[matchvan]

Greetings,

For the benefit of members who have not seen Jimny in Nexa Blue or are bored with Kinetic Yellow as display vehicle, this is how it looks.

My choice is Sizzling Red.

Unfortunately us folks in the southern part of subcontinent are still happy with the tons of videos and modifications posted by our brothers from Northern states, let alone taking delivery of one even after booking in January on the launch day. Sigh!!

Hope mine is delivered before someone posts a 5000km review.

Oh BTW I was on call with Nexa Executive the other day and I was informed that the waiting period is 5 to 6 months after the launch. Whatever that means!!!

Drive Safe.

[GT145]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

But what size are those tyres?

235/75/15.

Originally Posted by Sankar

I like this evo corse dakar zero wheels over the enkei rpt1

It's a pity that we won't get BFG's in India in 235/75/15, aesthetically they are the best AT tyres out there. BFG's coupled with DakarZero is absolutely lit, these pictures will speak the rest.

[justwheels]

Got a recent opportunity to test drive the Jimny at Suraksha Nexa Electronic City (Hosur Road Branch) with fellow TBHPian @robimahanta.
For reference, we both own the all new Thar (Diesel and Petrol respectively).

While a lot has already been written about the Jimny and enough videos cover the characteristics, sharing few of my own thoughts. It is a global well proven product and that is very much evident from the fit and finish generally. It surely is an attractive vehicle.

Looks and Street Presence
Jimny is a cute looking vehicle and surely stands out in the showroom filled with too many lookalikes (try differentiating a Fronx from the Grand Vitara). It is the one vehicle which carries no family look and is refreshing to see.

We all know it is a small vehicle and Thar, which is it's obvious comparison, is really large for a 3 door, compared to this. But that seemed to be attracting a couple of ladies who were checking out the vehicle. It will tick a few boxes for the compactness and cuteness for sure.

For reference I am 5 ft 9 inches and I stand quite tall to the vehicle.


Inside Space
While Thar is officially a 4 seater, it has enough width to accommodate occasional 3 at the rear. Jimny on the other hand is ONLY 4 seater. You literally feel you could enter from one side and open the opposite door right away, it is that narrow. You will rub shoulders with your passenger even in the front, period!
But it is a very well put together cabin and I must say the quality feels way better than the Thar.
The A pillar is narrow and aids in the view of outside, way better than the thick trunk like A pillar of the Thar. I never had to lean to see the right corners in Jimny, which I often do in the Thar.




Rear seat space is ok and I had enough knee room when seat was set to my driving position. But a slight rearward push of the front seats robs away all the knee room very fast. Too many well built tall passengers might be a squeeze here.

With driver seat in my position:


With front seat pushed back:


Boot - (Thar you listening?)
It has a very useful boot. I saw a couple of families very interested to check the boot space and that shows this Jimny will target a lot of varied customers and simply having 4 doors and usable boot makes it so much more attractive.


Ride Quality
Honestly, coming from the All New Thar, I was blown away, period! Yes it has all the characteristics of a ladder on frame chassis, tall boy design (read body roll), but it is so much more live-able than the Thar. We took one small bad patch during test drive and where Thar would have been all bouncy and would be throwing all its passengers around, Jimny was so composed. The damping was great, the bouncing was not there and unless you took the bad road at a substantially high speed (~30kmph or more), the rear would not jump. I was royally impressed.
A small video might give some idea of the damping:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=1ewpB0EzgI4

One thing I did notice that Jimny holds the gears much longer, but that puny engine becomes just more loud in the process. While Jimny will do most things offroad great, it will surely fall short in legs on the tarmac.

Overall, I came out very impressed by the little wonder. Will I trade my Thar with it, NO. Thar is an emotion much bigger than the Jimny, with whatever shortfalls it has. And Thar's engine and gearbox is way more superior to what Jimny offers. For my usage, Thar works out better. But, if I had the moolah and the wherewithal today, I would have used all possible means ("sam dam dand bhed" - persuade, purchase, punish, and exploit the weakness) to convince my wife to trade her Punch with the Jimny. It will be a good addition in any garage, unless you need a 5 seater without compromise.

While discussions on the price will never end, it will be even more fueled when the 5 door Thar is launched. I am sure Mahindra will not find it easy to price that thing, when the 3 door Thar prices are already touching 20L OTR in Bangalore. Well time will tell.

