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2019 Suzuki Jimny images leaked — first new generation in 20 years

The new-generation Suzuki Jimny is ready for a reveal. Photos of a production version shown at a preview event leaked online via Instagram, and they show a front shot and a front three-quarter shot of the completely redesigned small SUV. The lines and side sheetmetal pressings of the no-nonsense, go-anywhere Jimny are a clear nod to classic '70s and '80s models. The Australian website CarAdvice notes that the lime green Jimny seen here is clearly a home market version without any wheel arch extensions, as the vehicle needs to be as narrow as possible to comply with Japanese width regulations — it is alsos likely that the Jimny here is powered with a 660cc engine from the tiny kei car class. Outside of Japan, the hips might be wider, and a recent spy shot depicting finished vehicles at the factory shows slightly wider wheel arches. Every millimeter counts, it seems — just when you want to avoid scraping a rock on an off-road trail. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Export market Jimnys should have a one-liter turbo or a naturally aspirated 1.2-liter unit. Inside, the Jimny will feature a hard-wearing interior with a chunky dashboard, a render of which was also leaked online a short while ago. Everything about that dash appears to be designed with functionality as the top requirement, with just a large central touchscreen serving as a reminder that we're getting closer to 2020, not 1980. The 2019 model year Jimny is expected to hit Suzuki-selling markets by late 2018. Jimny updates are few and far between, as the current generation was first introduced a solid 20 years ago. Related Video: Image Credit: Suzukinfluencer/Instagram Spy Photos Suzuki SUV suzuki jimny

Suzuki Jimny is the classic Defender homage Land Rover should be building

Lake District, U.K. – The Land Rover Defender is to Brits what the F-150 is to Americans. Or rather it was, before it got too expensive and the farmers all switched to Japanese pick-ups. The Defender was effectively put out to pasture, relegated to being a lifestyle trinket. And Land Rover's endless prevarication over replacing the Defender can be partly attributed to this dilemma: Should it be in the original's mold, a fix-it-with-hammers rugged utility vehicle? Or should it concede that market and instead become a premium premium-priced Mercedes G-Class rival? Meanwhile, while Land Rover had dithered, others have capitalized – not least Suzuki's Jimny, which nails the seemingly conflicting demands of the new Defender's brief in one cute, pint-sized package So too is the Jimny priced at a level buyers in markets where it is offered can chalk up as a discretionary purchase. Dating back to the early 1970s, the Jimny has a heritage of its own to draw upon. But this lo-fi remix of traditional 4x4 tech and functionally slick styling has scored a bullseye for both utility users and the hipster brigade, both of whom place great value in authenticity. True, U.S. buyers won't have the option of the Jimny as they will the Defender, no matter how many emails Suzuki receives. But it's interesting to explore how it pulls the rug from underneath Land Rover, right here on the British stalwart's home soil. To demonstrate this we've travelled to the Lake District, a picturesque region on England's northwest coast with classic countryside vistas. Outside of the U.K., mountains topping out a little over 3,000 feet sound little to write home about – but, like the Jimny, modest size and ruggedness aren't mutually exclusive and there are trails here to test any street-spec off-roader. Competing pressures for access and a popular backlash against mechanized vehicles in the countryside mean tight controls for recreational drivers though, with many once-popular trails now closed to traffic. Those that remain accessible carry severe restrictions, our chosen route over Gatescarth Pass rarely opened to traffic and, when it is, limited to 4x4s with wheelbases of 100 inches or less. A Wrangler would just scrape through but these remain a rare sight in the U.K., and the limit is arguably skewed to favor the home team: the 90-inch, short-wheelbase Defenders that remain a staple for the quaintly English pursuit of 'green-laning'.

Suzuki latest to admit to falsifying fuel economy tests

Suzuki is the latest automaker to be snagged in the broadening scandal of fuel economy falsification. Reuters reports that the head of the Japanese industrial giant admitted that it did not use the proper standards when testing its cars for fuel consumption. "The company apologizes for the fact that we did not follow rules set by the country," said CEO Osamu Suzuki (pictured bowing to reporters), as reported by Reuters. Over 2 million Suzuki vehicles are estimated to be affected. However Suzuki maintains that the company did not intentionally lie or mislead the public or government regulators about its vehicles' economy figures. Japan's transport ministry has ordered domestic automakers to resubmit those figures this week. Though Suzuki withdrew from the North American automobile market nearly four years ago, it remains the fourth largest in Japan (following Toyota, Nissan, and Honda) with particular sales strength in the Kei car segment. Like Honda and Yamaha, the company makes a variety of motorized products, including motorcycles, ATVs, and marine engines. The revelation follows hot on the heels of Mitsubishi's falsification, which broadened in scope from a few Kei cars to every vehicle it has sold in Japan stretching as far back as 1991. The controversy lead to Nissan taking control of a third of Mitsubishi's stock. Prior to that, and on the other side of the world, Volkswagen admitted to engineering its diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests. Government regulators around the world have launched investigations into numerous other automakers to see how much farther the growing epidemic of falsifying environmental credentials can spread. Related Video: