Mid-sized trucks and Jeeps and Broncos are red hot. How about an even smaller truck, Yaris sized? How hard would it be for Toyota to rebadge the adorable Jimny and sell it in the US? The Yaris is being cancelled, so this would be the perfect replacement. Call it “Yaris X”. Or just YariX. Or a baby Land Cruiser.
In Europe, a quite well equipped Jimny starts under €20,000, and that’s with their VAT. If these were sold in the US for $20k, you think there wouldn’t be folks waiting for the next shipment? A baby Wrangler/Bronco. College girls would be all over it. And me too. Just the ticket to replace my xB; big enough for the three of us, and I could hitch it behind the Promaster for off-road adventures far from home.
Nathan Williams shot this one in Bristol. It’s a perfect urban runabout, and ready to take you on adventures, if that’s actually your thing and not just wishful thinking.
It’s got a 101 hp 1.5 L four and a five speed stick (automatic available, of course). Low range included. Perfect for toad, behind an RV. The old Suzuki Samurai was a favorite in that role, but they’re mostly used up now.
Just because Suzuki is no longer here doesn’t mean the Jimny can’t be adopted by someone that is. Toyota has been selling the rebadged Mazda 2 for years.
It’s way smaller than Yaris size. Remove the big wheels and fender flares, it’s Kei sized. They’ve already canned it in the UK after 2 (?) model years. Not emission compliant apparently. The Mazda “Yaris” sold by Toyota is already dead as well as of a month ago. And a Yaris X (Cross)? Already exists for Europe and Asia:
The Yaris Cross will be in the showroom next summer, according to our Toyota website.
Japanese Kei version; replete with mandatory 660cc engine:
I have an ‘88 Samurai, and the fan bois on the various Samurai groups I’m in are very enthusiastic about Suzuki (or anyone, for that matter) bringing this to the US.
Call me cynical, but I’ve seen too many instances where enthusiasm doesn’t translate into actual sales. And I’d be surprised if Toyota dealers wouldn’t load this up with add-ons or add an “Adjustment Market Value” sticker to them, turning a $20,000 vehicle into a mid- to high-$20s vehicle. At which point it starts competing with the Wrangler and the new Bronco, which are larger and arguably more practical.
The idea of someone paying $25k for this is laughable. It’s smaller than a first gen. Miata! It’s not suited to large spaces, period.
No more laughable than a $50K Jeep Wrangler. I haven’t really followed these newer versions, but a modernized Samurai should be a very capable offroad vehicle, and is still small and economical enough to be suitable for urban use far from any dirt or rocky trails. A different set of design goals than a Miata or a Fiat 500, but not intrinsically bad.
I never said how dumb a $50k Wrangler is.
Size has very little to do with it. People don’t buy by the cubic foot or the pound.
The Samurai sold well here for years, and many lament its passing. And the off-road look is hotter than ever.
Agree. It’s why they had to pull back when the product was fire? Ok then.
“Size has very little to do with it. People don’t buy by the cubic foot or the pound.”
True, until the same people have trouble fitting into the vehicle. I’m 6’1” and in the 200s, and my Samurai is nice to run around the ranch (I use it as a UTV), but I wouldn’t want it as my only means of transport. It’s definitely close quarters in there!
Then it’s obviously not for you. I mentioned myself and college girls.
No one vehicle is ever going to be suitable for everyone, fortunately. That’s the beauty of having choices. Something for everyone.
I actually love mine as an extra vehicle, and would possibly buy a new one. But the lack of a softtop might keep me in the old one I already have.
But on your comment about wanting one: I thought you were unusually tall?
Sometimes we forget about the young people who wanted their first “new” car be affordable (monthly payments, insurance, fuel, etc.). They have to start somewhere small so to speak. This one, especially Samurai, fits the bill quite nicely.
I think it would sell in reasonable numbers, better than the Yaris has been doing in recent years. Would definitely do urban runabout just fine and its cute yet rugged styling should appeal to those who are tired of the choices between an anonymous blob or an agressive/futuristic blob.
I consider it very unlikely this vehicle was built such that it could comply with U.S. safety and emission standards. Meanwhile, though, it hasn’t been canned in the U.K. — it’s now being offered there without its rear seat as a commercial “van” (so it doesn’t need to meet such stringent CO2 standards).
