► Twisted takes on the Suzuki Jimny with great success
► Bespoke reimagining adds more power, refinement
► But does it dilute the charm?
The Suzuki Jimny by Twisted takes a solid third place in ‘the quickest a car has ever made this road tester cackle with glee’. First place went to the Lada Niva, which I found utterly hilarious the minute I got inside. Second to the Honda S660, mostly because I was realising a dream and driving my first kei car.
But 25 seconds to manic laughter isn’t bad. Pulling out of Twisted’s Thirsk HQ, I made it into second gear before the turbocharger started producing so much noise I couldn’t help but guffaw.
However, the turbocharger is just one modification of many. Twisted has seriously uprated the Jimny, transforming it into something much more powerful and surprisingly mature. Not words we ever expected to use when describing the Jimny, which usually elicits terms like ‘cute’ or ‘plucky’.
What exactly is Twisted?
Twisted Automotive is the Singer of Land Rovers. Based out of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, it takes vehicles – primarily Land Rover Defenders – and improves them. From straight restorations right up to restomods with more powerful engines, uprated interiors, improved off-road ability. You name it, Twisted can probably do it.
Now, the good folk at Twisted have got their hands on the Suzuki Jimny. The appeal is obvious. The Jimny is in many ways a mini-Defender – it’s a simple, ladder-frame off-roader with the chops to handle serious rough stuff. It’s not, however, the most refined or the most premium package.
The Jimny is now only available in the UK as the two-seat faux-van Suzuki Jimny Commercial, and it’s this model that the Twisted team ‘redefined’ for our test drive.
So what’s been changed?
First, the engine. It’s still the same 1.5-litre lump as the standard Jimny, but now with a stage one turbo conversion and uprated ECU. This gives it 163bhp, which doesn’t sound like much til you consider it’s about 58% more than Suzuki endows it with as standard. The 0-62mph sprint is thus halved and with less than a tonne to haul around, it has significantly more ‘go’ than almost any old Defender you care to name.
Uprated suspension with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers plus a new rear anti-roll bar keep some of that power in check, and make sure the shiny side stays facing the right way. Of course you get rather nice 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres, plus some stripes and graphics so you know exactly what you’re driving.
Inside, everything you can think of has been wrapped in rich Corinthian leather, there’s a new double-din audio system and stereo upgrade, plus extra soundproofing, all aimed at making it significantly more refined.
What’s it like to drive?
Once we’d stopped bursting and coasting just to hear the turbo chatter away (it took a while) we headed out onto some of Yorkshire’s nicer country lanes to see what the alterations to the standard Suzuki Jimny had accomplished.
The extra power comes in a fairly big turbo lump in the middle of the rev range. If you keep the car in its sweet spot, regularly stirring the slightly notchy five-speed manual (unchanged) the additional pep is highly appreciated. The standard Jimny feels like you’re fighting with it on every slip road – the Twisted is happy to keep up with traffic. We weren’t kidding about the turbo noise, either. This is by some measure the most talkative turbocharger we’ve driven. Great fun, though potentially a little tiring if you’re doing a lot of stopping and starting.
Cruising at 60, the engine’s still chattering away at high rpms as it usually does but you can feel there’s just that much left in reserve. It makes for a much more relaxing experience.
The other modifications also add to the air of maturity. Having the rear anti-roll bar is a godsend – it allows you to approach corners with far more confidence than the standard car, which feels as though it’ll tip over given enough provocation. It rides better, too, though still within the limitations of an off-roader with a very short wheelbase.
Those expecting a hot hatch on stilts may be a little disappointed, and admittedly when we heard about the Twisted our thoughts went at first to how tail-happy the rear-drive Jimny might be when endowed with a decent lump of power. But even 163bhp isn’t enough for this to let loose on tarmac – at any rate, the traction control turns itself back on before you’re going fast enough to do anything. Probably wise.
Twisted hasn’t done anything (yet) to sort the Jimny’s slow and rather vague steering, either, but is looking into the possibility of installing a more precise rack at a later date.
Of course it’s still a little monster off-road. Unlike the newer Land Rover products, there’s no automation to the Jimny’s prowess on the rough stuff. Just selectable four-wheel drive from a proper transfer box, chunky tyres, plenty of ground clearance and as much bravery as the person behind the wheel’s willing to offer up.
Is it nice inside?
It smells incredible, first off. No vegan leather alternatives here – this is proper cow. It’s wrapped around the seats, steering wheel, door handles and door cards, gear levers and across the centre console. Even the little oddments tray ahead of the gear lever hasn’t escaped attention.
If we’re being super picky – and we kind of have to be – Twisted could have treated the Jimny’s exposed bolts a little better. It’s a styling feature in the standard car, but instead of trimming around them they’ve simply been covered over, leaving a noticeable divot in the leather.
The Alpine head unit is noticeably third-party, but then so is the one Suzuki fits to its own passenger cars. It has CarPlay and Android Auto and is therefore more than good enough for us – plus, it’s positioned nice and high without blocking the driver’s eyeline.
The new headlining is thick and plush, and happily Twisted’s removed the mesh bulkhead that comes standard on the Jimny Commercial this is based on. This allows the seats to move back to their fullest extent, making room for human-sized drivers. Being based on the Commercial does mean no back seats – but they were only ever a token effort anyway, and you’re left with a really well-sized boot instead.
Verdict
It should have been fairly obvious at the outset that this wasn’t going to be the most objective of reviews. I love the standard Suzuki Jimny – one that’s been given a whole chunk of extra power and some modifications that make it easier to live with is a no-brainer in my personal dream garage.
But should you buy one? Well, with prices starting from £49,500 plus VAT, you’ll need deep pockets. Twisted will sell you the full conversion for that price, but if you only fancy parts of it you can easily have your own Jimny upgraded piecemeal. Expect more bespoke parts to come as Twisted explores what’s possible with the Jimny, too. We’re anticipating a lift kit fairly soon…
You’re paying for a handcrafted product, and you’re unlikely to ever see another – but you’re also paying for what is, under the skin, a budget off-roader from a budget brand. It is, however, fantastically good fun and much more usable as a daily driver than the regular Jimny. Twisted’s redefined model retains that go-anywhere ability and cheeky character. It’ll be a purchase made with the heart rather than the head.