The Suzuki Jimny is a little retro-styled SUV that is much adored by enthusiasts. Like it or hate it, there's no ignoring this. Despite the model changes over the years, Suzuki has retained the same old-school looks for the Jimny, and it still looks cute as a button. However, some aftermarket companies have worked on it to reveal the other, tougher side of the Jimny. Most of them provide body kits, but this particular version feels like way more than just a kit thanks to Wald International. This aftermarket manufacturer has come up with a Back Bison Edition and it looks menacing, to say the least.

Exterior

The Jimny is mainly known for its cute, old-school looks. But Wald International has turned it into an unstoppable force; at least in terms of looks. Moniker’d the Black Bison Edition, the vehicle looks as rough as they come. Kudos to Wald for retaining the signature Jimny looks, but changing everything in the process. Up front, the round headlights are complemented by a new 10-slot grille finished in black. There is a skid plate at the bottom that will safeguard the underbody to a certain extent. The fog lamps are replaced by LED Daytime Running Lights. It may draw polarizing opinions, but I feel they are bright enough to cover up for the fog lamps while adding to the overall appearance. If you watch carefully, you’ll observe that the whole face is actually a different unit. The welding, the cuts and creases, and the shut lines are not the same as on the standard Jimny. And, for the final addition on this kitted Jimny, Wald International has added twin hood scoops.

The overall design of the side profile remains boxy as ever. This baby Mercedes-Benz G-wagon sports – as I like to call them, Bullet Shots – on the flared up wheel arches. The Jimny Black Bison Edition seems to be lifted and also rides on new, bigger tires and wheels. A split bar with high intensity LED lights is placed on the roof that not just aids vision in the night, but also adds a lot of character to the overall presence of the Suzuki Jimny Black Bison. Wald International will also be coming up with three new wheel designs. Technically, they’re all the same, but the sizes and the finishes are different. It’s up on the website with the ‘coming soon’ tag. All of them look great and will leave customers in a pickle as to which one to opt for.

This little SUV looks absolutely stunning from the back. Wald has taken off the spare tire mounted on the tailgate. Nevertheless, the whole color combination and the dark theme make the Jimny Black Bison look quite nice. There is an additional fitment at the edge of the roof that is supposed to be a spoiler, but mimics the shape of the split roof LEDs at the front. It looks different because of the lift kit and the big tires, but the bumper is actually the same unit. The thick tires bulge out from the rear and give a very butch feel to the truck even from the rear. However, the best angle to look at the Jimny Black Bison is from the rear-quarter. This angle shows you the exact size of the SUV.

Interior

Wald International has not worked on the interior really. There are no photos of the same either. So, we are assuming that the cabin is in stock form. Despite the rugged looks on the outside, the cabin is refined and is on par with the hatchback segments. Suzuki is known to offer interiors that are practical, ergonomically-sorted, and come with all the creature comforts that one can ask for. The steering is perfectly-sized and fits into the hand perfectly. My only grouch here is the set of missing thumb contours. The instrument cluster contains twin pods with orange backlighting. The HVAC controls have a retro feel to them, and a very similar setup is seen on the Ignis as well. The infotainment system is a common sight. It is seen on literally all the Suzuki sub-$20,000 products. It supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In terms of comfort and space, the Jimny is not very generous, but it would be pretty stupid to expect that in an off-roader. In the end, the cabin is quite posh for a vehicle like Jimny.

Drivetrain

Again, Wald International has made no changes to the drivetrain. The SUV seems to be lifted, but the aftermarket company has not mentioned any information about it. The Jimny is basically a body-on-frame design and that makes it a niche car at this price point. It generates 89 horses and 89 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all the wheels via a five-speed manual and could be available with a four-speed automatic gearbox as well. Suzuki has installed a part-time four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case on the Jimny. Suzuki is also planning to plonk a 0.6-liter engine in here, mainly for the Japanese market. It will generate 64 horses and 71 pound-feet of torque. It seems quite underpowered even for mild off-roading. The worst way to get tangled in such situations is when the SUV runs out of breath. And, with these editions on a customized Jimny, Wald International might get a few complaints here and there.

Final Thoughts

The aftermarket company from Japan has done a great job in enhancing the aesthetics of the Jimny. It left the interior and the drivetrain untouched, but that’s not a deal-breaker. The actual deal-breaker is that we don’t get the Jimny here in the States. The off-roading scene is pretty strong in U.S. and Suzuki could sell a few thousand units of this little SUV here. We’ll have to wait for ownership reviews of the Jimny Black Bison Edition by Wald International to kick in to know how it rides in real life on a day-to-day basis.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Suzuki Jimny.