Normally, it’s us who wish we had models sold in Japan here. Some fine examples include countless kei cars, clever MPVs such as the Toyota Sienta and Honda Freed, and the limited editions of performance cars sold there.
It’s rare that the Japanese cry out for a car sold outside of their country. After all, there’s a very healthy staple of domestic and European cars over there already. But in the case of the Suzuki Jimny 5-Door, its arrival there is like a gift from above.
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Yes, the Jimny 5-Door is now available in the Land of the Rising Sun. It goes by a different name over there, too. It’s now called the Jimny Nomade, and it’s actually a nod to a special variant of the Escudo/Vitara in Japan from the ‘90s. With that, we’re genuinely curious if it’s any different from the model we get in local showrooms.
So, what are the differences? Obviously, there’s the steering wheel location, but you probably figured that out by now. The key here is the addition of advanced driver assist systems. Dubbed Suzuki Safety Support, it gives the Jimny pretty neat driver conveniences some owners would like to see here.
What does Suzuki Safety Support have to offer? There’s adaptive cruise control, for starters, a welcome feature for those who frequently drive their Jimny on expressways. It also comes with traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, and something called ‘Wobble Warning.’ That said, it doesn’t come with lane keep assist, probably because the Jimny still uses an old-school recirculating ball steering mechanism.
Other features? Pedestrian detection is standard, as well as autonomous emergency braking. The Jimny Nomade even comes with rear emergency braking so drivers don’t accidentally mow down a parking bollard.
Mechanically, the Jimny Nomade is exactly the same as the one we get here, right down to the powertrain. It still uses a 1.5-liter engine with 100hp and 130Nm. Transmission options are, you guessed it, either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual. It’s worth pointing out that the Nomade is made in India, just like the Philippine model. We’re curious as to why there’s no baby fender mirror seen in so many Japanese SUVs fitted here, though.
What’s interesting here is pricing. In Japan, the Suzuki Jimny Nomade starts at ¥2,651,000 for the 5-speed manual variant, all the way to ¥2,750,000. Due to the weak yen, it comes out as a bit of a bargain when converted to local currency. In Philippine pesos, prices range from about P999,000 to P1,040,000.