All in all, Jimny is an attractive proposition for anyone willing to buy it.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by GT145

235/75/15.
It's a pity that we won't get BFG's in India in 235/75/15

I am sure it is just matter of time this will be available in India and yes best tyres for Offroad use for Jimny. But... and a big one at that... definitely will need offset wheels and lighter alloys to offset the weight addition. Do note the vehicle in the image posted has a lift to avoid scrubbing. Edit: If I am not mistaken these BFG's are 22kg per tyre Vs 9 kg for stock tyres.

I have used vehicles with heavier Offroad tires (still use) and trust me, no matter what the video review above says, reality is those tyres are super bouncy, heavy, noisy on tarmac, sometimes slippery too, puts a negative effect on acceleration and braking. So much so that even gen 1 Thar's needed remap with these heavier tires, and braking used to be almost 20% weaker.

So even for occasional Offroad use just stick to Geolander types at 215 they are more than enough. People really need to understand there is a fine balance with width, weight of the tyre and the vehicle it is on. Only for extreme terrain one needs mud tyres (MT or aggressive AT) and MT's wear off very fast on tarmac. People should be aware of these facts before they plonk expensive tyres because they look cool.

[wildcard]

Originally Posted by GT145

235/75/15.




It's a pity that we won't get BFG's in India in 235/75/15, aesthetically they are the best AT tyres out there. BFG's coupled with DakarZero is absolutely lit, these pictures will speak the rest.

The 235/75/15 BFGs are available in Kochi and are priced ridiculously at 23K

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I have used vehicles with heavier Offroad tires (still use) and trust me, no matter what the video review above says, reality is those tyres are super bouncy, heavy, noisy on tarmac, sometimes slippery too, puts a negative effect on acceleration and braking.

Another point to consider is the psychological rejection of unfavourable opinion when you've just spent money on something new. I didn't notice anything moving from 215 AT to 235 MT at first. When I moved back to 215 AT it was like someone had released my Gypsy from a slingshot.

Shame we don't get to demo and get a feel for tires. Tire dealers are getting too comfortable with a "take it or leave it" approach. Do you know any tire dealer who has a demo set they will let you try out? Even for a small fee to cover tire fitting?

I would like to try both 235 and 215 myself but it doesn't seem like that is going to be an option.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

When I moved back to 215 AT it was like someone had released my Gypsy from a slingshot.

Reminds me of a Jeep owner (MIT student) who came to me in Manipal with a MM550 shod with 33 inch tyres. He was not happy with the engine power, and was talking about upgrading the engine to DI. I told him to downgrade the tyres and engine will upgrade itself.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I have used vehicles with heavier Offroad tires (still use) and trust me, no matter what the video review above says, reality is those tyres are super bouncy, heavy, noisy on tarmac, sometimes slippery too, which puts a negative effect on acceleration and braking.

Spot on, I had on 200 and then Endeavour; both have enough power, but I was never comfortable on either. BF are in storage, to be given (complimentary) with Endeavour once it goes on sale.


On the subject, Day 1 with Jimny - a short drive to Golf course road. Like a kid, I was looking for broken patches, and the Jimny didn't disappoint It simply glides over the broken patches or deep ruts. I was struck in slow-speed traffic on return and noticed that by keeping OD "off" i.e. with three gears, Jimny is more comfortable as there are fewer shifts & the car holds on to the gear well. With overdrive, one can feel the jerks in gear shifts. I could not cross 80 anywhere - speed camera/ traffic, so I cannot comment on high-speed ride yet.

Coming to suspension, Maruti has done very well except for body roll and the jump from the rear when driven unladen ( 1Pax). I have a workaround and will keep a bag or two - 30-40 kg each of sandbags in the rear and update. This works very well on most of cars, including the LC-200, which also has a tendency to bounce when being driven alone.

Now, please don't get me wrong but, I drove an XUV700, 2 days back, around 6000 Km done, and it has such a horrible suspension. It makes noise (thud) over the smallest of humps. The guy who owns was praising his old car - Swift, and was upset with Mahindra due to suspension and creature comforts like the restricted movement of the driver seat ( I pointed to him, and he nodded). In Jimny, apart from the height adjustment, no such issues. I hope to make peace with the lower seating as I felt comfortable returning.

The engine is perfectly adequate, and whatever lag is there is because of the gearbox. I think Suzuki has chosen this 3 Speed (+OD) considering the intended use in 4x4. This holds gear like a manual so I don't see anyone complaining off-roading. One can happily cruise at 90-100 Kmph, which happens to be the speed limit on more than 90% of our National Highways, and only a few expressways are for 110-120.

