[2] A better opportunity presented itself in 1968, when Suzuki was able to buy bankrupt Japanese automaker Hope Motor Company, which had introduced a small off-road vehicle called the HopeStar ON360.

In other words, 4WD transmission mode should be used only on rather slippery surfaces, like snow, ice, mud, loose gravel, wet grass, and sand.

The only exceptions are later production years of third-generation Jimnys (more info in a dedicated chapter), which do not have a selection lever, but instead have servo-actuated mechanism to perform the same actions when invoked by the push of certain buttons in the cabin.

LJ80, SJ410, and early SJ413 vehicles sold in Germany were fitted from the factory with a manually operated, mechanical rear axle differential locker.

Instead of redesigning the parking brake system for that market, Suzuki appeased the legal requirement by the inclusion of a rear differential locker.

Since the new unit remained smaller than 360 cc, and Suzuki placed the spare tire inside the truck (making it a three-seater) to keep it under 3 m in overall length, it was classified as a kei car, conferring certain tax privileges and other benefits.

Towards the end of LJ20 production, a cleaner 26 PS (19 kW; 26 bhp) engine was introduced, a result of having to meet ever more stringent emissions regulations.

The 539 cc (32.9 cu in) three-cylinder engine remained a two-stroke; while power was reduced to 26 PS (19 kW; 26 bhp), more low-end torque was on offer.

The 635 kg (1,400 lb) vehicle could now hit 60 mph (97 km/h), and the spare tire was relocated outside the rear door, allowing for a fourth seat.

The home-market Jimny 550 received a facelift in 1977, introducing rear wheel-arch metal flares and a bigger bonnet or hood with cooling slots above the radiator, while the export LJ50s were instead replaced by the LJ80 (same external modifications, but with the new four-stroke, four-cylinder, 797-cc engine fitted).

It was originally intended to be marketed as the Eljot ("Elliott") in Germany, but copyright issues with Disney's Pete's Dragon movie made this impossible.

While the SJ10 remained in production for the domestic kei category, the new 770 kg (1,698 lb) SJ20 boasted a 797 cc (49 cu in) four-stroke SOHC four-cylinder F8A engine capable of around 31 kW (42 hp).

The additional power and torque of this engine allowed the differential and gearing to be raised for better cruising and offroad performance, and the track was widened by 100 mm (3.9 in).

The SJ410 was also produced in Spain by Santana Motor in their Linares, Jaén factory as of March 1985 and was sold as a domestic vehicle in Europe due to its over 60% native parts content, thereby evading limits on imports of Japanese-built automobiles.

The Suzuki Samurai became intensely popular within the serious 4WD community for its good off-road performance and reliability compared to other 4WDs of the time, outselling the Jeep Wrangler by two to one in 1987.

A lower fifth gear (.865:1 vs the earlier .795:1) increased engine speed and power on the highway, and improved dashboard and seats made the Samurai more comfortable.

[21] The Santana built SJs had softer springs for an improved on-road ride, colour coordinated interiors with cloth seats and carpeted floors, all to broaden appeal to those who did not intend to primarily off-road the vehicle.

Santana-built Samurais did not benefit from the updated coil sprung chassis introduced around 1996, instead receiving a facelift (new grille, more rounded bumpers) specific to European and neighboring markets.

In other South American markets (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay) it was sold as the Suzuki Samurai.

The Thai market also received a special version called the "Suzuki Caribian Sporty", a pickup with an extended cab with a small rear seat best suited for occasional use.

A utilitarian van (HA), as well as more luxurious Hardtop, Convertible, and Panoramic Roof (HC, CC, EC) versions were on offer.

[45] A ladder type chassis and a dual-ratio transfer case were retained, unlike many competing compact 4WDs which lack a low range, and are strictly in the crossover category.

[21] The Jimny replaced the popular Sierra/Samurai model in most markets (European introduction was in Paris, 1998[46]), though its predecessor remains in limited production in some places.

The 80 PS (59 kW) G13BB engine was replaced in Japan with the January 2000 introduction of the newly designed VVT 16-valve M-engine, but soldiered on in Spanish-built softtops until 2005.

Being a part-time 4WD, there is no centre differential or viscous coupling to allow for speed differences between the front and rear wheels, so only two-wheel drive mode works well on dry pavement.

For the Indonesian market, the facelifted Jimny was launched at the 25th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show on 10 August 2017, and 88 units were sold exclusively for a limited time only.

[49] In 2022, Suzuki Brazil[50] stopped production[43] of the third generation Jimny at their Catalão plant, due to new regulations which meant they could not use the car's 1.3-litre M13A engine without updating it.

[54] Manually operated four-wheel drive is standard with autolocking front hubs and low range, whilst an automatic transmission is optional.

[58][63] The body-on-chassis design uses a ladder frame, 3-link rigid axle suspension with coil spring, and part-time four-wheel drive with low range transfer gear, marketed as ALLGRIP PRO.

The exterior has upright A-pillars, a flat clamshell bonnet/hood, driver and passenger window lines that dip at the front to extend visibility, a simple black grille with round headlamps, roof edge drip rails, and prominent wheel arch extensions.