With its squared-off and upright styling, the Suzuki Jimny is a distinctive and characterful 4x4.

It may have its drawbacks, but it’s also a fun and funky vehicle if you’re looking for something a bit different.

This ultra-compact 4x4 is a vehicle that’s likely to appeal most to those with a genuine requirement to go off-road or who regularly have to drive on broken surfaces.

As a workhorse over rough terrain, it’s an appealing option.

On the flip side, its on-road manners are not the most cultured. At low speed, it crashes over bumps and, on the motorway, the ride seems very unsettled. The steering is somewhat vague and slow.

Of course, you only need look at the Jimny to realise that it’s designed more for the mud than the metropolis.

It manages to look both purposeful and cute at the same time, in a super-cool retro way.

The more rugged and robust side to its personality is expressed through the large wheel arches, spare wheel on the boot, and solid-looking side panels.

Meanwhile, bold circular LED headlights and a five-slot grille further add to the Jimny’s individuality.

Power is provided by a 1.5-litre normally-aspirated petrol unit and, as standard, you get a manual gearbox with five speeds.

With 109bhp and a top speed of just 90mph, you have to work the four-cylinder unit quite hard when you want to get a move on.

Road noise and wind noise are well suppressed, especially if you stay below 50mph.

Off-road, the Jimny will take you places that bigger and more pricey SUVs struggle to go.

The engineering that makes all that possible includes the four-wheel-drive system, a traditional steel ladder frame chassis, and three-link rigid axle coil spring suspension. There’s also hill hold and descent control, brake support and other driver assistance systems.

This new Jimny is 30mm shorter, 45mm wider and 20mm taller than its predecessor. It also has a bigger boot than before.

Not surprisingly, this baby 4x4’s compact dimensions mean space is a little tight inside.

That said, the cabin is a pleasant place to be and the front seats are comfortable.

Those sat in the back two seats will find legroom a bit on the cramped side.

The unfussy dashboard is well-laid out and intuitive, with all the main instruments within easy reach.

The materials used throughout the cabin feel durable and robust, although the amount of black plastic means - despite the odd design flourish - the interior perhaps lacks a splash of colour.

Only top-spec Jimny SZ5 models, such as the one tested here, benefit from a touchscreen as standard. .

The infotainment set-up has bags of functionality - including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and sat-nav.

And it’s undoubtedly easy to use, with the main menu consisting of four instantly recognisable shortcut squares.

The Jimny offers the latest in safety technology as standard, including features such as Dual Sensor Brake Support, Lane Departure Warning and Weaving Alert.

It’s an ultra-honest and unpretentiousness vehicle which starts at a very reasonable price - just under £15,000.

Jimnys have loyal buyers and something of a cult following. The outgoing model lasted no less than two decades on sale, so it’s rare that a new one comes along.

However, with longstanding Jimny design cues retained and numerous aspects of the vehicle improved, it looks set to maintain its popularity.

It might not be the most complete 4x4 you can buy, but it possesses an endearing cute-meets-rough character that makes it entertaining to live with.

And it's already winning plaudits, notably winning the recent Autocar Awards ‘Game Changer’ accolade.

THE LOWDOWN

Suzuki Jimny 1.5 SZ5

PRICE: £17,999 on the road

ENGINE: 1462 four-cylinder, four-valve unleaded

TRANSMISSION: Manual five-speed, 4x4

ECONOMY: 41.5mpg combined and emissions of 154g/km

MAX SPEED: 90mph