About Suzuki Samurai
The Suzuki Samurai is also called Suzuki Jimny. It is a range of compact SUVs with all-wheel drive and advanced off-road capabilities. Originally a passenger car in Japan, the company still offers a Kei version of the model for the Japanese and global market. As of September 2018, Suzuki has sold 2.85 million units of the Suzuki Samurai in 194 countries. The history of Suzuki's all-wheel-drive vehicles dates back to the second half of the 1960s. Suzuki acquired Steyr-Puch Haflinger to develop the SUV. A better opportunity came in 1968. Suzuki managed to acquire the bankrupt Japanese automaker Hope Motor Company. It produced a small SUV called the HopeStar ON360. The small Hope model was never mass-produced, and only about 45 units were produced. A special version with a spare wheel mounted behind the passenger seat allowed two small rear seats to be placed facing each other. The introduction of the left-hand drive was a sign of Suzuki's global ambitions for this vehicle.
It was first introduced to the domestic market in June 1976 to meet new vehicle regulations and stricter emissions standards. In most export markets, the SJ10 was originally called the LJ50. It was changed to the LJ55 following the introduction of the LJ80 to unify the name. The Samurai 550 for the domestic market was updated in 1977 and received metal rear wheel covers and a larger hood with vents over the radiator, while export LJ50 models were replaced by the LJ80. The SJ30 550 was primarily intended for the Japanese domestic market. The 550 is still powered by its predecessor, the LJ50, and is the last two-stroke engine produced in Japan. After its recall in November 1987, its production was discontinued in favor of the JA71 with the F5A engine. This two-stroke engine was popular with Japanese off-road enthusiasts for its lightweight and excellent torque.
Suzuki Samurai parts online
From March 1985, Santana Motor also manufactured the SJ410 in Spain at its plant in Linares. And it was sold in Europe as a domestic car, as it was composed of more than 60% domestic parts to circumvent import restrictions on Japanese-made cars. It was only available as a convertible and as a two-door van with a short wheelbase or as an estate or three-door van. Some later SJ410 models had front disc brakes, depending on which factory made them. Versions produced for Santana in March 1990 received the same chassis changes that made the SJ413 a Suzuki Samurai. Suzuki Indomobil Motor also produced the SJ410 in Indonesia from late 1982 until 2006. It was sold under various names. The original version was sold as the Suzuki Samurai. It was the continuation of the earlier Suzuki Samurai LJ. The soft-top model was sold in relatively small numbers as the Suzuki Samurai Sierra from 1983 until late 1985. In the late 1980s, Suzuki launched a 4x2 version, the Suzuki Katana, in September 1989, in response to increased taxes on all-wheel-drive vehicles.
The SJ413 had the same wheelbase as the SJ410. But as both vehicles were quite prone to crashing, Suzuki introduced a wider version of the SJ413 in 1988 with a longer wheelbase. The longer wheelbase gives the vehicle greater stability. The difference in width is the only significant difference between the SJ413 and Samurai, apart from minor cosmetic changes to the interior and exterior. In some markets, the Samurai was also available in a longer wheelbase version, but still with three doors. The LWB version still had only two rear seats for two rear passengers, and the rear passenger legroom was the same as the standard SWB version. The increased length of the car only affected the trunk behind the rear seats, which was considerably larger in the LWB version.