HAMAMATSU (Japan): Before the Kia Soul and Jeep Renegade proved so popular with buyers, if Suzuki had revealed a new Jimny as square and boxy as its new 2019 model is, its somewhat retro styling may have evoked criticism from some.

The first official images of the new Jimny surfaced last month, and now the Japanese manufacturer has released a large, detailed gallery of new images and details about the powertrain and safety technology.



The 2019 Suzuki Jimny will be the fourth-generation of the popular, compact, but rugged no-nonsense off-roader, and the latest version of a model that's been with us now for some 20 years.

Suzuki certainly hasn't tried to reinvent the wheel here by making the Jimny all sleek and modern with one of those increasingly popular coupe-style sloping rooflines. Instead it has a distinctly retro, boxy look with a clamshell hood, and the new model will remain one of the few vehicles of its type to still have the spare wheel mounted on the rear door.



At the moment, just a single engine has been confirmed for the 2019 Jimny, which surprisingly isn't Suzuki's popular three-cylinder 1.0-litre Booster Jet. Instead, it will be powered by a brand new 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol unit.

This new engine is going to be more powerful than the current model's 1.3-litre engine as this one will develop 101bhp and 130Nm of torque. As well as being more powerful, the new unit is also smaller and lighter than the one it's replacing, which all bodes well for the performance of this next-generation model.



With the standard five-speed manual gearbox the top speed will be 145kph with a claimed fuel economy rating of 5.6 l/100km. If the optional four-speed automatic is preferred, the top speed drops a little to 140kph, and the fuel economy takes a similar knock to 6.2 l/100km.

Unlike most rivals in its class, the Jimny is a proper off-roader built on a ladder-frame platform with Allgrip Pro part-time four-wheel-drive with low range as part of its standard equipment.



But as well as being capable off-road, the new Jimny is also going to have improved on-road manners with improved ride quality due to the ladder frame being more rigid and a new steering damper aiming to minimise jolts and vibration through the steering wheel.

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