Suzuki Jimny

The car for people who don't care for cars

Hey chum,

After years of deliberation, I decided to go ahead and buy a new car. I wanted a car that I could take out camping, but also one that wouldn’t make me an asshole with a big car and live in the city.

That’s the Suzuki Jimny, which, for some reason, everyone has an opinion on. This intro to the review from drive.com.au sums it up nicely:

As it is clear that regardless of your requirements for a three-row family wagon, a luxurious tech-fest saloon or perhaps a multi-tonne tow-capable double-cab, you kind of want a Jimny.

Not for any real reason, just to have one. And, yeah… I get it.

Suzuki’s ultra-lovable … cheer box is like one of those ridiculous puppies that seem to be made out of a bathmat. There’s no rational reason for owning one, but you can’t help yourself.

And really, is this a bad thing?

Can’t driving be about irreverent fun?

I’ve been thinking about why I love mine so much.

1. It’s beige

Beige is a neutral colour, but put it on a car and it’s suddenly a surprise. Trench coats are beige, not cars. I really love the idea of a thing being beige where you don’t normally see it being beige. The Le Cruset dutch oven (beige version) is also a great example of a surprising beige.

A less surprising colour would be blue, or red.

2. A very small 4WD

In length, it is about the same size as a Ford Fiesta, the only car I have ever owned in the past. This is what makes it a cute car. We find things cute because it’s a biological trait we have to make sure we take care of children. So when we see things that are small, have big eyes, disproportionately large heads, small noses, small chins, and protruding foreheads. A Jimny is the real-life equivalent of Brum:

Brum: small, has big eyes, a huge head, next to no nose, its chin is a number plate, and its forehead is a protruding windscreen.

Jimny: small, big round headlights, the front is the same size as the top (very disproportionate), a cute nose (the cool S), chin is also a number plate, and the forehead is, a protruding windscreen. Also, a cute little black hat.

This car is indeed a child I love to take care of.

3. It’s a box full of contradictions

I have always liked a little zippy car that’s fun to drive. But if I want to go out into nature and remember that big, old trees exist, I’m scared of driving a little zippy car. The Jimny invites you to do both:

• It’s got all-terrain tires, but it has two tiny doors

• It has safari-style headlights, but they’re big Brum-like eyes

• It has a tow bar, but an amusingly tiny boot

• It fits in a tight car park, but won’t let you get stuck in the mud

My favourite invite-to-have-fun feature is that the passenger seat has a rollercoaster-style bar you can grab onto for when the riding gets rough. See? Fun, but sturdy.

What I assume being a passenger in the Jimny feels like

Bonus point:

Jimny owners all wave at eachother. It’s beautiful. When I first went out for a drive, a woman (also in a beige Jimny) waved at me. At first I was confused. But now, every time I see a Jimny on the road, I’ll give the driver a huge grin and a wave. I am rarely the first to do this. I believe this is the same feeling that bus drivers have when they pass another bus driver on the road. It’s thrilling.

The dichotomy of man Jimny

Something which seems to come up every time I ask myself “why do I like this thing?” is that I love the dichotomy of things. Form vs function, cute vs sturdy, soft vs harsh.

Objects that embody both sides of a given dichotomy are ultimately well-designed. Or, to put it another way - the cuteness vs sturdiness of the Jimny are just two sides of one coin. The surprise of that contrast, I think, is why not-car-people are into the Jimny. It’s a weird and playful take on a 4WD and despite it being terrible on the freeway, I wouldn’t choose anything else.

Thanks for hanging around and getting to the end of this. I’d love for you to send this to someone who has seen a Suzuki Jimny.