New 1.5L, three-link live axles for 2019 Jimny

By Unsealed 4X4 2 Min Read

Along with the 70 Series LandCruiser, the Suzuki Jimny is one of the last of the properly old-school 4WDs still standing. Where others have morphed into something new or died off completely, the Jimny has some serious heritage in it’s lineage.

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In 2019, that lineage will continue with a new Jimny. The current model is only allowed a tiny amount of sales, due to it falling foul of safety regulations. And coming from some leaked documents in Japan, we’ve got some juicy details.

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No three-bangers, no turbos under the bonnet, the engine is an all-new 1.5L, four-cylinder ‘K15B’. The Jimny’s old 1.3L made 62.5kW @ 6,000rpm, and 110Nm @ 4,100rpm. And with a kerb weight of only 1,060kg, it was a decent amount of power for the little battler.

This new motor improves that figure to 77kW @ 6,000rpm and 138Nm @ 4,400rpm. The gearbox options look to stay the same: four-speed automatic and five-speed manual shifters to choose from.

In terms of other running gear, it looks like the little Jimny is continuing with the same recipe of ingredients. It’s a newly designed, stiffer ladder chassis, using a three-link/panhard rod suspension setup on live axles front and rear. It’s keeping the same part-time 4WD setup as well, with a low range transfer case. Here are some other cool details we’ve spotted: high-pinion front diff, six traditional rubber body mounts and either 175/80 R16 or 195/80 R15 rubber.

The look is all new, but still all Jimny. With a solid dosage of slab-sided nostalgia, we reckon the new Jimny looks awesome (and will look even better with some bigger rubber). We’re very excited to get behind the wheel.


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