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Suzuki Jimny LCV is a bare-bones two-seater

The Suzuki Jimny is a truly versatile vehicle, and we don't just mean in its prodigious off-road capabilities. Turns out, the compact 4x4 can be configured in a variety of ways to skirt the road tax rules and enthusiast demands of various markets, making it an even more desirable proposition for a budget four-wheeler. The latest variant arrives in the form of the Jimny LCV for the U.K. market. That stands for Light Commercial Vehicle, and as such it's not subject to the same strict emissions rules as passenger cars. It also means that it doesn't come with any rear seats, expanding the cargo area to just a hair over 30 cubic feet. In fact, the U.K.'s emissions laws were so strict, Suzuki was forced to take the Jimny off the market in early 2020. After a year's hiatus, this workaround was the only way to bring the popular SUV back to old Blighty. There's only one trim level to the Jimny LCV. It comes with solid colors, but you can order metallic or two-tone paint for an extra charge, its only option. As with most LCVs, there's a safety partition separating the cargo from the front seats. Compared to the passenger version with all seats folded flat, there's an extra 1.2 cubic feet of hauling space. The Jimny LCV might just be the latest version, but it's not the only one. There's already a narrow-body and small displacement version to qualify it as a kei car in its native Japan. Also, there's the recently announced Jimny Lite to serve as a blank canvas for enthusiasts who want to build their own rig. Like the Jimny Lite, the Jimny LCV comes with analog climate controls as opposed to digital, a traditional stereo in place of a touchscreen, halogen headlights instead of LED, 15-inch steel wheels instead of aluminum and a five-speed manual as the only transmission option. It differs from the cost-saving Lite, however, in that the LCV retains its fog lamps. Of course, it the LCV still retains the things that make it a great off-roader, including the ladder-frame construction, solid front and rear axles, and low-range gearing. In essence, it's a wink to true enthusiasts who missed their chance to get a Jimny prior to 2020. Suzuki U.K. says that it will be "available in very limited numbers" for 2021. So, if you live there and want a new Jimny, the four-wheeling gods have given you a rare second chance. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Suzuki design chief discusses Tokyo e-Survivor SUV concept

Underdog Suzuki is one of the more mysterious Japanese brands. Rarely talked about, or indeed self-promoted, it quietly sold nearly 3 million vehicles worldwide in 2016 (alongside sister brand Maruti), and Suzuki has made some intriguingly original cars in recent years. Take the cute-but-tough Ignis city car SUV or the boxy-but-compact Hustler minivan, plus quite a few more. Autoblog took the chance to catch up with the automaker's relatively new head of design, Akira Kamio, at the recent 2017 Tokyo Motor Show to discuss Suzuki latest e-Survivor SUV Concept, plus his personal inspirations. The 54-year-old Kamio – whose design back catalog includes the concept and production Splash city car and second-generation Vitara small SUV, among others – says the beach-buggy-on-steroids show car "imagines a 2030 autonomous car with electric motors within each wheel on a ladder frame." That's a long way out in conceptual terms, as some of the vehicle's futuristic details suggest – rim sections that change color from green to blue according to mode aren't strictly necessary – but there is solid functional thinking to some of its more outlandish elements. Case in point, the see-through doors – long a staple of concept-car design from Italian masters such as Giugiaro and others – have been rendered here in a forward-thinking way. "When in autonomous mode the door glass goes opaque for privacy," Kamio said. "But when in off-road mode, the door glass automatically clears again so the driver can see the obstacles around it to help maneuver over rough terrain. This feature works on the model; it's a serious concept." As to the most relevant element of the e-Survivor's design for nearer-term vehicles, Kamio points to the five vertical slots with the Suzuki "S" logo in front of the center slot. A familiar design cue of the classic Jimny SUV, here this graphic is illuminated and set behind a black-tinted perspex-like cover. Kamio would not be drawn on when the next version of that long-running vehicle would arrive. But given that the third-generation version of the Jimny has been in production since 1998, the mark 4 is long overdue – even by the standards of Jimny's long manufacturing cycles – and is widely expected to arrive in 2018, taking proportional and design detail cues from the e-Survivor.

Automotive Grade Linux will be the backbone of your connected car

Creating a backend for a secure, reliable, and expandable infotainment system is costly and time consuming. The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization, has set out to promote and advance the Linux operating system in commercial products. Automotive Grade Linux, or AGL, is a group within the Foundation that seeks to apply a Linux backend to a number of automotive applications in a variety of vehicles from various suppliers and manufacturers. AGL's goal is to create a common, unifying framework that allows developers and manufacturers to easily implement applications across platforms. Currently, the focus is on infotainment systems, but AGL has plans for instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and eventually active safety software. At CES, a display from Panasonic showed a completely digital and customizable dashboard that allows information and apps to be moved from the gauge cluster to the infotainment screen and back, all through the use of gesture and touch controls. Although the organization has been around for five years, it's really only been in the past three that the group has been working hand in hand with automakers and suppliers. The first two OEMs to participate, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover, have since been joined by Mazda, Suzuki, Ford, and, as of this week, Daimler. The latter is important as until now most of AGL's partner's have been based in Japan or the US. Other partners include suppliers Denso, Renesas, Continental, Qualcomm, and Intel. AGL want's to supply roughly 80 percent of the backend, allowing partners to then finish and refine the Linux system for each individual application. Think of how the Android operating system is refined and customized for individual smartphones from Samsung, LG, and Motorola. While the final product looks different, developers can have an application that will work across all AGL systems. Because it is open source, anyone can use and develop for AGL. You can even go onto the group's website and download a copy right now. There is also a software development kit available that helps facilitate app creation on the platform. Vehicle development cycles take roughly five years, so there currently are no cars that run an AGL backbone available for consumers. AGL Executive Director Dan Cauchy says products should be hitting the market later this year, with even more coming in 2018. Right now, the industry is relatively fragmented when it comes to infotainment and related systems.