*Only starting Comfort equipment

If one chooses the simplest model, apart from the air-conditioning, there's not much that one has to do without. The Jimny can, in the meantime, disguise its age a little by being equipped with both ABS and ESP. In the series with only airbags for the driver and front passenger, it still is a little lacking. A bit more modern, e.g., in comparison to the Lada Niva, is the engine, after all, it has twin-cams, sixteen valves and variable valve control.

It is not only this model, that has a venerable age, but the whole series. While we Europeans only know the name 'Jimny' since 1998, it has also been known in Japan under the name 'LJ 10' since 1970. This is a very much smaller car (see picture), which has an air-cooled, 360 cm³, two-stroke engine producing 18 kW (25 HP). However, it does at least, have all-wheel drive and is less than 3 meters long, which brings tax relief in Japan.

Outside of Japan, the follow-up car is known under the name 'LJ 50'. It is still a two-stroke, however, with three cylinders and has a much higher 52 Nm of torque at 3.000 RPM (LJ 10: 33-37 Nm at 5000 RPM). The first four- stroke four cylinder with 800 cm³ found in the LJ 80, was available from 1980, also in Germany for DM 12.500. From 1981/1984, the SJ 410/413 with 970/1324 cm³ (DM 13.990/18.490), could also be had in this country.

So, what we're dealing with, is a pretty old construction method but which is suitable for off-road use. At least the two rigid axles are connected to the ladder-type frame through coil-springs and the respective wishbones. The small overhangs front and rear are an advantage, however with the facelift in 2012, the car has been given some sort of running boards, definitely to be removed before doing any off-roading.

Picture 2 shows even more protruding elements. The convertible version shown here which is quite simple to realise due to the ladder-type frame, is unfortunately, no longer available in Germany. The enormous wheels however are, they may even be helping to somewhat shorten the long braking distance of the Jimny. 08/15