Suzuki Jimny ‘Rhino’ arrives

The Suzuki Jimny ‘Rhino’ special edition has arrived in Australia. Limited to the XL (five-door) variant of the compact 4x4, the Rhino is defined by unique decals, special interior accents and a sound system upgrade. Purchasers also receive a ‘Delivery Pack’ with Rhino-branded merchandise.

With pricing that puts it at the top of the Jimny range locally, the Rhino is only available in Kinetic Yellow (a colour previously reserved for the Jimny three-door) with a Pearl Black roof. Decals in Gloss Black and Satin Aluminium on the flanks feature the heritage Rhino graphic at the leading edge, with ‘rhino’ in Japanese script at the trailing edge. According to Suzuki, these decals evoke both the silhouette of a winding mountain road and the spirit of adventure embodied by the Jimny’s go-anywhere 4x4 capability.

A rhino badge is added to the tailgate, with Suzuki-branded mudflaps fitted front and rear. Satin silver accents are added to the lower sills and front bumper, with the grille gaining a “heritage” insert.

The final exterior touch is a set of 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. With black centres and machined edges, these wheels have a Shuriken (throwing star) design that is said to convey motion while standing still. A full-size spare is standard.

Diffused LED lighting illuminates the ground to facilitate vehicle ingress, while in the cabin itself, footwell lighting in a choice of eight customisable colours includes Kinetic Yellow. Interior door handles and the front passenger grab handle are trimmed in black leather with Kinetic Yellow stitching and a laser-etched Rhino logo.

Further Rhino badging is added to the interior, while rubber mats in the luggage area feature a Jimny logo.

Satin silver trim is added to the air vent surrounds, shift knob for the Rhino manual and shift gate surround for the Rhino auto. The finishing touch inside is a speaker upgrade for the 4-speaker Pioneer sound system.

On top of these features, all Jimny XL Rhino purchasers will receive a ‘Delivery Pack’ from their Suzuki dealer. A selection of Rhino-branded merchandise in this pack includes a thermos, drink bottle, cooler box, blanket, bucket hat, portable Bluetooth speaker and a portable lantern. The vehicle’s key (with a unique tag) is presented in a special case, while the Delivery Pack also includes a ‘Rhino Rations’ pack of pistachio praline dark chocolates in a special box.

Beyond these cosmetic changes, the Rhino is unchanged from a standard five-door Jimny XL, which means a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine producing 73kW and 130Nm. This can be paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission and Suzuki’s All Grip four-wheel drive system with low range. Listed mileage is 6.9lt/100km for the auto and 6.4lt/100km for the manual (combined cycle).

With seating for four, the Jimny XL interior features cloth trim, with leather accents on the multi-function steering wheel and aforementioned door handles. Other features inside include a 9.0-inch colour multi-function touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, climate control, voice recognition, 12V outlet, power windows and rear privacy glass.

Safety equipment includes ABS, ESC, EBD, collision mitigation warning and active crash avoidance systems, as well as forward collision warning, lane departure warning, driver attention detection, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, plus a suite of six airbags.

For off-roading, the Jimny XL Rhino has a 1395mm front and 1405mm rear track, 2590mm wheelbase, 210mm ground clearance and departure/breakover angles of 47/24 degrees. Curiously, no approach angle is provided in the available data. Luggage capacity ranges from 211lt to 1113lt, with braked towing capacity of 1300kg.

All the kit in the Rhino special edition adds $10,000 to the price of a Jimny XL, starting at $44,990 for the manual and $47,490 for the automatic (+ ORCs). It should be noted that, while some of the Rhino’s features are available separately, many are exclusive to the special edition.

Suzuki Australia says local release of the Jimny XL Rhino will be limited, but haven’t provided a figure or cap on numbers. For more details and to order, see your Suzuki dealer.