Jimny gets meaner: the Rhino Special Edition is built for off-road diehards

© suzuki-media.jp

Suzuki is preparing a new Jimny Rhino Special Edition for Australia. This isn’t a new generation or a deep overhaul, but a limited take on the five-door Jimny XL with a rougher look and details rarely seen on this version.

The headline change is the side graphics — a rhino emblem paired with retro stripes along the flanks. The teasers show the Jimny Rhino wearing new dark wheels with a more rugged design, while the body is finished in vivid Kinetic Yellow with a Bluish Black Pearl roof. Curiously, this two-tone scheme is usually offered in Australia on the three-door Jimny rather than the Jimny XL.

There will probably be no mechanical surprises. The basis stays the same: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine making 102 hp, the brand’s AllGrip Pro four-wheel drive and a body-on-frame structure. This is exactly the kind of car where the buyer cares less about acceleration and more about short overhangs, an honest drivetrain and the ability to go where an ordinary crossover would quickly give up.

Inside, the Jimny XL already offers a 9-inch infotainment screen, the Dual Camera Brake Support system and rear parking sensors. It’s still unclear whether the Rhino will add unique floor mats, badges or other interior trim. Suzuki is already taking expressions of interest from Australians who want to be the first to see the special edition in the metal.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but it will almost certainly sit above the regular Jimny XL, which starts at 40,490 Australian dollars in Australia — around 29,000 US dollars. That’s no small sum for a Jimny, but demand there is strong: the little off-roader remains Suzuki’s most popular model in the country.

The Rhino Edition doesn’t make the Jimny faster or roomier. What it adds is exactly what people buy this car for: rarity, character and the feeling of a small off-roader that isn’t trying to pass for an urban SUV.