Suzuki Jimny 5-Door vs GWM Jolion

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

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
VS
GWM Jolion in South Africa

GWM Jolion

1.5T Hybrid LT Hybrid Current
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 115 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 17.9 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Jolion
Fuel Economy Jolion
🛡 Safety Jolion
📦 Practicality Jolion
🔑 Ownership Jimny 5-Door
Jolion starts ZAR 30,000 cheaper Jimny 5-Door from ZAR 439,900 · Jolion from ZAR 409,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Jimny 5-Door Jolion
Maximum Power 75 kW @ 6000 rpm 115 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque 130 Nm @ 4000 rpm 250 Nm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1497 cc
Claimed Mileage 14.9 km/l 17.9 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 190 mm
Boot / Load Bay 211 l 340 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1215 kg 1500 kg
Seating Capacity - -
Warranty 5 5 Years / 100,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Jolion has a slight advantage, but Jimny 5-Door remains highly competitive.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Jolion +22 pts
Efficiency Jolion +16 pts
Safety Jolion +2 pts
Practicality Jolion +11 pts
Ownership Jimny 5-Door +6 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jimny 5-Door

Strengths
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use
🏆 Overall Winner

Jolion

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger safety package
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jimny 5-Door

  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Jolion

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jimny 5-Door Jolion
Hybrid System Not Applicable Parallel Hybrid
Combined Power Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Combined Torque Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Number of Motors Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Motor Location Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Quarter Mile Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Launch Control Not Officially Disclosed No
Rev Limiter Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio 61.7 kW/tonne Not Officially Disclosed
Torque-to-Weight Ratio 107 Nm/tonne Not Officially Disclosed
Usable Battery Capacity Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Electric Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
DC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
Engine Code K15B GW4B15A
Aspiration Naturally Aspirated Turbocharged
Cylinders 4 4
Stroke 85.1 mm 90.8 mm
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 10.5:1
Top Speed 140 km/h 188 km/h
Engine Displacement 1462 cc 1497 cc
Fuel Type Petrol Hybrid
Engine 1.5-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol 1.5-litre Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid
Cylinder Layout Inline Inline
Valves 16 16
Bore 74 mm 72.5 mm
Fuel System Multi-Point Injection Direct Injection
Drive Type RWD FWD
Maximum Power 75 kW @ 6000 rpm 115 kW @ 5500 rpm
Transmission 4-Speed Automatic Not Officially Disclosed
Valves per Cylinder 4 4
0-100 km/h 15.5 sec 9.5 sec
Battery Capacity Not Applicable 1.8 kWh
AC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
DC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Regenerative Braking Not Applicable Yes
Battery Type Not Applicable Lithium-ion
Battery Voltage Not Applicable 48 V
Motor Type Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Drive Modes Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Maximum Torque 130 Nm @ 4000 rpm 250 Nm
Spec Jimny 5-Door Jolion
Variable Valve Timing VVT on Intake Camshaft Yes
CO2 Emissions 173 g/km 128 g/km
Start Stop System Not Available Yes
Hybrid System Type Not Applicable Full Parallel Hybrid (DHT)
Noise Level 69 dB Low
Fuel Octane Requirement 93 RON Unleaded 95 Octane Unleaded
Euro Emission Standard Euro 5 Euro 5
Green NCAP Rating Not Independently Rated 4/5
Idle CO2 Output Within Euro 5 Limits 128
Fuel Evaporation Control Evaporative Emission Control (EVAP) EVAP Canister
CO2 Emissions G Km 173 128
Particulate Filter Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) No

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Jolion leads by 10 points

Jolion has a slight advantage, but Jimny 5-Door remains highly competitive.

Winner 68 /100
Lead 10 points
Data 97% confidence
68
#1 Winner

Jolion

97% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Performance 51
Performance 51
Efficiency 73
Safety 94
Practicality 60
Ownership 65
Leads by 10 points
58
#2

Jimny 5-Door

98% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Performance 29
Performance 29
Efficiency 57
Safety 92
Practicality 49
Ownership 71
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Jolion +22 Efficiency Jolion +16 Safety Jolion +2 Practicality Jolion +11 Ownership Jimny 5-Door +6

Moderate difference between the models.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Jolion

Performance 51/100
Efficiency 73/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 60/100
Ownership 65/100

Jimny 5-Door

Performance 29/100
Efficiency 57/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 49/100
Ownership 71/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 GWM Jolion wins with 68 pts vs 58 pts for Jimny 5-Door

In structured scoring, Jolion emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jimny 5-Door may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Jolion edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Jimny 5-Door 57 vs Jolion 73. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Jimny 5-Door 92, Jolion 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Jimny 5-Door 71, Jolion 65. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Jimny 5-Door 49, Jolion 60. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jimny 5-Door 29, Jolion 51. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Jolion edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Jolion scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Jimny 5-Door and Jolion in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jimny 5-Door scores 29 vs 51.

Efficiency: Jimny 5-Door scores 57 vs 73.

Safety: Jimny 5-Door scores 92 vs 94.

Practicality: Jimny 5-Door scores 49 vs 60.

Ownership: Jimny 5-Door scores 71 vs 65.

Final structured scoring gives Jolion the advantage in this comparison.