Suzuki Jimny Owner's Pros and Cons After Year Of Overlanding

The operator of the Roam Overlanding YouTube channel has had his Suzuki Jimny for a little over a year since driving it off the showroom. In that time, he has turned the little off-roader into an overlander that's capable of going on long-distance adventures throughout Africa. In a new video, the owner offers an even-handed evaluation of his rugged Suzuki. He explains what makes it great and the disadvantages of using such tiny SUV for extended trips into the wilderness.

The major issue with using the Jimny for overlanding is its size, according to this owner. The vehicle's small footprint puts a distinct limit on how much a person can haul. There's enough room for a weekend of camping, but it's a packaging challenge to put all of the gear into the machine when going on a week-long journey.

At this point, the Jimny is still a fairly new vehicle on the market, which means that that there is a limited aftermarket. The lack of available upgrades means that the owner has to come out with custom solutions to these issues.

Outside of Japan, the Jimny uses a 1.5-liter engine making 105 horsepower (78 kilowatts). According to the owner, more power would be a welcome upgrade for the vehicle. The fuel tank is also rather small and this limits the total driving distance.

For the type of adventures that Roam Overlanding wants to take, a larger vehicle seems like a necessity. The Jimny is a great off-roader, but it comes with limitations, like the lack of cargo capacity and range.

While it might not solve the issue with a lack of power, there are rumors of Suzuki introducing a larger, five-door version of the Jimny. The bigger size would at least increase the cargo capacity so that it would be possible to take more gear on an adventure.