In January 2025, I took a sudden decision and bought a Maruti Suzuki Jimny (Alpha MT variant). The decision to buy this vehicle was taken without much thought. For the first few months, I used it for everyday driving and short trips. But now it was time to give it a real test – a long road trip. And we decided to drive the Jimny on a journey of over 2000 km from Delhi to Assam.
In this article, I am sharing with you the experience of this journey – how the vehicle performed on long distance travel, what are its plus points, and where its shortcomings come to the fore.
A Little Background About Jimny
People often like Jimny for its off-roading capabilities. But in this article, we will focus only on the touring experience of Jimny, i.e. how was the experience of driving it on long distance highway drives. The other car in our house is Renault Duster 1.3 MT, which is usually used for long drives. So the expectations of such a long journey from Jimny were a bit mixed.
Day 1: Delhi to Kushinagar – Approx 910 km
We started out from Delhi at around 5:40 am. First got on the Yamuna Expressway via Noida, then Greater Noida. After this, headed east via the Agra-Lucknow Expressway (ALE). The speed limit on ALE is now 100 kmph, but some boards still show 120 km/h.
After driving the whole day, we reached Kushinagar at around 6 pm, which is near the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. On this day, we covered a distance of 900 km from Delhi, bypassing Agra, Lucknow, then Ayodhya and Gorakhpur.
Day 2: Kushinagar to Siliguri – Approx 580 km
The next morning at 6:30 am, we resumed our journey. We refuelled and entered Bihar through the Gopalganj border. We bypassed Muzaffarpur and took a quick break at a tea stall there. We then had a brunch on the highway near Darbhanga and crossed Araria, then went via Naxalbari and reached Siliguri by evening.
The area is surrounded by mountains and is beautiful. The greenery and tea gardens are very pleasing.
Day 3: Siliguri to Guwahati – Approx 480 km
This was the last stretch of the journey and we started it with a little relaxation. We crossed this narrow corridor of North-East India through Hasimara Forest. This area is famous for its tea plantations and is also close to Bhutan.
The traffic on the highway was a little heavy here – especially trucks, buses and a few cars. This is where the Jimny’s biggest weakness comes to the fore – overtaking. The Jimny’s 1.5-litre engine is fine, but if you have to make quick overtakes, it proves to be a bit weak. You have to plan every overtake. But if you want to enjoy the journey rather than reach quickly, the Jimny is the best at that.
We reached Guwahati by 5 pm.
Day 4 and 5: Guwahati to Jorhat – Approx 320 km
We stayed in Guwahati for two days to visit a sick friend and also get the Jimny serviced. Then in the afternoon, we left Guwahati for Jorhat. The road was good and we also saw a herd of elephants near Kaziranga National Park – which was a memorable part of the journey.
By the time we reached Jorhat, we had covered a total of about 2300 km.
Read more: Booking Open for Tata Sumo 2025 New Model Priced at ₹8.99 Lakh
Is the Jimny Suitable for Long Distances?
The answer is – yes, but with some limitations.
Performance
- The Jimny can comfortably run at a speed of 100-110 km/h.
- It has a good pickup from 0 to 80 km/h.
- Above 100 km/h, the car starts feeling slow.
- The turbo petrol is weak when compared to SUVs, but is enough for traveling.
Mileage
- The best mileage is obtained at a speed of 85-90 km/h – around 17 kmpl.
- At 100+ speeds, the mileage drops to 12.5-13 kmpl.
- The fuel tank is small – range of only 450-460 km.
Ride Quality and Handling
- The Jimny feels quite stable at 80-100 km/h on the highway.
- Despite the body-on-frame design, the car handles shocks well.
- Not as smooth as the Duster, but better than many SUVs.
Seating and Comfort
- The front seats are comfortable, but pillion riders may get tired on long distances.
- The driver’s seat doesn’t have a good footrest for the left leg, which is a bit annoying on long drives.
Braking
- The brake grip is a bit slow, sharp braking on the highway needed a little more strength.
Air Conditioning
- The Jimny’s AC is great.
- The cabin cools down in a matter of minutes – the best AC among all old vehicles.
Music System
- The Arkamys sound system is quite good.
- The stock setup is good enough even for music lovers.
Lighting
- The stock LED headlights give enough light.
- We avoid late night drives, so this setup was sufficient.
Luggage Space
- There is enough boot space to carry a week’s worth of luggage for 2-3 people.
- With 4 people, luggage storage can be a bit tight.
Some Tips for Long Drives
- Don’t drive late into the night.
- Start at 5-6 am every day, and stop in the evening after sunset.
- Clean the windshield at every break, check tyre pressure.
- Do route planning before the trip – like we chose Siliguri as a night halt, which turned out to be great.
Conclusion
The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is a lovely, reliable and fun SUV, especially for those who want to be a real fan of road trips. Want to have fun? If you’re not after speed and want to live the journey, Jimny is a great companion.
Yes, there are some limitations – like luggage space and overtaking power – but these aren’t major drawbacks if you plan your trip well.
