvered through the streets, leaving a trail of enchanting lights in its wake. People couldn't help but smile and wave as the whimsical spectacle brightened their otherwise mundane daily routines.

Epilogue: Shiv's Jimny became a symbol of creativity and individuality in Bangalore. The installation of the Showa Sequential Taillights not only added a touch of fun to his beloved SUV but also brought joy and laughter to the entire community. From that day forward Shiv and his Jimny would forever be remembered as the pioneers of whimsy, reminding everyone that sometimes, a little touch of humour can truly make the world a brighter place.

The Final Look - 1

The Final Look - 2


The Final Look 3


Start of Installation


Hoisted with Old Tail Lights


Work on the bumper including installation of switch for change between normal and sequential lights

[RGK]

Originally Posted by GT145

Are we good using them in Kerala?

This may be a bit rudimentary, what is the purpose of this ? I saw this in a Land Rover.

[GT145]

Originally Posted by RGK

This may be a bit rudimentary, what is the purpose of this ? I saw this in a Land Rover.

Boards are used for recovery purpose, but sorry, I was asking if positioning them over the rear window doesn't attract motor vehicle inspectors or not. In Kerala, they are pretty aggressive towards vehicles fitted with similar accessories.