Suzuki Jimny review: Bahrain's favourite toy is also its most honest off-roader
4/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the Jimny with your eyes open: it is genuinely capable off-road, cheap to run, and unlike almost anything else this side of a proper 4x4, but it is also a poor family car, a mediocre highway cruiser and, thanks to demand outstripping supply, rarely available at list price. If a real off-roader for weekend desert and beach trips is the actual use case rather than a Land Cruiser fantasy, nothing else in Bahrain does it for this money.
Pros
- Genuine ladder frame, rigid axles and low-range transfer case at a small-car price
- Punches far above its size and price off-road, on sand and rock alike
- Cheap to run and mechanically simple to maintain once out of warranty
- Strong resale value — used examples often trade near or above list price
Cons
- Short wheelbase makes it nervous in crosswind and on highway expansion joints
- Tiny boot and rear seats that only suit children or short trips
- 4-speed automatic feels dated with noticeable gear-ratio gaps
- New-car waiting lists and used prices routinely above what the size suggests
The Jimny is the last genuinely small vehicle sold new anywhere that still uses a separate ladder frame, rigid axles front and rear, and a proper low-range transfer case rather than an electronic substitute. That is why Bahraini off-road enthusiasts queue for it: on sand and rock it punches far above its size and price, with an approach angle and articulation that a soft-roader crossover simply cannot match.
The daily-driving reality
None of that comes free. The short wheelbase that helps it clamber over dunes makes it nervous in crosswind on the causeway and unsettled by expansion joints at highway speed. The boot behind the rear seats is small enough that a weekly grocery run needs planning, and rear-seat space is only usable for children or short adults. The 4-speed automatic feels dated next to a modern crossover's CVT or 8-speed, with noticeable gaps between ratios.
None of this is a surprise to anyone who buys one for the right reason. As a second car for weekend dune bashing, beach runs and genuine off-tarmac use, the compromises disappear because that is precisely the brief the Jimny is built to.
Buying one in Bahrain
Demand has outrun supply for years: new-car waiting lists are common, and used examples routinely trade above what a comparable-mileage crossover would fetch, sometimes above original list price. Anyone shopping used should check for evidence of hard off-road use — underbody scrapes and modified suspension are common and not necessarily a problem, but they change what to inspect. Mechanically it is as simple and robust as anything Suzuki builds, and independent workshops handle it easily once out of warranty.