Can't Afford a Mercedes-AMG G63? Convert a New Suzuki Jimny Into One Instead

Chad Kirchner
by Chad Kirchner

A brand new Mercedes-AMG G63 isn’t what we’d call cheap, if you can even get one. The luxury off-road monster can literally go anywhere in a style uniquely its own, but it’s big, pricey and not the most fuel efficient. So what if you want a G63 but want to get it on the cheap? You build your own out of a Suzuki Jimny.

The Jimny is the darling of forbidden fruit. It’s the opposite of the Mercedes. It’s inexpensive, frugal and small. It’s off-road prowess comes from determination and grit instead of horsepower and torque. But it is boxy like the G-Wagon. So that counts for something.

Fast Car Service out of Dubai offers this conversion for $12,250. It includes using bespoke Mercedes bits on the Jimny to make it look more like the G63. Custom components are used where Mercedes bits don’t work. What’s especially lovely is the little 1.5-liter engine in the Jimny gets side-exit exhausts just like the Mercedes-AMG version does. Though it’s safe to say they don’t sound the same.

The upgrades are nearly half the price of a brand new Jimny. Though that’s only a fraction of the starting price of a $147,500 for the full-size, full-on version of the Geländewagen.

I like the new Jimny the way it is. I like the quirky colors and simplistic interior. While I get why it wouldn’t do well in the United States, I’m not sure if I had one I’d want to drop a bunch of money into it to make it look like something else. But the quality of the Dubai firm’s work looks great and it is well executed. I feel like it’d be a great supplement to a regular G-Wagon already in the garage for those who are positioned well enough to have one.

[Source: Autoblog] [Image: Instagram]

Chad Kirchner
Chad Kirchner

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  • Dima Dima on Jul 17, 2019

    In my city (Basel) there are not many G-Klasse, I have seen more around Zurich, still, BMW is more popular around here.

  • GenesisCoupe380GT GenesisCoupe380GT on Apr 07, 2020

    Whoever came up with this idea has far too much time on their hands because this is like a lifelike replica of a Power Wheels toy

  • Tassos Tim is not that good with colors.The bright "pink" is not pink, but FUCHSIA. Both colors may look good on a woman's sweater, but not on steel panels.
  • Tassos While I was a very satisfied owner of a much earlier Accord COupe 5 speed (a 1990 I owned from 1994 to 2016), I don't like the exterior styling of this one so much, in fact the 2017 sedan looks better. Or maybe it sucks in white. The interior of my 1990 was very high quality, this one looks so-so. The 157 k miles were probably easy highway miles. Still, Hondas are not Toyotas, and I remember the same service (like timing belt replacement) back then cost TWICE for an Accord than for a Camry. Add to this that it has the accursed CVT, and it's a no. Not that I am in the market for a cheap econobox anyway.
  • 3-On-The-Tree My 2009 C6 corvette in black looks great when it’s all washed and waxed but after driving down my 1.3 mile long dirt road it’s a dust magnet. I like white because dust doesn’t how up easily. Both my current 2021 Tundra and previous 2014 Ford F-150 3.5L Ecobomb are white
  • Bd2 Would be sweet on a Telluride.
  • Luke42 When will they release a Gladiator 4xe?I don’t care what color it is, but I do care about being able to plug it in.
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