SIZE DOESN'T MATTER

We take the dimunitive Jimny on a path of titans,

- BENJAMIN GRACIAS

Akshay is a die-hard overlander and off-roading enthusiast. He is mostly unavailable on weekends, as he heads to explore remote areas in his trusty Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. He chose the pickup for its space, performance and over all, its ruggedness and famed Japanese reliability.

He had a clear vision about his Isuzu and as you can see in the pictures, his V-Cross has been modified to take him anywhere in the world and stay a day or two there. He has spent a lot of time (and money!) to create

his version of an overlander but I, being a minimalist (and of lesser means!), feel that his vision of grandeur is a bit ostentatious. Don’t get me wrong, his overlanding rig is built to go anywhere in the world but when it comes to daily driving, surely the Isuzu can’t be practical.

Now here’s where the Maruti Suzuki Jimny comes in. I feel that it can do everything Akshay’s Isuzu can, and that too without any modifications. Like the V-Cross, it has rugged underpinnings and more importantly, solid axles on both ends and a shorter wheelbase which should help it go over obstacles with ease. More importantly, it has the dimensions of a supermini which makes it easier to drive and park in the city. 

Akshay, of course, strongly disagrees with my hypothesis. According to him, the ‘bigger is better’ mantra fits here perfectly and his V-Cross has the advantage of a larger, more powerful diesel engine. Now, we can be stubborn as mules when it comes to opinions about cars and Akshay believes that the stock Jimny cannot go places his V-Cross rig can. There is only one way to prove him wrong, right?