Let me start off by saying that the views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of ZA Lifestyle, but my own views as the owner of two generations of Jimny. The first being a 1300 cc Gen 3 and the second a Gen 4 1500. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a huge fan of these incredible little 4x4s and of Suzuki vehicles, both bikes and cars in general. I currently own the last-generation Grand Vitara 2.4, the last Grand Vitara available locally with a low-range transfer case. It is a permanent 4×4 with the option of selecting low range should you require it, and it is a superb vehicle. I do feel that there is an elephant in the room that needs addressing when it comes to Suzuki 4x4s, and the Jimny in particular. The suspension.
Let me start by saying that the way in which owners utilise their Jimnys varies hugely. Some people love these funky little 4x4s simply because they are brilliant for scooting around town. They ride a bit higher, giving you a commanding view in traffic, and their generally rough-and-tough demeanour is very endearing. Then you get those who regularly drive gravel roads where a little more clearance is required, such as the dirt roads in Kruger Park. Once again, the taller stance is a boon for game viewing. Then you have the serious Dirt Donks who revel in the phenomenal off-road capability of their Jimnys and look to conquer the gnarliest 4×4 routes they can find.
Adventure Comes With Extra Weight
Thinking through the above scenarios, it is obvious that the demands on the suspension vary hugely depending on the application. There is another issue as well. Jimnys are little, so when you go off on holiday in your Jimny, packing space is limited. By their very nature, Jimny owners are outdoorsy and often into camping too. Invariably, they look through the Suzuki parts catalogue and on goes an OEM-approved roof rack. Taking myself as an example, an Oztent, a Thule pod and 10 litres of fuel went onto the rack as well. I would put light, bulky stuff like bedding, groundsheets and a bag of charcoal into the Thule pod. Once you add the weight of the roof rack, packed Thule pod and Oztent, together with 10 litres of fuel, you suddenly have a significant amount of extra weight sitting high up on the vehicle.
What’s interesting is that many of these accessories are sold and fitted through Suzuki dealerships themselves. The Jimny is marketed as an adventure vehicle, and rightly so, but once you start loading it for camping trips, overlanding adventures or long-distance touring, the suspension has a lot more work to do than it did when it left the factory.
Inside the car would be everything else. Clothes, a fridge or cooler box, food and general camping kit, table, chairs and the like. Looking at my Jimny side-on, it resembled a puppy being smacked for peeing on your carpet. Rather low in the hindquarters! The ride quality on short-wheelbase vehicles with a narrow track is fundamentally somewhat choppy. Suzuki doesn’t fit really hard suspension, but rather tries to find a compromise between ride comfort and function. The end result, when your Jimny is loaded for a trip to the Kgalagadi or Richtersveld, is that the suspension starts feeling out of its comfort zone. Looking around at the Jimnys at Suzuki’s amazing Jimny gathering made one thing abundantly clear. No one who uses their Jimny in anger leaves the suspension standard.
The Aftermarket Dilemma
Suzuki has no preferred supplier of aftermarket suspension, and the fitting of aftermarket ‘unapproved’ suspension will affect your factory warranty on the suspension components themselves. In essence, you can buy factory-approved accessories that add weight and place greater demands on the suspension, yet there is no factory-approved upgrade path should your needs change. On my Gen 3, I fitted Dunlop airbags in the rear coils to at least keep the attitude of the vehicle constant when loaded and help the standard suspension cope better with whoops and rough road conditions.
Interestingly, Ford approaches this issue differently with its Ranger range. You have the option of standard suspension on base models, then Bilstein suspension on the next level, and if you are really lead-footed over bad terrain, you can buy a Raptor with Baja-capable Fox suspension. Take your pick based on the application. There is a thought for Suzuki. They could be missing a trick here. It could mean additional revenue for Suzuki and its dealers, while giving Jimny owners an approved upgrade path that better suits how many of them actually use their vehicles. “Yes, Dave,” I hear you say, “but surely upgrading the suspension will bump the price of the Jimny, affecting the whole value proposition?” Well, here is the thing.
Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is
The scenario I sketched is the dilemma facing many Jimny owners, including ourselves at ZA Lifestyle. We bought our 5-door Jimny when the time came to give it back to Suzuki. Why? Because there is nothing like it out there! We love these little beasts despite their obvious shortcomings. They have carried us far and wide with nary a problem. Now that it is ours, we can pimp it to Jimny perfection. The first step was fitting General Grabber AT3s, our go-to Jimny 50/50 tyre. Next up was fixing the suspension quandary. Our first step was to look at value for money, so as a yardstick, we got a quote from a Suzuki dealer on the standard Suzuki suspension setup. A set of standard Suzuki coil springs and dampers will cost you R21,319.54 (excluding fitment). Right, so now let’s go shopping.
At this point, let me just say that we were looking for the following improvements: improved stability, more robust bump absorption, better ride quality and improved load-carrying ability. We were not looking for rock-crawling ability, but rather everyday benefits such as not bottoming out the suspension over an unseen speed hump or pothole. The guys at the local Tiger Wheels have taken enough loot off us for wheel alignments and balancing after every altercation with an unseen lurker!
Time to Go Shopping
Enter IRONMAN 4X4. They offer what they call their Nitro Gas Suspension Kit, comprising springs and dampers tuned specifically to the 3- and 5-door Jimny. These kits are available in hard and medium options, depending on your application and what accessories are fitted to your vehicle. Based on how we use the vehicle, the recommendation was for the medium option.
Now get this, Jimny faithful! The cost for the 5-door kit is R21,495 (excluding fitment costs), a mere R175,46 more than the standard Suzuki suspension.
Read that again. R175,46 more.
For us, it was a no-brainer!
A kit for the 3-door will set you back R17,995 (excluding fitment costs).
The rock-crawling Jimny fraternity may need to look at extra heavy-duty applications, but for the average Jimny Joe, the IRONMAN 4×4 option rocks!
Disclaimer: Prices were correct at the time of publication (22 June 2026), are subject to change without notice and exclude fitment costs.
Did It Work?
The question foremost on our minds was, and probably on yours at this point, “How does it work?” To be frank, the improvement was immediately noticeable. The kit didn’t just meet our objectives, it exceeded them. Ride quality is surprisingly plush, yet bump resistance and absorption are vastly improved. The quality of the damping transforms the way the Jimny drives. It now feels noticeably more composed and confidence-inspiring when loaded and simply driven normally.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it, Jimnisti. For not much money, you can truly take your fantastic little 4×4 to a whole new level of enjoyment and driving pleasure. The components are warranted by IRONMAN 4×4 against latent defects, so the lack of a Suzuki warranty on the suspension components is not a biggie in my eyes. If, like us, you regularly load your Jimny for camping trips, long-distance touring or adventure travel, the improvement in ride quality, composure and driver confidence is remarkable. We heartily recommend it.
So, with the suspension sorted, what’s next? A front bumper and snorkel are already in the pipeline, with a rooftop tent and awning to follow. The journey to Jimny perfection continues as we slowly but surely build what we believe will be the ultimate micro overlander.
For more information on the IRONMAN 4X4 product range, visit: www.ironman4x4.co.za
