The new Suzuki Jimny costs less than we feared

The new Suzuki Jimny, which - flaws and all - we adore, costs £15,499. Phew.

We’d worried that what with naff Japanese exchange rates and the car’s soaring pre-order popularity, Suzuki would get greedy. But no, you can put the Jimny on your driveway – assuming you can get hold of a build slot – for a quid under £15.5k. Which isn’t as much as we’d feared.

Said £15,499 buys you a base-spec Jimny SZ4. It might be the sweet spot, as it rides on steel wheels, does without tinted glass, auto climate control and heated seats. It’s utilitarian. Honest. Somehow tougher, more fit for purpose...

Even the basic SZ4 trimline gets air conditioning, cruise control, DAB radio with Bluetooth and a CD player (ooh, fancy), plus foglights. Not bad.

Feeling flush? For a princely £17,999, the same cost to the exact pound as a new Swift Sport, you leap up to the Jimny SZ5. This gets Apple CarPlay. And the heated seats and climate control. And alloys. But you don’t need that, do you? You can even spend £18,999 if you need an automatic gearbox, but unless you’re medically unable to operate a manual, we’d stick with the, er, stock stick-shift.

Now, even £15,499 will buy you bigger cars, or cars with more EuroNCAP stars. The Jimny might not be an absolute bargain, but it is one of the most characterful cult cars you can buy for the money.  

Are you sold?