The Jimny has become the absolute icon of the Suzuki vehicle portfolio, but now it is coming to an end. Before the legendary off-roader is discontinued in its current form in Europe, Suzuki Germany is launching a special model with the name Horizon.
A name like that brings back memories: Talbot Horizon, Forza Horizon. Suzuki presumably wants to express the fact that the current Jimny is riding towards the horizon after six years for emission reasons. The special edition, limited to a total of 900 vehicles, is now available from participating German Suzuki dealers.
Gallery: Suzuki Jimny "Horizon" special model (2024)
However, fans will be asked to pay quite a lot. An extensive body kit gives the Suzuki Jimny Horizon, which is available at a proud price of €32,340 (approx. £27,350), a particularly robust look. This includes a front grille with Suzuki lettering, an undercarriage guard on the front bumper, the Adventure side skirt set, flexible mud flaps on the wheel arch liners and a spare wheel cover, which is also adorned with Suzuki lettering.
The extensive accessory package is completed by a detachable trailer coupling. The special Horizon model is based on the Jimny NFZ in the "Comfort" equipment line with a manual five-speed gearbox and is only available in the exterior colour "Medium Grey".
Suzuki Jimny "Horizon" special model (2024)
The Suzuki Jimny looks back on a long tradition. Its predecessor, the LJ10, was launched in 1970 as the first all-wheel-drive mass-produced vehicle in the Japanese subcompact segment. After further expansion stages, the LJ80 celebrated its premiere in 1978, which was designed for the global market and was sold in a total of 109 countries, including Germany.
Until then, off-roaders were usually considered large and heavy, but the LJ80 (LJ = Light Jeep) changed this perception for good: with compact dimensions, selectable all-wheel drive, an intermediate gearbox with off-road reduction and a rear differential lock, it was particularly impressive in dense forests and on narrow mountain trails.
The "Eljot", as its fans affectionately called it, sparked an unexpected enthusiasm for all-wheel drive cars in this country. Meanwhile, Suzuki became the largest off-road brand in Germany and established an entire 4x4 family with the successful off-road model.
Suzuki SJ Samurai (1988)
Suzuki's small climbing artist - first and foremost the LJ, later the Samurai and from 1998 the Jimny - not only aroused the interest of many customers from the forestry and construction industries with their off-road talents and functionality; with their purist design, they were also able to win over a young audience for whom joie de vivre and active leisure activities take centre stage.
With the fourth generation launched in 2018, the Jimny reinvented itself once again, while retaining the characteristics that had made its predecessors so successful. With an unladen weight of just 1,090 kilograms, the Jimny is still one of the lightweights in the off-road segment and is also easy to handle thanks to its compact dimensions.
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Propulsion is provided by a 1.5-litre petrol engine that delivers 102 PS and develops a maximum torque of 130 Nm. In combination with a robust ladder-type frame and rigid wheel suspension with rigid axles at the front and rear, the selectable all-wheel drive with off-road gear reduction enables real off-road qualities. Since 2021, Suzuki has only been offering the Jimny as a commercial vehicle variant with two seats, a large luggage compartment (863 litres load volume) and a flat load floor.
And what's next? Globally, there is now a five-door Jimny. But it also still has the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine under the bonnet, which has problems with the emissions standard in Europe. So a turbo would be the solution. Or Suzuki could utilise its cooperation with Toyota. They recently presented the Compact Cruiser EV, and the Toyota boss probably doesn't happen to own a Suzuki Jimny...