A woman test drives the Maruti Jimny AT: Here’s why she was impressed

I can understand the initial reaction – I would say give it a longer test, ask for a highway /off-road test, methinks it will blow you away!

BHPian DogNDamsel12 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test-drove the Jimny on the highway today.

Finally, I found my mojo with the Jimny. And it was all Samba’s conviction why I would even try it for a third time around. Today, I realised that the AT is not for me. My discomfort with the Jimny was because the previous times I had driven the Jimny was the AT, which is way outside my comfort zone. I had refrained my comments on the car the first time we test drove in June very briefly. (Maruti Jimny Review)

The Jimny is super fun to drive and super-easy (ladies, please take note!) I know what to expect out of the steering wheel response, which isn’t the Jimny’s best selling-point, especially if you are transitioning from a nimble-manoeuvre car to a Jimny. But the gear ratio just fits into my 1.2-MPI-Polo habits accurately as far as downshifting and engine-braking go, so the problem people have been talking about regarding slow braking is rather a relative perspective – everyone may not have the same experience.

I was cautioned about the knotty gear shifting, but I don’t think it is anything but an old Maruti gear system.

The electronics and the stereo system is bang ostentatious – I don’t know if people are comfortable with such stuff these days, I am not. But nothing that takes away from the other mechanical capabilities of the car at this price point.

It is a no-frills Maruti experience. But a capable offroader, as demonstrated by Samba, who took the car up on an empty sidewalk along the highway.

In terms of pilot controls, eh! Why oh why is the window control on the left dash panel – not sure why it could not be put on the door panel for the love of simple sanity and aesthetics. Modularity is missing. Glove-box is small, no place to keep bottles and stuff and store knick-knacks during long travels.

Backseat width is uncomfortable even for a small person like me, and for Nemo (the dog half of the Dog n Damsel). For 200 km-ish I can manage, but not for the 500 km ish ones – can get really uncomfortable. Nemo will find it difficult to curl up and sleep, as he does in the Polo. I cannot have the same relaxed seating experience that I otherwise have in a Duster or Grand Vitara, not to mention similar other vehicles of higher price point. The navigator’s seat width is just fine. Back-support is excellent for a perpetually broken-back person like me.

Boot space is really small and good only for two people for longer travels, or one has to be a really light packer.

In terms of driving, this car is darling – I am in love with it already.

Takes on decent enough speed, cruises well, not the favourite for high-speed corners, good for the city only if one isn’t much of a zip-zapper / zig-zagger, else you will miss the swift steering wheel response. Unlike monocoques, the bumps can be felt, which is nothing surprising for body-on-frame manners. On undulations at higher speed, felt the rear wheels to be shifty. Fuel efficiency is awesome even with spirited driving. Highway cruising should be a breeze.

In terms of colour preferences, of course it is a personal choice, but the kinetic yellow has quite the cheeky road presence that had stolen my heart on day 1.

I am told women are not much prefering the car. I can understand the initial reaction – I would say give it a longer test, ask for a highway /off-road test, methinks it will blow you away!

Photos, mostly taken by Samba:

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