The Jimny is on our list of forbidden fruits, and it will stay that way because Suzuki has no intentions of coming back to the United States. It left the market in 2012, citing poor sales. Elsewhere, the Japanese automaker keeps finding ways to make the small off-roader more desirable. It launched a larger five-door version in 2023 and now it's giving it the special edition treatment.
Aptly called the Jimny XL in Australia, the more practical version of the go-anywhere vehicle is spawning a Heritage variant. It comes with these neat retro-flavored body graphics harkening back to the "70s, 80s, and 90s, when hair was long, freedom was everything, and Jimny's cult following first began." Aussie customers can have it in Bluish Black Pearl, Jungle Green, Granite Grey, White, and Ivory. The latter is combined with a contrasting black roof.
Aside from the heritage decals, the throwback Jimny gets front and rear red mudflaps. It echoes the look of the three-door Jimny Heritage launched last year Down Under. That one was sold out in just two days, so Suzuki suggests you'd better act fast to grab its successor. While the previous special edition was capped at 300 units, the five-door model will be built in 500 examples.
The Jimny's drivetrain remains refreshingly simple. It uses a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter gasoline engine linked to a five-speed manual gearbox and low-range, four-wheel drive. You won't be setting any Nürburgring SUV records with a puny 101 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque. However, the adorable box on wheels can keep up with the likes of the Defender and Wrangler on rough terrain.
This Jimny XL Heritage comes loaded with goodies varying from a nine-inch touchscreen to a rear camera. Suzuki throws in wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. To sweeten the pot, you also get cruise control, hill descent control, automatic LED headlights, and rear parking sensors.
Suzuki wants an extra 1,500 Australian dollars for this special edition compared to the standard version upon which it's based. It’s also 3,000 AUD pricier than last year's three-door model. The 36,490 AUD asking price works out to about $24,200 at current exchange rates.
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