Suzuki Jimny 5-Door: Practical Legend or Diluted Icon?

The three-door Jimny''s rear "seats" were a cruel fiction — useful only for groceries or a single small child. The five-door solves this with a longer wheelbase and genuine rear doors opening to a back seat that adults can use for journeys up to two hours. In the Magaliesberg northwest of Johannesburg — rocky quartzite ridges, river crossings and loose farm tracks — the five-door Jimny proved completely indistinguishable from the three-door in capability. The same 75kW engine, the same AllGrip Pro part-time 4x4 system, the same ladder-frame construction and 210mm ground clearance. The practical improvements are transformative: 211L boot space (up from 85L), proper rear doors and a wheelbase that provides better high-speed stability on gravel roads. The longer body actually helps the Jimny feel more planted at 100km/h on gravel, a speed at which the three-door could feel a little skittish. Performance hasn''t improved — the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine remains adequate rather than exciting. Overtaking on the open road demands planning. Above 80km/h, wind noise increases. These have always been Jimny compromises; the five-door adds them no weight.