Suzuki Australia lists the Jimny Lite from A$36,490 drive away, which makes it the cheapest way into the current Jimny lineup. You get steel wheels, halogen headlights, a 7-inch touchscreen, a ladder frame and a 5-speed manual. Suzuki doesn’t offer the Lite with an automatic at all.
The clutch is the only option on the Lite
Suzuki’s Australian spec sheet gives the Jimny Lite a 5-speed manual and leaves its automatic column blank. The ratios run 4.425, 2.304, 1.674, 1.190 and a direct 1.000 fifth, with a 4.090 final drive and part-time ALLGRIP PRO four-wheel drive with low range behind it. The standard Jimny and the five-door Jimny XL let you choose between that manual and a 4-speed automatic. The Heritage is the opposite of the Lite, since Suzuki lists its automatic as a feature it adds and sells it without a manual. So the cheapest Jimny is also the one that makes you work the third pedal, and the manual is the thriftier one, rated at 6.4 L/100 km against 6.9 L/100 km for the automatic.
The official number board
- Jimny Lite: from A$36,490 drive away, 5-speed manual only
- Jimny: from A$38,490 drive away, 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic
- Jimny XL (five-door): from A$40,490 drive away, 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic
- Jimny Heritage: from A$42,490 drive away, automatic only
- Engine: 1.5-litre (1,462 cc) four-cylinder, 75 kW at 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm at 4,000 rpm
- Kerb weight: 1,095 kg minimum for the Lite manual
- Ground clearance: 210 mm, with a 36-degree approach angle, a 27-degree ramp breakover angle and a 47-degree departure angle
- Towing: 1,300 kg braked and 350 kg unbraked
What the extra A$2,000 buys
The Lite keeps the parts that matter off-road. It has the same ladder frame, rigid axles front and rear, 15-inch wheels on 195/80 tyres, 2,250 mm wheelbase and 4.9-metre turning circle as the standard three-door Jimny. Spending A$2,000 more on the standard Jimny gets you 15-inch alloys, LED projector headlights, a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, digital climate control, a leather-covered steering wheel and power-folding mirrors. It also brings the option of the automatic. None of that changes the axles or the gear ratios.
The five-door XL is 315 mm longer and stretches the wheelbase to 2,590 mm. That grows cargo space with the rear seats up from 85 litres to 211 litres, adds 90 kg and trims the breakover angle from 27 degrees to 24 degrees. It can still be ordered with the 5-speed manual.
Suzuki says its drive-away prices are for private buyers and can vary before delivery. Premium and two-tone paint cost extra.
So the Jimny Lite is A$36,490 drive away for a 1,095 kg ladder-frame 4×4 with low range, and the only way Suzuki will sell it is with a clutch pedal. If you want a bigger off-roader with a manual, Autogonzo has already covered the $40,795 Bronco Base and its 7-speed manual. For a small car built around three pedals, see the Caterham Seven 420 Nürburgring Edition.
Learn More
- Suzuki Australia: Jimny range and drive-away prices
- Suzuki Australia: Jimny specifications and dimensions
Related clutch posts: 2026 Mazda MX-5 Club, 2026 Honda Civic Si, 2026 Ford Bronco Base. Images courtesy of Suzuki Australia.
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