It is a battle of tiny titans.
The green corner holds the 2026 Suzuki Jimny XL auto. Five doors now, but still that same iconic little off-roader soul. Part-time four-wheel drive. Low-range gearing. Old-school charm. It’s a weekend toy with actual chops.
Then there’s the beige corner. The new kid. The 2026 Renault Duster Evolution 4×4. Arrived in Australia in 2025. It promises off-road ability but skips some mechanical luxury items found in the Jimny. Also, the AWD version here is manual.
Let’s talk origins. The five-door Jimny is built in India. The three-door? Japan. Same running gear, different factories. The Duster wears a Renault badge but is actually a Dacia product from Romania. No wonder it doesn’t quite fit the sleek modern Renault family photo.
Inconsistencies abound. One car has an auto. The other is a manual. One is the most expensive version of its lineup. The other? An entry-level grade.
They both promise that “work hard, play hard” lifestyle. Competent on days off? Blast on trails? Let’s find out.
Price and Spec
The Duster on test is the base spec. It costs exactly $1000 less than the Jimny XL Auto.
- Suzuki Jimny XL Auto: $37,490 (before on-roads).
- Renault Duster Evolution 4×4: $36,390 (before on-roads, manual).
But look deeper. The Duster range goes up to $37,995 for the Techno top-spec. The cheapest Jimny (three-door Lite manual) sits at $30,495. Generally speaking the Duster costs a bit more across the range. But for this specific comparison, prices are shockingly close.
Interior Life
Walk inside either car. Hard plastics dominate.
The Duster wins the first impression game. Larger exterior dimensions mean more cabin room. The tech looks current. You get reasonable screens for infotainment and digital dials. They are controlled via steering wheel buttons. With one exception. A curious stalk sits behind the wheel for audio controls.
Skip tracks? Use the stalk. Change volume? Use the stalk. Most Australians will miss it. Renault hasn’t changed. Us adapting.
The Suzuki feels traditional. Buttons where expected. Less intimidating. The exposed bolt heads and angular design play up the “cute-tough” exterior vibe. It begs to go bush-bashing.
But it’s cramped. Front passenger space? Tight. Suzuki squeezed every millimetre. No centre console bulge. Window switches sit centrally on the dash.
There is charm. The gauge cluster features two large bolted dials. A small screen shows vitals.
The infotainment is the weak point. Wireless Apple CarPlay works. Android Auto requires a wire. The graphics look old. Responses lag. Compare this to the Duster’s more modern interface.
Comfort favors Renault. Cloth seats in both cars. Durable yes, stain-prone also yes.
The Jimny came with carpet mats. Muddy trails later revealed this to be a poor choice. Rubber mats are optional. $149 for Renault. Nearly $300 for Suzuki.
Storage is scarce in light SUVs.
Jimny cupholders sit behind the centre console. Almost useful for rear passengers. Maybe that’s the intent. The Duster tucks them under the armrest. The long-throw shifter fights you for space. Renault added cubbies, door pockets, and “YouClip” points for accessories.
Usability. Jimny wins on ease. Duster buttons are sparsely labelled. Climate control takes a moment to decipher.
Second row? Duster offers more space. A three-person bench fits five people. Jimny seats four.
Duster rear passengers get two USB-C ports. Jimny? Nothing. No vents. No armrests.
Cargo. The Duster boot extends further back. Roof hinges on the tailgate mean it swings up out of the way. Jimny hinged sides limit load depth. Seatbacks fold in neither. Spare wheels are present. Duster puts the emergency jack exposed inside the boot. Mildly amusing.
Under the Bonnet
Performance goes to the Duster. It has a mild-hybrid system.
It drinks pricier fuel though. It does offer a user-friendly full-time AWD setup.
We drove both hard. Highways. City streets. An afternoon off-road in Victoria’s Mt Disappointment.
Fuel economy matched manufacturer claims until we hit dirt. Then consumption skyrocketed. It settled back to within 1.5L/1200km of official combined figures.
The Jimny’s four-cylinder engine wheezes. No turbo. No hybrid aid. It works harder. Less efficient. The Duster’s hybrid assistance helps.
On The Road
This is the big divide.
Drive a Jimny on pavement and you understand why some call it a mobile shed. Steering is vague. Constant corrections needed on the highway. Too much lock for parking.
The car is heavy for its size. Navigating car parks is a chore.
Contrast this with the Duster. Steering is direct. Weighted well. Predictable behavior.
Drive the Duster through the Melbourne CBD peak hour. It handles narrow streets easily. Soaks up bumps. Tram tracks? No issue. Confidence inspires trust.
Jimny handling? Wobbly.
Body roll appears at gentle turns. The thin “pizza cutter” wheels look fragile against impacts. It is flimsy feeling.
Put it on an 110kmh freeway. Wind howls. The engine screams at 3500 rpm. It feels like a light aircraft. In this context the Duster resembles a Bentley.
Acceleration. Neither car is fast. The Duster turbo three-cylinder gets to speed before on-ramp ends. The Jimny? Close your eyes and you won’t feel much thrust.
The four-cylinder is underpowered. The four-speed auto is antiquated. It hunts for gears.
Hit a slight incline at 60kmh? It downshifts aggressively. Gearing ratios are wide. It laughs at you.
Objectively poor performance? Yes. Hoot to drive? Also yes. It is different. Quaint. Endearing. You understand the cult following.
It is louder. It feels vulnerable near trucks. If you skip long highways, it works fine.
The Duster is the better all-rounder. Compact enough for city roads. The Jimny wins outward visibility but loses out on blind-spot monitors and lane-keeping aids.
Off Road Capability
Hit the trails. Suddenly everything makes sense.
The five-door Jimny loses some rampover angle due to longer wheelbase. But its mountain-goat reputation stays intact.
It attacks rocks, puddles, hill climbs. As long as a Ranger hasn’t already ruined the terrain.
Narrow track avoids ruts that trip larger 4WDs. Generous ground clearance keeps it airborne.
Duster? Still capable. Stable from the wider track. Independent suspension changes ride height dynamically.
It lacks leeway off-road. Approach and departure angles are good. But variable ground clearance is the enemy. It sat out some trails.
Jimny scampered ahead. Fixed clearance advantage. Live axles help.
One caveat. Load up the Jimny with four adults. Payload is tiny. Ground clearance drops instantly. Advantage vanishes. Duster handles weight better here.
Low-range shifter on the auto Jimny? It requires brute force to engage.
