Suzuki Jimny gets five-door, mini monster-truck treatment
College students in Japan have managed to do what Suzuki has not yet been able to achieve: a five-door Suzuki Jimny.
Automotive industry students from Japan’s Nihon Automotive College (the equivalent of TAFE in Australia) have created their dream version of a Suzuki Jimny.
The pint-sized four-wheel-drive still commands a waiting list of up to 12 months in Australia, as demand for the Suzuki Jimny is off the charts globally.
But students in Japan were get their hands on a 2019 example and have worked their magic on it.
The group calls this Suzuki Jimny mini monster-truck “Kimun Kamui,” which is understood to translate to “Mountain God.”
After starting out with a basic three-door version of the Suzuki Jimny, the college students extended the chassis by 400mm.
The original body was cut behind the front doors to make way for small rear doors, and custom panels near the rear roof pillar.
The suspension has been lifted and oversized fender flares were fitted to provide clearance for the beadlock-look alloy wheels with heavy-duty off-road tyres.
A row of LED lights above the windscreen and off-road bumpers front and rear add to the tough-truck look.
The final verision displayed at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was equipped with tubular bars alongside the fenders, roof pillars, and lower sills.
A roof-top tent and roof platform were among the finishing touches.
According to reports out of Japan, the standard 1.5-litre four-cylinder has been equipped with a small turbocharger to pump out a claimed 92kW/179Nm versus the standard vehicle’s 75kW/130 Nm.
While this Suzuki Jimny was a flight of fancy dreamt up by college students, Suzuki Japan is reportedly well progressed with a larger version of the popular pint-sized four-wheel-drive.
It is unclear if Suzuki will eventually offer a long-wheelbase three-door body, or a five-door version – or both.
There is also speculation Suzuki Japan is considering a pick-up version of the Suzuki Jimny but, as with the other body-styles, such a vehicle is yet to be confirmed.
Meantime, in Australia the Suzuki Jimny is enjoying record sales.
Last year 3350 examples were reported as sold in Australia, about 1000 more than the prior year, and 2000 more than the first full calendar year for the latest model that arrived in late 2018.
Prior to the arrival of the latest model, Suzuki Jimny sales in Australia typically hovered between 500 and 900 deliveries each year, and had only eclipsed 1000 sales twice in the previous two decades.
Here is a Japanese-language video about the creation of the Suzuki Jimny five-door mini monster truck on display at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.
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