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Suzuki Jimny Lite is a blank canvas for off-road enthusiasts

One of the most desirable new vehicles for sale right now is the Suzuki Jimny. The compact 4x4 was developed with a "less is more" philosophy, giving off-roaders everything they need to traverse harsh terrain, but with an affordable price and none of the luxo-fluff that many modern trucks come with. Now, Suzuki has announced an even more bare-bones Jimny Lite that delivers exactly what four-wheelers want in a no-nonsense, affordable package. First and foremost, the Jimny Lite will still offer the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 101 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque, along with the same low-range four-wheel-drive and ladder frame construction that make the original such a great little off-roading machine. However, while regular Jimnys have a four-speed automatic option, the Jimny Lite will be offered with only one transmission choice, a five-speed manual.  Rather than alloys, the rig — called the "Diet Jimny" in an image filename on Suzuki Australia's website — will come with 15-inch steel wheels, tougher and cheaper than aluminum. Other exterior changes include halogen headlights rather than LED projectors, deleted fog lamps, and the subtle substitute of plastic textured side mirrors instead of the current gloss black units. Cabin wise, the infotainment touchscreen that includes satellite navigation as standard will be replaced with a old-school in-dash radio and CD player. Bluetooth is still included, though, so you can still stream navigation and digital music from your phone. Additionally, the digital climate controls will be chucked for a manually operated system. This sounds like a dream come true for enthusiasts, who tend to enjoy using their own aftermarket wheels, auxiliary lighting, and stereo options. Though pricing hasn't been announced, the Suzuki Jimny Lite will presumably be even more affordable, giving wrenchers a blank canvas to build their own rigs without paying up front for stuff they don't need. It's like when Toyota offered the 86 RC, a steel-wheeled, unpainted-bumper version of the 86 for race car builds. Unfortunately, like the 86 RC, the Jimny's sale area does not include the United States. The Jimny is available in its native Japan, south of our border, in Europe, Australia, as well as several other markets around the world. We don't see it coming stateside anytime soon, but that hasn't stopped us from longing for a Jimny from afar. With the Jimny Lite, our desire grows even stronger.

Buy my Vitara, special-effects pro says in greatest commercial Suzuki never made

A month ago, Eugene Romanovsky posted an advertisement to sell "my best friend," his 1996 Suzuki Vitara, also known as the Sidekick in the United States, on YouTube. The 2.1 million people who have viewed the commercial so far may not have actually considered taking the car off his hands, but every one of them has had a good laugh. The production values of the video far surpass the production values that went into the making of the car itself. Romanovsky is a special-effects artist at the creative group Gravity in Tel Aviv. For the remaining few million of you who have not yet seen the #BuyMyViara video, it would be a disservice to tell reveal what's in it. Let's just say there's not much that isn't in it. The car's book value of a couple-grand belies the fact that it is truly the most amazing vehicle ever built. It does, after all, boast 96 horsepower and a manual transmission featuring a low gear. Trust us, just watch the video. Related Video: Weird Car News Suzuki SUV Videos viral video

Suzuki calls in 26,000 Daewoo-built Veronas for overheating lights

Suzuki is recalling yet another Daewoo-built model due to possible problems with the daytime running light module in the instrument panel. This time it covers about 25,899 units of the Suzuki Verona from the 2004 through 2006 model years that need fixing. Like the repair campaign of the Forenza and Reno in May, it's possible for the part to overheat, melt and potentially cause a fire.
According to the Chronology of Principal Events section in the defect notice submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this recall was actually a direct result of the Forenza/Reno campaign. After finding the problem in those vehicles, General Motors Korea started investigating for more affected models and discovered that the Verona was also at risk. However, the report says that no cases of melting or fires have been found in the Verona.
Obviously, Suzuki will be notifying affected owners and will replace the DRL module free of charge. Scroll down to read the recall request or check out the full defect notice in PDF format, here.