Suzuki Jimny SUV (1998-2018) - Interior & comfort

The Suzuki Jimny bounces about all over the road and the ride isn’t particularly comfortable. There's also a lot of engine, wind and road noise inside the car, which becomes very intrusive, particularly at motorway speeds. Because the 1.3-litre engine needs to be worked hard to get anywhere, it gets very loud inside, too. Legroom is also extremely tight for anyone squeezed into the cramped rear seats.

Suzuki Jimny dashboard

The dashboard is up there with the rest of the car in terms of how dated it feels. It’s simple and built from cheap plastic, but at the same time hard, low-cost materials like this are expected in a car of this type, and they’re fine if the car going to be used for off-roading and work duties, as there’s no fancy trim to spoil. The bumpy ride means the Jimny is far from the last word in comfort, but you sit relatively high up and visibility is good.

Equipment

The Jimny is a very basic car, so don’t expect heaps of standard equipment. The entry-level SZ3 model has little in the way of kit – and what it does have is functional rather than comfort-orientated. It gets the likes of front foglamps, steel wheels, roof rails, remote central locking, electric front windows and power steering.

The only other trim level available is SZ4, which has a little more equipment including a leather steering wheel, synthetic leather seats, air-conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear glass and body and chrome-coloured trim.

Options

There aren’t any options or packs to speak of with the Jimny, but there is a range of accessories, many of which are designed to complement the kind of functional, working or off-road use it’s likely to see. There are a couple of different styles of alloy wheel, lots of towing accessories, roof racks and bits and pieces of styling enhancements.

A useful feature is the Bluetooth hands-free phone kit, which is an aftermarket fitment rather than something you’d have as part of the infotainment system in most modern cars. You can have it professionally fitted by the dealer for £310 or just buy the kit and install it yourself for £244.

There’s a similar deal with rear parking sensors – you can buy them and have them fitted for £261 or just get the kit and do it yourself for £195.