But, as I mentioned many weeks ago, buying this as a primary car, maybe an enthusiast, single or couple, but may not work for family guys or people looking at comfort.

I will take Jimny somewhere away from NCR next week and update.

[GT145]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

When I moved back to 215 AT it was like someone had released my Gypsy from a slingshot.

For the same reason I won't put bigger tyres without doing performance modifications. I can't say for sure if performance mods will fully compensate for a bigger wheel and tyre combo, but to some extent they will. If I'm going for 235's, remap, exhaust and intake will be changed which will hopefully give 10-12 bhp and 15-20nm torque bump.

I completely agree to everybody saying the performance will be impacted with 235's, yes it's the truth and yes so as the ride quality. I agree MT's are bumpy in that aspect and the road noise is something many can't tolerate, but never felt the same with AT's.

Anyway it will all come down to your personal preferences and your need with the car. I have seen 100's of 3 door Jimny's with 215's and 235's and can't resist that look with 235's, so it's a no brainer for me. Personally the only let off so far I feel about Jimny when it comes to overall modification options, Tarox doesn't have a brake replacement for 2019+ model(interestingly they have for pre 2018 models), if they had the G88's for Jimny it would have been the perfect overall upgrade in my books.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by justwheels

While Thar is officially a 4 seater, it has enough width to accommodate occasional 3 at the rear. Jimny on the other hand is ONLY 4 seater. You literally feel you could enter from one side and open the opposite door right away, it is that narrow. You will rub shoulders with your passenger even in the front, period!

Jimny is officially a 4 seater and it is registered as 4 seater. The RC card/ book of already registered Jimny shows this information clearly and explicitly.

AND,

The driver won't rub shoulders with the passengers unless both are heavyweight SUMO wrestlers. During the TD, our shoulders or elbows didn't touch, period! And we weigh 180 kgs

For a person who gets ample legroom in 2nd row, there is absolutely no chance of shoulders touching other passenger. It is extremely exaggerated statement that "You will rub shoulders with your passenger even in the front, period!".

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by GT145

For the same reason I won't put bigger tyres without doing performance modifications. I can't say for sure if performance mods will fully compensate for a bigger wheel and tyre combo, but to some extent they will. If I'm going for 235's, remap, exhaust and intake will be changed which will hopefully give 10-12 bhp and 15-20nm torque bump.

One size up would be fine but beyond that it may ruin the Japanese lightness of the vehicle. On an NA engine, one must have modest expectations when it comes to tuning though, things like a turbo kit too may not work according to our expectations given the road and traffic conditions we have. Keep it as close to stock as possible and enjoy the drive.

[sammysossa]

I took delivery of my Jimny Zeta AT on the 27th and have done around 200 Kms since (some hills some plains). I've been thinking of typing a review of sorts but didn't want to just repeat what all has been written (very well) before. So will keep it short (kind-of):

1. For a sedate driver, the car drives well for a tall boy SUV design. Great for Indian road conditions. You will be disappointed if you're an enthusiastic (read fast) driver.
2. OD-off helps in the hills and the in the plains for overtaking.
3. The car has been very well put together. Nothing feels out of place and everything is purpose driven. (Dare I say value for money and I am eating my own words here)
4. Stock tyres feel adequate for day to day general use (including handling rough patches).
5. I was able to negotiate my insurance from quoted 54000 to 42000. No fuss.
6. I was able choose the accessories that I wanted. No fuss here too. Took extended warranty. The whole buying experience was quite pleasant at Nexa Solan.
7. Apple carplay works seamlessly. No issues yet.
8. Aircon is a chiller.
9. Bluish black is a tough colour to maintain. So I am going to do some DIY paint correction (some swirls and tiny scratches here and there) and paint protection.
10. Have bought the rear window defogger protector from Amazon India.
11. I am planning to buy a portable jump starter but concerned about storing a lithium ion device in the car long term due to fire risks. If someone may have some experience with this then please do share. This is a priority item on my list since mine is an AT.

All I talk about is Jimny these days and although initially my family was humoring me but now I feel that they've had enough. A friend overseas and this forum is my only refuge, so thank you.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by sammysossa

I took delivery of my Jimny Zeta AT on the 27th and have done around 200 Kms since (some hills some plains).

