Toyota Hiace vs Suzuki Jimny 5-Door

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Toyota Hiace in South Africa

Toyota Hiace

2.5D Panel Van MT Diesel 5-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 680,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 260 Nm ⛽ 11.8 km/l
VS
Suzuki Jimny 5-Door in South Africa

Suzuki Jimny 5-Door

1.5 GLX AllGrip AT Petrol 4-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 489,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 130 Nm ⛽ 14.9 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Hiace vs Suzuki Jimny 5-Door: the short answer

Jimny 5-Door has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Hiace remains close.

Jimny 5-Door starts ZAR 241,000 cheaper Hiace from ZAR 680,900 · Jimny 5-Door from ZAR 439,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Hiace Jimny 5-Door
Maximum Power Hiace75 kW Jimny 5-Door75 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque Hiace260 Nm Jimny 5-Door130 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Engine Size Hiace2494 cc Jimny 5-Door1462 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Hiace11.8 km/l Jimny 5-Door14.9 km/l
Ground Clearance Hiace175 mm Jimny 5-Door210 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Hiace

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published ownership cover
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Jimny 5-Door

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published ownership cover
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

Hiace

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Jimny 5-Door

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published warranty or service cover

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Hiace Jimny 5-Door
Model Introduced Year 2019 2025
Generation H300 generation – front-engine layout replacing the previous cab-over design Fourth-generation Jimny five-door — JB74W. Uses identical powertrain, ladder-frame chassis, AllGrip Pro 4x4 system, and suspension geometry as the JB74 two-door. Body extended 360mm longer with full rear doors and a longer wheelbase
Facelift History Current H300 generation launched in SA in 2019 – major redesign from rear-engine layout Two-door Jimny (JB74) returned to SA market in 2021 after a nine-year absence. Five-door variant (JB74W) launched globally in 2023 and introduced in South Africa in 2025 as a distinct model — not a trim level of the two-door.
Facelift Launched Since 2019 2025
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Van SUV
Color Note White, Silver Kinetic Yellow, Bluish Black Pearl, Solid White, Granite Grey Metallic, Chili Red, Brisk Blue Metallic
Dealer Stock Note Base grade in the South Africa lineup Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active active
Segment Van SUV
Tare Mass Kg 2080 kg 1170 kg
Vehicle Type Van SUV
Drivetrain Note - Drive layout derived from the official derivative naming: 1.5 GLX AllGrip AT
Spec Hiace Jimny 5-Door
Length 5380 mm 3965 mm
Width 1880 mm 1645 mm
Height 2285 mm 1720 mm
Wheelbase 2985 mm 2590 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 175 mm 210 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 70 l 40 l
Boot/Cargo Space 5200 l 211 l
Kerb Weight 2080 kg 1215 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 3500 kg 1545 kg
Payload Capacity 1420 kg 330 kg
Towing Capacity 2000 kg 1300 kg
Seating Capacity 2 seats 4 seats
Number of Rows 1 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 6.5 m 5.7 m
Front Headroom 992 mm 990 mm
Rear Headroom Not Applicable 910 mm
Front Legroom 1032 mm 900 mm
Rear Legroom Not Applicable 600 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Hiace and Jimny 5-Door comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Hiace 37 vs Jimny 5-Door 29.

Efficiency index: Hiace 48 vs Jimny 5-Door 57.

Safety-equipment index: Hiace 44 vs Jimny 5-Door 90.

Practicality index: Hiace 71 vs Jimny 5-Door 49.

Ownership-cover index: Hiace 43 vs Jimny 5-Door 71.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Jimny 5-Door leads by 9 points

Jimny 5-Door has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Hiace remains close.

Evidence leader 58 /100
Lead 9 points
Data 95% source coverage
58
#1 Evidence leader

Jimny 5-Door

95% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 90 Check Performance 29
Performance 29
Efficiency 57
Safety 90
Practicality 49
Ownership 71
Leads by 9 points
49
#2

Hiace

84% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Practicality 71 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 48
Safety 44
Practicality 71
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Hiace +8 Efficiency Jimny 5-Door +9 Safety Jimny 5-Door +46 Practicality Hiace +22 Ownership Jimny 5-Door +28

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Jimny 5-Door

Performance 29/100
Efficiency 57/100
Safety 90/100
Practicality 49/100
Ownership 71/100

Hiace

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 48/100
Safety 44/100
Practicality 71/100
Ownership 43/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Suzuki Jimny 5-Door leads the specification evidence index with 58 pts vs 49 pts for Hiace

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Jimny 5-Door leads. However, Hiace may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Hiace vs Jimny 5-Door questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.