Suzuki Jimny: ‘It’s a 4x4x that’s cheeky, chunky and cheerful’ | Martin Love

It may be small, green and mean-looking, but spend some time in the Suzuki Jimny and you'll soon be smitten

Suzuki Jimny
Price from 15,499
Top speed 90mph
MPG up to 41.5
Engine 1.5 litre petrol
CO2 154g/km

Craig Brown, the satirist known for his parodies in Private Eye, once said: "As a rough rule of thumb, the smaller the pond, the more belligerent the fish." The Suzuki Jimny - or Jimmy as almost everyone miscalls it - is a small fish swimming in the large and unpredictable waters of the motoring market, but my goodness it is belligerent. Launched back in 1970, the original "Wee Jimmy" was designed to be a cheap, easy-to-use, go-anywhere 4i-4 that would take some of the ponderous self-regard out of off-roading. The result was a dinky rapscallion that has remained almost unchanged in all those years. It's one part cheeky, one part chunky and one part cheerful. Just look at it" I bet you're smiling already.