The latest-generation Suzuki Jimny landed with rave reviews and CarWow’s Mat Watson is now considering purchasing one for himself. We don’t blame him.
We had the opportunity to put a Jimny through its paces both on and off the road late last year and walked away very impressed. It’s not perfect, however, so Watson is considering a number of modifications if he does indeed join the Jimny bandwagon.
Powering the Jimny is a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder pumping out a measly 100 hp at 6,000 rpm and 95 lb-ft (130 Nm) of torque at 4,000 rpm. We found that enough for most off-roading but would have liked some more power on the street. With this in mind, Watson says he is considering a supercharger kit for the mini off-roader which roughly doubles the power.
Read Also: Driven – 2019 Suzuki Jimny Is Impossible Not To Love
He is also considering ways to improve the the small Suzuki’s off-road credentials. One way to do this will be to fit a hydraulically-locking rear differential to improve traction in difficult conditions. The Japanese model lacks any locking diffs from the factory and fitting one is a popular modification.
Other ways to improve the Jimny would be to fit a lift kit to bump up the ground clearance while also fitting a set of mud-terrain tires to improve traction. While these modifications would add quite a lot of cost to the cheap off-roader, they could have big impacts on the overall driving experience that it offers up.