Suzuki Jimny

• Kei or not: the JB23 and JB64 are 658 cc turbo kei cars; the JA51 and the JB74 Sierra are not kei cars.
• SJ413 is this site's route label; Suzuki's Japanese records call the 1.3-litre car the Jimny 1300, JA51, on sale from November 1984.
• Not every JB23W has four-wheel drive: the J2, on sale 15 February 2001, is rear-wheel drive.
• Dated figures: JB74 power is 102 PS at launch, 101 PS now; JB23 torque is 10.8 kgf·m at launch, 103 N·m in April 2010.
• Recalls apply to defined chassis ranges on the JB23W, JB64W and JB74W; check the individual chassis number.
• US age is judged from each car's build date, so a JB64 or JB74 built in 2018 reaches 25 years in 2043.

• Part-time 4WD with a two-range transfer case on every route (JB23 J2 excepted)
• Rigid axles front and rear; leaf springs on the JA51, three-link coil springs on the JB23, JB64 and JB74
• Ladder frame on the JB23, JB64 and JB74
• Three-door bodies; the five-door Nomade (JC74) is a separate model

Dates are Suzuki Japan's announcement or sale-start dates, not build dates. Each generation page keeps its own specification tables.

Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Suzuki Jimny guide data.

Jimny JA51 (SJ413 route; 1984–1988)

Chassis code: JA51

Third generation — JB23 (1998–2018, kei)

Chassis code: JB23W

Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.

This guide uses Suzuki Japan's specifications for Japanese-market Jimnys. US Samurai figures appear only as labelled comparisons. Verify the original sales market before applying Japanese specifications to a car abroad, and calculate import age from the individual build date.

Engine options

Which Jimny is a kei car?

The JB23 (on sale 7 October 1998) and the JB64 (5 July 2018) are kei cars with a 658 cc turbocharged engine rated 64 PS. The JB74 Jimny Sierra, launched on 5 July 2018, is a registered-class car with a 1,460 cc engine. Suzuki's 1.3-litre Jimny 1300 (JA51) was not a kei car either.

What does SJ413 mean on this site?

SJ413 is the route label for the 1.3-litre Jimny of the 1980s. Suzuki's Japanese records list the car sold in Japan as the Jimny 1300 (JA51), on sale from November 1984, with domestic sales ending in 1988. We found no Suzuki Japan document applying SJ413 to a Japanese car, so that page uses JA51 figures.

Does every JB23W have four-wheel drive?

No. The normal range is part-time 4WD with low range, but the J2, on sale from 15 February 2001, keeps the JB23W code (TA-JB23W) and is rear-wheel drive. Read the full type code and check the transfer case.

Is a five-door Jimny a JB74?

No. Suzuki's Japanese chronology lists the five-door Jimny Nomade as JC74, introduced in 2025. The JB74 is the three-door Jimny Sierra.

When can a Jimny be imported to the US?

The US age rule is 25 years from each car's date of manufacture (49 CFR 591.5(i)), so use the build date, not the model year. EPA expects the engine to be the same model and configuration as the original. State rules differ. Canada counts 15 years from the month and year of manufacture.