2021 Suzuki Jimny Owner’s Manual

The boxy compact Jimny 4x4 from Suzuki may be comical in appearance to some, but it’s probably the best SUV that the American market never got to have.

Suzuki withdrew from the US back in 2013, which led the US to miss out on many great releases, but most painful is the Jimny which first arrived in 2018. The 2021 Jimny has a distinctive style, and great off-road capabilities, and a starting price in many markets at just $20,000 --- a lot cheaper than a Wrangler!

The key to its success is its simplicity and character. The boxy shape and vivid yellow/green signature color on the new model help it to stand out and turn heads, while at the same time being a very dependable and fun-to-drive car.

One symbol of its simplicity is the key to the Jimny, which is a regular turn-in-the-ignition key, with a simple lock and unlock button --- straight out of the 1990s. On the inside, it also still uses traditional shifters for gears, and a manual shift for 2WD and 4WD, as well as a manual parking brake.

Suzuki has also fitted some modern fixtures as well, including cruise control, automatic climate control, side airbags on the seats, wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, and an infotainment touchscreen.

The interior isn’t decked out with much in the way of soft-touch materials and sumptuous fabrics, but then again that’s not the point of the Jimny. Simplicity and function is the order of the day when it comes to driving it.

Where the Jimny really shines is off-road with its fantastic traction, hill-descent control function, and unbeatable chassis articulation. The Jimny will ride easily and comfortably at the most awkward angles and unusual terrain without breaking a sweat, including sloughing through mud and water.

The bright colors make it look more like a cool city car in some people’s eyes, but in reality, the 2021 Jimny is all about affordable adventure.