Suzuki Jimny XL Review
Today We Are Talking About the five-door Suzuki Jimny XL. It’s longer and heavier than its three-door stablemate.
But other than that, it has no engine or mechanical advantages over the standard Jimny.
Pricing
The Jimny XL is a four-seat four-wheel drive wagon, and it has a manufacturer-suggested retail price starting around the $35,000 mark, but that doesn’t include on-road costs.
It’s available with the five-speed manual Gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission.
Interior Feature
Standard features include nine-inch touch screen multimedia system, and two inches bigger than the one that you’ll get in the three-door Jimny.
It also has wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, a rear view camera, and a stack more stuff.
Exterior
Exterior paint choices include gray, green, white, and black, in terms of styling, the Jimny XL, it looks like a Jimny.
It’s got that same boxy straight up and down shape that people like so much.
A little bit retro, a little bit cool, but it is longer and heavier than a standard Jimny, but it is the same height and width.
It’s got a bit of a bigger turning circle than the standard Jimny, so you must remember that.
But otherwise, it keeps the 15-inch alloys and all those cool things that make the Jimny what it is.
Practicality
The interior of the Jimny XL is the same as the three-door Jimny.
Cloth seats, hard durable plastics it feels like you could hose it out, but everything is really practical.
The buttons and dials are big, so you can grab hold of them even when you’re bouncing around. It’s just a real usable space.
One of the more important things to note in the Jimny XL is the fact that it is longer. There is a bit more room inside the cabin.
The back seats, it’s only a two-seat space here in the back seat, but there is plenty of room, head, leg, and shoulder room.
In the boot, also good news, you get a tiny bit more space than you would in the three-door Jimny.
It’s not a whole lot, but it gives you a little bit more flexibility in terms of what you can pack back there.
Under the bonnet
The Jimny XL has the same 1.5 liter four-cylinder petrol engine that is in the three-door Jimny, and that produces 75 kilowatts and 130 newton meters.
Now, the Jimny has a part-time four-wheel drive system, and that has high and low range four-wheel drive.
The engine in the five-door isn’t big enough. It’s a little bit wheezy. It suits the three-door perfectly.
And while the Jimny is light and nimble and it gets along nicely enough, I just don’t think this engine has enough punch for this bigger Jimny.
On Road Experience
The Jimny XL is more settled and composed than its three-door stablemate because it is longer and it is heavier.
It’s still quite nimble because it is still small and it’s quite light compared to other four-wheel drives.
And that’s a good thing because with that wheezy engine with torque outputs of 130 Newton meters, that’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s very effective in this package.
But like its standard stablemate, the three-door Jimny, the Jimny XL does need a lot of revs and a lot of momentum to get through more serious obstacles.
And that’s fine because if you drive to the conditions and you know what the vehicle is capable of and you know that does require a bit of a heavy ride boot, then you’ll have no issues whatsoever.
Dimension
And in terms of dimensions, even in Excel form, The Jimny is still easy to maneuver around the Bush, although you have to be a little bit considered in your driving because it does have a longer physical dimension than a a three-door Jimny, and it does have that longer wheelbase.
So when you crest hills, you have to keep that in mind. But as for mechanicals and driver assist tech, well, everything pretty much ticks the boxes there.
High and low range gearing in the Jimny are pretty decent, and it’s off-road traction control system is pretty well-calibrated.
But one of the major reasons the Jimny is so much fun to drive is that it does require the driver’s full attention and full commitment.
And that’s fine because that means you are fully committed to the experience, you’re fully immersed in it, and that makes it all the more fun.
The Jimny XL is straight up and down and very boxy, but there’s plenty of glass everywhere.
So visibility is great when you’re four-wheel driving. It’s also that vehicle that you know exactly where the wheels are placed at all times.
But while there is a lot to like about the Jimny XL, there are a few negatives that need mentioning. It is still very basic and bouncy like a Jimny.
It’s still very much a Jimny at heart, and that’s fine. But That requires the driver. Again, it’s a factor that I really like, but some people will find it exhausting.
You have to really be dolled into the experience. And that micromanagement of the steering and the transmission and just of the vehicle itself can become a bit tiring if you’re not used to it.
And if you’re planning to use your Jimny XL as your dedicated four-wheel drive vehicle or even your weekend adventure machine, then I’d recommend you consider throwing some aggressive all-terrain tires on it.
The standard tires are great for on road and maybe a little bit of light duty off-roading, but to make the Jimny XL even better than what it is, even more capable off-road, then throw some all-terrains on there and you’ll make a decent four-wheel drive even better.
All in all, the Jimny XL is a solid off-road package. It’s just that nice combination of four-wheel drive mechanical and driver assist tech.
It’s a vehicle built for purpose. It’s built for four-wheel driving. And while it does that really well, I still think the three-door Jimny is It’s just that little bit extra better suited to four-wheel driving.
Efficiency
Official fuel consumption figures for the manual Jimny XL are 6.4 liters per 100 kilometers, and that’s on a combined cycle.
The Jimny XL has a 40 liter fuel tank, so going by my on test fuel consumption figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 345 kilometers out of a full tank.
Safety
The Jimny XL does not have an NCAP safety rating because it has not been tested yet, but it does have a bunch of driver assist features, and those include AEB, lane departure alert, and a rear view camera.
Ownership
The Jimny XL is covered by Suzuki’s five-year unlimited kilometer warranty.
Service intervals are set at every 12 months or 15,000 kilometers, whichever occurs soonest.
Cap price servicing is available for five years through Suzuki, but make sure you check your dealership for up to date costs on that.
The Suzuki Jimny XL is still a Jimny at heart, and that’s a good and bad thing. It’s pretty ordinary on road, but it is an effective four-wheel drive, even in Excel format.
It’s still light, it’s still very maneuverable, but it’s basic and bouncy, and it requires a lot of driver effort to keep it in line.
But that’s part of the fun, I reckon. If you are willing to embrace that fun factor and you are willing to make a few compromises along the way, then you won’t be disappointed with the Jimny XL.