Suzuki Samurai – Ride that is Breathtaking

Suzuki Samurai is a SUV from the Japanese automobile giants. Suzuki made in 1985 though it was introduced as a 1986 model. Priced at $6200 for the base model, Suzuki Samurai became an instant hit among the people who wanted a sturdy vehicle having off road capabilities. The top loaded version of Samurai was then priced at $7500.

Around 1200 of the vehicles were imported initially per month from Japan but the company found that it had sold nearly 47000 units by the end of the first year. In three years time, Suzuki Samurai had sold more than 150000 units. It became the most popular convertible across the country. In fact, Samurai still holds the record for the highest number of units sold in its first years by a Japanese automobile in the USA.

Originally called Suzuki Jimny, the SJ series of cars from the company, it was Kei car or the little car made for domestic consumption only. SJ30 was fitted with a 3 cylinder 550 and 660 cc engine depending upon the model. The same SJ30 series of vehicles were made longer and wider when they began to be exported. It is not surprising that the same SJ 30 began to be known by a multitude of names depending upon the market it was being sold. It became Samurai, Sierra, Potohar, Caribian, Katana, and even Holden Drover. In India, SJ30 became popular as Maruti Suzuki Gypsy where it is available with soft and hard roof top options. It is still produced and sold in India where it is popular in the armed forces and the police forces.

Suzuki Samurai was fitted with a 4 cylinder 1.3 litre engine producing a power of 63HP. Customers had the option of buying it as a hardtop or a convertible. As the company found the hardtop version to be slow selling, it continued with it after 1989 and continued with only the convertible model. There was a 1988.5 model introduced by the company to make Samurai better suited to cater to the demands of the consumers across the country. To reduce body roll, Suzuki fitted a larger anti sway bar and a softer suspension. To increase the rpm of the engine on the highways, company fitted a 5th gear. The SUV became very popular among the consumers who were desirous of a powerful 4 wheeled vehicle having great off road capabilities. As compared with other SUV’s with off road capabilities being sold in those times, Suzuki Samurai was considered very reliable by the customers. It was a vehicle loved not only by the owners but also the manufacturers as it lent itself to modifications and upgrade quite easily.

In 1990, Suzuki introduced and improved Samurai that still boasted a 1.3 litre engine but it now produced a power of 66HP as it was a 4 cylinder engine. It was available as a 5 sped manual transmission to the customers. This was also the year when Suzuki introduced throttle body fuel injection into Samurai. Horsepower was increased only by 2 but users could feel that the vehicle had become more tractable and the engine now had more off road capabilities.

In 1991, the company introduced a pair of models having two wheel drive. One of these was JA which had no rear seats. On the other hand, there was also JS which had 2 rear seats and folding soft top. But the company discontinued with JS in the very next year. This meant there were only the 4WD JL and the 2WD JA left in the fray. The only change introduced in 1993 was the logo of the company fitted at the centre of the front grill. In 1994, even 2WD JA was discontinued and only the JL remained with a soft top. Suzuki was forced to remove the rear seats because of the safety regulations. In 2007, Suzuki Samurai broke the existing world record of highest altitude attained by a 4 wheeled vehicle as Chilean pair of Eduardo and Gonzalo went past 6698 meters.

You can get Suzuki Samurai for sale easily as it is still maintained and used by many customers across the country. Suzuki Samurai for sale is a great buy for off road capabilities at present.