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DAMD Little D kit makes the Suzuki Jimny look like a little Land Rover

When the new generation of the Suzuki Jimny debuted, it drew plenty of comparisons. Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser, etc. Pick an old-school-styled boxy off-roader, and it would probably work. But one Japanese Tuner is taking the lookalike comparisons to the next level, focusing on one of the most iconic off-roaders of all time: the Land Rover Defender. DAMD Inc., the tuner that also created a body kit to make the Toyota 86 sports car look like the Lexus LFA supercar, is developing a styling kit that makes the Jimny go full Defender. We can't lie, as much as we love the regular Jimny, this looks pretty damn cool, as well. While the public waits for Jaguar Land Rover to launch the next-generation Defender, this imposter will have to do (for people outside the U.S.—the Jimny is still not available here). The nose alterations make the resemblance impossible to ignore. It adds another headlight dimple for the signature trio and has "LITTLE D" lettering above the grille, which ditches the Wrangler-like vertical slats for horizontal bars. It also adds a beefier front bumper with a more prominent skid plate. The mudflaps, knobby tires and off-roady wheels, bare spare tire, and the angled rear bumper complete the look. The rest of the similarities are already part of the Jimny. The boxy body, the wheel flares, and the roof cap are part of the standard model. Beyond the images, there is not much information on the kit. There's no price, but DAMD notes it is scheduled to release in 2019. That gives us just enough time to move out of the country and order a Jimny. Related Video:

Larger SX4 to lead raft of new or revised Suzuki models

A few weeks ago, we showed you what is likely in store for the next-generation Suzuki SX4, but What Car? now has some insider info of what might be in store for other products in the aging Suzuki lineup... at least in the UK.
When the official design sketch of the Suzuki S-Cross concept was released, Suzuki said that the concept car would be a C-segment crossover, closer in size to the Grand Vitara, and going up against some higher-volume rivals like the Ford Kuga (Escape) and Nissan Qashqai (similar to our Rogue). The Suzuki Grand Vitara is also due for a redesign, and both models will likely be on showroom floors together, with the Grand Vitara acting as the more rugged alternative to the hatchback-like SX4 replacement. Not much is known about the new Grand Vitara, but a new satellite navigation system is expected to debut in the SUV and eventually spread into other Suzuki models.
Suzuki will start selling the new SX4 and Grand Vitara in the United States this fall, and these two new crossovers should be a welcome addition to the company's diminutive U.S. dealer network that has been starved of product since the early 2000s. Automotive News adds a little gloom to this topic by pointing out that, after the introduction of the new SX4 and Grand Vitara this fall, American Suzuki has no new products planned through the 2015 model year. Suzuki dealers in Europe are more fortunate, as a refreshed version of the Jimny (formerly known as the Samurai here in the States) and an all-new Alto will both be joining the lineup.

It's a hard knock life for a N"urburgring rental car

Rental cars get no respect. They're abused, misused and flogged mercilessly as athletes in Rental Car Olympics. And that's just at your everyday airport rental counter. The torture gets extreme for rental cars thrashed around Germany's infamous Nürburgring.
Rent4Ring expects its customers to drive its cars around the 'Ring with enthusiasm and, in some cases, less skill than the pros. Rent4Ring just recently retired its Suzuki Swift Sport from its fleet and shared the car's two-year-plus lifetime highlights.
The little hatchback made more than 2,800 laps of the 'Ring over three seasons amounting to more than 310,000 miles driven by 457 different drivers. "Some were fast, some were slow. Some were nice to the car, a few were frankly awful," says a Rent4Ring rep.