What a fantastic solution.
It’s the same in France, 2 seats and LCV registration only. At least, you get a larger trunk…
I’ve driven one of these, and it’s the roughest 4×4 I’ve ever driven. feels like it has no suspension at all. Jittery and judderly and uncomfortable. Probably awesomely competent off-road, but too short a wheelbase and too-stiff springs. for a daily driver.
Of course it wasn’t designed to meet US safety standards. But EU safety standards are quite high too, so it probably wouldn’t be that hard to modify and certify it, especially as a truck.
As to emissions, that’s a total no brainer. Non CO2 emissions are a piece of cake these days, and the current EU standard for gas engines is quite similar (if not more stringent) than US standards.
There were plenty of people up in arms about how the Wrangler flipped over in the offset frontal crash test done by the IIHS (which is not NHTSA) a few days before my review of it ran earlier this year. Apparently the Wrangler doesn’t do very well on crash tests either and yet it’s sold all over the place.
Crash safety is important but until motorcycles are outlawed I think I can make up my own mind as to what is acceptable (And I still carry my motorcycle endorsement on my license). After all, most any cars built a decade or more ago is miserable compared to its modern equivalent in that regard.
Emission standards should be meetable, no reason it couldn’t just be offered with any number of Toyota engines for example if the Suzuki one doesn’t pass muster in that regard.
I think it has potential in the SUV loving US market. However, other vehicles in its class have either disappeared or bloated up in size. The Suzuki Samurai, Sidekick and Geo Tracker are gone. The first generation, 2 door Rav4 is no longer made, replaced by the much bigger current 4 door Rav4. Is really a market for tiny SUVs when gas is still cheap?
The closest thing in the US market currently sold would probably be the new 2 door Ford Bronco, but it is a much bigger vehicle.
Forgot to mention the first generation 2 door Kia Sportage, but like the Rav4 it sprouted 4 doors and bloated up in size. The small 2 door SUV market died out in the 90’s and early 00’s
The Jimny might do well if they followed the Jeep Wrangler’s lead and sold both 2 and 4 door versions. Also, it might make sense if they made a pickup variant like the Jeep Gladiator
I would change the name as to avoid any lawsuits from GM because Jimny sounds awfully close to GMC Jimmy.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a28118146/gmc-jimmy-future-off-road-suv/
they would probably sell a whole bunch the first couple years then toyota focus groups would then say it should be bigger with more power then ruin it like they did the scion xb. toyota should bring back the fj cruiser or a 4 runner with an fj cruiser front clip. call it the fjrunner.
You are so right about the Scion Xb. I waited breathlessly for them to be available and bought one within two days. 5 speed manual (by the way, terrible gear ratios; I always skipped, a gear. They should have made the 5th gear much higher; I was doing 3000 rpm at 60 mph) If Scion had kept to the original concept, I would have bought another one in a heartbeat.
Fifth Gear did a comparison with the Jimny and the Defender It didn’t win, but close.
Can’t find the whole episode
Ha I saw that on tv just yesterday.
Get Chrysler to retro-rebadge it as the Crickt.
I checked these out at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, they’re fantastic. Pretty much a 7/8 scale Wrangler. If the price could be kept low enough (doesn’t even have to be that low, just maybe 7/8 of the Wrangler…) it would sell here, assuming crashworthiness and power became at least barely sufficient.
The fact that people in Europe are buying them and renting them (Iceland for example) means there is SOME kind of market here, just not sure as to size. It would likely be horrible to drive from SF to LA, then again I’ve done that in a Samurai and survived.
Anybody that has ridden motorcycles seriously, using them as day to day transportation could put up with a lot. A heater and not having the windblast and rain hitting you can be a notable improvement. Still, I rode m/cs for 35 years and I was looking for comfort in my four wheeled transportation. I saved enough gas with the bike. While a motorcyclist might accept a higher level of hazard in their life, most car drivers (and their survivors!) would expect a high level of collision protection. Back in the days when I taught the Calif. Motorcycle Safety course, we were instructed to NEVER recommend using a motorcycle as transportation. Our mission was improve the chances of their safety while riding, AFTER they had made their decision.We weren’t advocating anything.
Now that IS interesting, and not often something one hears from motorcyclists. A wise teacher.
Most car drivers do indeed expect a high level of protection in a new car. A stylish and cheap runabout like this Suzy is very likely to appeal to a younger crowd, (“..college girls and possibly [this] me too”, as it happens!) It may well be this higher hazard factor – and being sued for it – is the reason why it isn’t sent to the US.
Possibly there was a shitstorm over ex JDM Swifts here recently over the JDM versions not being crash worthy lots of safety equipment is left out for the local market but that has been used imports since that phenomena began and for some reason nobody noticed JDM cars omit all sorts of things other markets demand.
Back in the late 90s, my vehicles were a Chevy Tracker and a Ninja 250. The Tracker was for the rainy days, commuting to work and when I got tired of the wind hitting me for hours at a time. I got to where I preferred the Tracker simply for the unexpected bouts of rain and having a radio to listen to.
If there was a vehicle comparable to it that could tow a small camping trailer…
Fixed roof only? Deal breaker, but I love the looks and packaging. The small open air Japanese SUVs of the 80s-90s were among my favorite cars on the road as a kid.
I think Suzuki should straight up sell it here as…. the Suzuki Samurai. Seriously, that was one of the best names ever given to a vehicle, way better than Jimny or whatever Toyota would actually come up with, and it even looks like the old Samurai in a retro way.
According to the internet VW currently owns 20 percent of Suzuki. VW should badge it “The Thing”
Suzuki bought that stake back five years ago, also according to the internet.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34275917
Now its partly owned by Toyota between 3-5% ownership stake much like Toyota is with Mazda. Only Toyota has a little bit of larger ownership of Subaru between 16-20% after Mazda divorced itself from the Ford Motor Company several years ago.
The comment I should have made that after Mazda divorced itself with Ford Motor Company, it allied itself with Toyota especially as both former and still somewhat competitors produced the recently discontinued Mazda 2/Demio based Toyota Yaris.
Speaking of the old and now worn out Samurai we have one in very nice shape today. A 1986 in Hollister CA on Craigslist at 67,867 miles. One for you Samurai lovers. Not my cup of tea but looks good at 34 years old.
CC effect: saw my first one of these Jimnys last Saturday, same colour too. With nothing around it, it looked bigger than it actually is. It wasn’t until another vehicle appeared that its tiny size became apparent. The full range appears to still be on sale here, including with rear seats. As with the previous Jimny, local companies convert these into flatdeck trucklettes.
There’s a five-door coming too. Possibly looks even better.
Dare I say it actually looks better than the Wrangler, itself a handsome beast? I lack the aesthetic insight to say what’s so right about it, but, well, it’s all there. I love it.
They’ve been a huge hit in Oz, but you wouldn’t want to have a huge hit whilst in it. The crash rating is not good, and by that I mean structural injury-causing stuff, separate from (they say) inadequate electro nanny stuff. It isn’t a safe car by today’s standards.
Yes they are about in NZ Suzuki has quite a range here I followed a near new Jimny down the south westedrn motorway on my way home yesterday it really does look like flared wheel arches on the first model maybe they stored the body dies somewhere for later use Suzuki Escudos are popular as dingys behind motorhomes because you can neutralise the entire drive train with free wheeling front hubs they tow well Suzuki make a trucklet that I was sure couldnt be complied for the road in some form but I overtook one today coming north up the Bombay hill it was no match for 700hp of Volvo Ive been sentenced to this week, those older Suzukis were very capable off road, I would think the new version is also.
The Suzuki Xbee is my preference. It is available as a 4x 4 hybrid, same platform as the Jimny but a cross over, not a real off roader. we have been looking for an interesting urban vehicle to supplement our Ford Everest and Suzuki Thailand got very interested in importing the Xbee but none available as yet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Xbee
The Xbee is not on the same platform as the Jimny at all.
I live in Italy right now, and I’m stopped in my tracks every time I see a new Jimny. They’re perfectly styled, in a way that photos don’t capture. And of course, in Italy, they’re not small at all.