Arguably the ‘it’ 4WD among the small SUV set, Suzuki’s Jimny is about to massively expand its appeal by going to a five-door format.

Building on the strong Jimny nameplate and heritage, the all-new Jimny five-door taps into a part of the 4WD tribe not previously catered for.

Long a cult vehicle in New Zealand and overseas, it now gets an upsize with a longer wheelbase and two extra doors.

The October election result means the now-cancelled Clean Car ‘Ute Tax’ requirements will no longer put a ‘CO2 cloud’ over new entries like the Jimny – and in fact, for many buyers, those restrictions were hardly a deciding factor in the purchase decision.

First to arrive will be the five-speed manual version, arguably the preferred format for off-road adventures.

A four-speed automatic version will follow later, and 4WD remains Suzuki’s AllGrip system. Jimny has been reported as a candidate for a hybrid drivetrain in the future, and overseas, the hybrid drivetrain is already on sale. It is a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid four-cylinder petrol engine making 78kW of power and 134Nm of torque. Those figures are almost identical to the standard 1.5-litre’s 75kW/130Nm, but will appease emissions regulators and should also bring some fuel consumption improvement.

The five-door Jimny is 3,985mm long, an increase of 340mm longer than the three-door, and its wheelbase is now 2,590mm.
Rear legroom and boot space both benefit, with a welcome 110-litre increase in cargo capacity.

The five-door is between 75kg and 125kg heavier, depending on the specification.

In India, a five door Jimny is already on sale through Maruti.