Maruti Jimny First Drive: 5 Things We Learned About The Off-roader

From off-roading to keeping passengers comfortable even on the road, the Jimny can do a lot

Recently, we got our hands on the five-door Maruti Jimny. Through a challenging trail in Dehradun, we drove the off-roader on rocks, mud and even in water crossings. The Jimny managed to surprise us with its capabilities and here are five things we learned from our experience with the Maruti off-roader:

Effortless Off-roading

The five-door Jimny has all the traits of a good off-roading vehicle. It is compact, lightweight and comes with four-wheel-drive as standard. The SUV can easily go over rocks, through rivers and climb trails on mountains without getting stuck anywhere. Its small footprint makes it easy to tackle narrow trails and the low kerb weight of 1200kg helps it avoid digging into loose terrain. Hill hold assist makes sure you don’t roll back and the brake locking differential is effective over surfaces with uneven grip. 

Well-Adapted Ride Comfort

Off-roaders are not well known for ride comfort on the road. The Jimny on the other hand always keeps passenger comfort in mind. Now it's not as comfortable as a dedicated city SUV (like the Nexon, Brezza or Venue), but it does manage to keep the occupants comfortable over potholes and speed breakers and doesn’t let the shocks reach the people sitting inside. Even when taken off the road, it keeps the ride flat and prevents passengers from tossing here and there. That being said, the ride is notably better in the front row than it is in the rear.

Compact Dimensions: Pros & Cons

From the images of the Jimny in this article, you might think it is a small car, and it is. While it is big enough for a city car, for an off-road-capable lifestyle SUV, it is pretty compact, and that size has some pros and cons. Due to its compact design, it can easily manoeuvre through narrow hilly roads and trails and is also easy to park. Also, due to its size, it is pretty friendly for a new driver.

 Also Read: Maruti Jimny Being Considered By The Indian Army As A Gypsy Replacement

But because it is narrow, you do feel a little cramped inside and it feels like there is not enough space. Also, the Jimny, while tough and capable of serious off-roading, does not have the size factor of its rivals like the Mahindra Thar.

Harmony Of Old & New Features

There isn’t anything extraordinary about the Jimny’s cabin. However, there is somewhat of a blend of new features and an old-school design. As you get inside the SUV, you’ll be welcomed by a plain dash design that looks rugged; you’ll find features like a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and automatic climate control, but on the other hand, the analogue instrument cluster, long and jiggly gear lever (in the manual variant) and black and white MID inspired from the Gypsy will remind you of the old times.

Attention Magnet

When you see the Jimny in person, it will look like a scale model to you, due to its dimensions and boxy design. Also, compared to the three-door Jimny, the five-door version is not much bigger. But the lifestyle SUV manages to catch eyes at every turn. Wherever you’ll go and take the SUV, you will always see people turning their heads and staring at the Jimny. While it is a small car, it certainly isn’t one that flies under the radar.

Also Read: Revisiting The Maruti Gypsy, Predecessor Of The New Jimny

These were the things we learned from driving the five-door Maruti Jimny. The carmaker will launch the SUV soon at an expected starting price of Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom) and it goes up against the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.