'Cutesy' Suzuki Jimny micro-SUV to get tough new image

Also making a global debut in the next week are two new concepts based on the cheeky Jimny SUV.

While the standard car has as much tough demeanor as a fluffy Shih Tzu, the pair have a far more aggressive look designed to defy its cutesy image.

Both will be showcased at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon from January 11.

The more eye-catching of the two is the Jimny Sierra that shows what a pick-up version of the SUV would look like with an open load bay at the back.

The addition of wood paneling, golf paint, towing hitches LED off-road driving lamps and retro wheels make it look like a modern twist on an early-edition Land Rover.

On display alongside it in the Japanese capital will be the Jimny Survive, which converts the family 4x4 into a rugged van.

Read more: New Suzuki Jimny detailed as the best lightweight off-road 4x4

It gets extra offroad provisions with crash plates to protect the underside of the vehicle, a front-mounted winch, external roll bar and set of steel tracks that can be used to cross rivers. 

With the conventional Jimny being one of the standout new releases of 2018, expect the duo to win plenty of fans when they're officially unveiled.  

- Daily Mail