What's better than a Suzuki Jimny? Two Suzuki Jimnys.
The new Suzuki Jimny is one of our favourite cars of the moment, for reasons even we can't figure out sometimes, but think it's down to its charm and honesty and its off-road brilliance. And it is but the latest in an extended line of Jimny that stretches back half a century.
Which made us think: let's put the latest Jimny into some kind of context by driving a classic of what was once often kindly, albeit incorrectly, known as the 'Suzuki Jeep'. So we got our hands on a 1980s Suzuki SJ410 and put it through the same paces as the latest Jimny as the modern car meets one of its heroic predecessors.
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Nice Kajagoogoo reference
Nice Kajagoogoo reference
In my country number had engine transplants, B21 Volvo example
The reason being, fair number of these off-roaders, where changed into what could be termed, mountaineering vehicles - i.e. they received far bigger wheels and tires, were raiced further on their chaccis - the original 1,3l engines tended to become bit weak, with so much added rubber. But replace the engine, place one from old Volvo - and you had a vehicle that very very literally amounted to - go anywhere: http://www.jeppaspjall.is/download/file.php?id=485&t=1.
To be fair
Those Santanas were awful in terms of build quality in comparison to the Japanese built versions.
They seemed to fill the seats with straw rather than foam and you could hear every mechanical noise made by engine, gearbox and suspension.
A Samurai was a vastly better vehicle to drive and be a passenger in.