11. I am planning to buy a portable jump starter but concerned about storing a lithium ion device in the car long term due to fire risks. If someone may have some experience with this then please do share. This is a priority item on my list since mine is an AT.

Congratulation on your Jimny. It's a neat little vehicle for the hills.

I was curious about what exactly do you plan to do with the portable jump starter. Your vehicle is brand new and the battery should last at least 5 years.

Storing a LiIon battery in an enclosed vehicle parked on a hot summer day can be very dangerous as the temperature inside the vehicle can reach 65C and even beyond. Now most of the branded jump starters would undergo a catastrophic failure much before that.

I have a NOCO GBX45 Jump starter that's rated at 1,250A. If you notice on the datasheet, it clearly says that the operating range is -20C to +50C.



If you're still concerned about a flat battery, you could keep a normal jumper cable although I don't see why would you need even that with a brand-new vehicle.

[RoadFiend]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

One can happily cruise at 90-100 Kmph, which happens to be the speed limit on more than 90% of our National Highways, and only a few expressways are for 110-120.

Thanks for pointing out an increasingly important concern. We've been hearing that FastTag data could be used to automatically calculate and issue fines. Also, some of the faster highways are becoming notorious for accidents (e.g., the new Bangalore Mysore one). Jimny's weakness probably improves its fine-avoidance.

Originally Posted by sammysossa

All I talk about is Jimny these days and although initially my family was humoring me but now I feel that they've had enough. A friend overseas and this forum is my only refuge, so thank you.

story of my life, lately

[quickdraw]

Intersting observation


I just observed the outline of the spare wheel in the reverse camera guidelines. The Yellow Dotted portion. Wish I had noticed it earlier. It's brilliant and actually accurate representation of the spare wheel.

Originally Posted by kedar_GT

Did you check this in the manual?
The car 'feels' eager since the revs will increase (taking the engine further into the rev range) as you are restricting the vehicle from going to the next gear. Obviously this will make the vehicle more sprightly at the cost of FE. You can check this out next time you turn OD off.

I have this same transmission in my i10 AT Kappa and I have seen many folks claiming this to be a 'sports' mode.

Please take a pause before claiming that someone is outright 'incorrect'.

I seem to have offended you, for that I apologise. But I am quoting from experience of driving my car over 1000km and honestly don't know how reading what the manual says will change my mind. If it helps in anyway the OD OFF button drops from 4th to 2nd so it's not just about restricting to 3 gears IMO.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Rechecked, the return value of the old ones has dropped considerably as those are not used in other vehicles. I don't know if correct or not. Maybe known folks take advantage of me? For different reasons, I had to spend so much on the tyres elsewhere that I thought 20K cheap

Congratulations, glad you took the plunge. I know you were on the fence for the while and I'm sure now that it's here it has filled you with happiness. Don't fret about the tires, I paid 19k as well. 1k extra for the convenience of the showroom doing it for you is worth it. How are you liking the Geolanders? We should do a comparison with the Conti and share feedback with the community on the Tire thread soon.

Originally Posted by gsferrari

Shame we don't get to demo and get a feel for tires. Tire dealers are getting too comfortable with a "take it or leave it" approach. Do you know any tire dealer who has a demo set they will let you try out? Even for a small fee to cover tire fitting?

I would like to try both 235 and 215 myself but it doesn't seem like that is going to be an option.

I asked for the exact same thing, when the tire guy said he won't be able to take back the 235 if I don't like em. Went forward with 215 even though 235 was available in the AX6 model which I really wanted to try out. Not regretting the decision, but my primary use case is road with some offroad fun.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

It is a good idea to change oil at 1000-2000. This is because new engines, as they work, will drop miniscule metal shavings. With the first oil change a lot of this muck will drain off. Good for the car.
Next service can be 5000. No need for one more in between.

Completely agree, and thats the first principle thinking I had too and this method has worked well for me in the past with motorcycles. I will try this ballast thing as now it's been mentioned more than once.

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

Hi,
May I know why you chose such tire pressure when the OEM recommendation is (26+26:F+R) with two pax. or (26+29:F+R) with 4 pax.? Is it recommended by the tire shop as you upgraded to 215 AT size?

Good question, I actually use this pressure in my other cars and then add or subtract looking at my own experience. While discussing this today a friend mentioned that pressure is for H/T 80 section tire so I will try dropping to 28 as my sidewall has now reduced to 75. Will report back in the https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...de-thread.html (Maruti Suzuki Jimny : Tyre & wheel upgrade thread)