A competitor for the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger this probably is not.
Not in the towing stakes, at least. But, Suzuki's ute-ified version of the Jimny has both of the double-cab segment leaders on a hiding to nothing on cute looks and rarity. And, after first showing its face at last year's Fieldays extravaganza as a prototype, the Jimny ute is on sale in New Zealand.
The option of converting the little SUV into an equally little ute is a task conducted locally by Suzuki New Zealand in Whanganui. There the rear end gets sliced off, a little flatdeck goes on, and the space behind the cab is tidied up.
The certified conversion is relatively seamless inside and out, with the clean exterior complemented by a carpeted storage nook behind the front seats.
Read more: A final verdict on Suzuki's giant-killing Jimny
There's a raft of other changes too with regards to spec. The base vehicle is a Jimny JX, rather than the Jimny Sierra we're more familiar with. This means that while it retains safety kit like dual sensor brake support and high-beam assist, it trades away a few creature comforts.
Namely, it's available exclusively as a 5-speed manual. The alloys are replaced with equally good looking steelies, the headlights become halogen jobbies, and inside you lose the leather-wrapped steering wheel, climate control, and touchscreen infotainment system.
The simple little 1.5-litre petrol engine is unchanged, still grunting out 75kW of power and 130Nm of torque from its naturally aspirated four cylinders.
All said and done, the Suzuki Jimny utes are being sold for $37,990 a piece. That's a good $12,000 more than the entry-level manual Sierra, and not particularly cheap given that you can get a single-cab Holden Colorado or double-cab Nissan Navara for not much more coin (hell, a four-wheel drive LDV T60 starts $30,990).
Still, the little Jimny will outperform just about every ute on the backblocks of the standard Kiwi farm. Click here to view Suzuki's full Jimny ute Driven listing for more details.
To view Suzuki Jimny vehicles listed for sale on Driven, click here
