Suzuki Jimny goes on
an adventure

When the Suzuki Jimny heard that its younger sibling, the Swift, was a finalist in Car of the Year 2025, it was determined to show its support.

It all began on a misty morning, the kind that whispers promises of excitement just beyond the horizon. Our mission was clear: we needed to get to the venue where the Car of the Year awards ceremony was going to be. But this was not just any road trip. This was an offbeat, backroads bonanza, powered by the mighty Suzuki Jimny 5-Door GLX.

Where the Swift zips through cityscapes like a caffeinated hummingbird, the Jimny is the rugged older sibling, grinning in muddy defiance at potholes, dirt trails, and steep inclines. The new 5-Door GLX model has more room for friends, and perhaps a giant foam finger or two to cheer on its zippy sibling.

With our backpacks, banners, snacks, and a Bluetooth speaker for spontaneous roadside dance breaks, we loaded up the Jimny. The GLX trim’s 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system fired up as we connected Spotify, and we pressed play on our road trip playlist.

_{Photo: SHERYL GOLDSTUCK.}

We plotted a course that avoided highways on purpose. This was about the journey, not just the destination. And the Jimny delivered.

Along the way, the little 4×4 attracted attention:
• Fellow Jimny drivers flashing lights or waving;
• Curious cows, staring as the boxy SUV rumbled past their field;
• A lost cyclist, who was promptly given directions and asked where the nearest Suzuki dealership was.

Once we reached the forest roads, the Jimny practically purred with delight. With AllGrip Pro 4WD, it devoured rocky inclines and muddied trails with the eager tenacity of a mountain goat in hiking boots.

When we rolled into the Car of the Year 2025 venue, The Galleria, heads turned. Most guests arrived in sedans or hatchbacks. And us? We pulled up in the Jimny 5-Door GLX, coated in a bit of trail dust.

In the end, the Jimny was very proud of the Swift taking home the overall second prize and winning the category of Budget Car in the Car of the Year 2025 awards. It was a reminder that sometimes the best way to cheer for a friend is to take the wild road there, preferably in low-range 4WD, with adventure in our hearts and mud on our tyres.

* The Suzuki Jimny 5-Door GLX is GadgetWheels’ long-term review vehicle and will be going on many more adventures.

• Pricing for the Suzuki Jimny 5-Door GLX starts at R454,900.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.