The Suzuki Jimny Horizon Is A German-Market Goodbye

Or should that be auf wiedersehen? Germany will receive 900 of these run-out specials

10 Jul 2024

The Suzuki Jimny is dying in Europe, and that makes us very sad indeed. The heavily rumoured EV successor might soften the blow a bit, but the current version has an undeniable charm that very few other cars on sale right now can match.

Suzuki’s German division seems just as sad about it, because it’s announced a limited-run special to see off the model. Called the Jimny Horizon, it’s based on the two-seater Commercial version – the only Jimny available in Europe since 2021 after the passenger version was dropped for fleet emissions reasons. It gets the usual setup of a 99bhp, 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-pot with a five-speed manual and, of course, four-wheel drive.

It’s had pretty much the entire options list thrown at it, then some. Helping toughen it up is a front underbody guard, and it also gets the Jimny’s optional Adventure side skirts, mud flaps and a unique spare wheel cover. Topping off the standard kit is a removable trailer hitch.

It’ll only be available in the spec you see here: Medium Grey, with those delightfully retro side stripes and black-painted steel wheels. Oof. Only 900 will be made for the German market, for €32,340 (around £27,300) a pop.

As a reminder, the Jimny’s set to die in Europe as Suzuki finally launches a push on electric cars. It’s being dropped alongside the Ignis city car, Swace estate (really just a Toyota Corolla estate) and warmed-over Swift Sport.

It’s the hottish hatch and jolly little 4x4 that we’re the saddest about the loss of – doubly so with the Jimny, as it’s had its life cut tragically short. The current generation only launched in Europe in 2018, and the passenger version only lasted until 2020. The Commercial version – which we imagine precisely nobody actually uses as a van – managed slightly longer, but depending on stock availability, it will have disappeared from Europe by next summer, if not sooner.

Suzuki UK, if you fancy giving us our own throwback send-off special, we’ll certainly welcome it with open arms.

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.