Design-wise, the old Jimny was beginning to show its age, so there’s some irony in the fact Suzuki has modernised it by giving it something of a retro design. The new model is sharper and boxier, while retaining familiar Jimny traits such as the round headlights, independent indicators and front grille design.

It gives the new car something of a mini Mercedes G-Class vibe, served with a side of micro-sized Japanese fun. This is subjective but, to this tester, it looks fantastic.

Fantastic and tiny. The new Jimny retains the small size of its predecessors: in fact, while it’s 45mm wider and 20mm higher, this new model is actually 30mm shorter than the old one. Those dimensions ensure a variant of the Jimny (fitted with a 650cc engine) qualified for Japan’s kei car class.

That small size means this remains a small car inside. The driver’s footwell feels a little cramped, with the accelerator pedal right up against the transmission tunnel.

There are only two seats in the back, without much leg room on offer, and the luggage capacity is a mere 377 litres – and that’s with the rear seats folded down. With the seats up, there’s just 85 litres of storage, accessed through a sideways-opening boot. Still, that 377-litre total is a 53-litre improvement on the old car.

The old Jimny’s 1.3-litre petrol engine has been replaced by a new 1.5-litre unit – the only option, with Suzuki moving away from diesels – which offers 100bhp, 95lb ft of torque at 4000rpm and a top speed of 90mph. Our test car featured the five-speed manual 'box, and a four-speed auto is also available.

As those specs might suggest, the Jimny is not an especially fast car. The revvy engine takes some working to get up to speed, especially with the long gearstick’s substantial and slightly agricultural throw.

Running on 15in wheels and chunky 195/80R15 tyres and with the electrically assisted recirculating ball steering, the Jimny doesn’t offer much in the way of direct feel or driver feedback, although the short wheelbase makes it extremely direct and nimble to drive. And, as you’d expect given the car’s serious suspension, it soaks up even the biggest of bumps with ease.

The car’s high-riding, box-like dimensions and large windows ensure that visibility is excellent, although that also means wind noise is notable at higher speeds.

Still, people don’t buy a Jimny because they want a nimble city car, or a motorway cruiser. And, despite its lovable retro-stylings, this isn’t a style-over-substance ‘urban crossover’. This is a proper mini off-roader, for people who do proper mini off-roader things.

During our test drive, we were able to sample the Jimny on an off-road forest course, including deep ruts, steep hills and a muddy watersplash – and the Jimny simply never put a foot wrong.

The ability to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive, and then a four-wheel-drive low mode, gives it real ability, while the rigid axle suspension soaks up everything you can throw at it. For those who need to know such things, the approach angle is 37deg, the ramp breakover angle is 28deg, and it has a departure angle of 49deg.