My Swedish Jimny

Here are attached some photos of my 2023 Suzuki Jimny. It is the first Jimny I own. Just wanted to also show the dog cage which I'm very happy with.

I installed FrontRunner load bars yesterday, quite happy with them so far they seem stable. Haven't tested mounting anything on them yet. Also got the frontrunner molle panels on the back windows, inside, I love those. They look cool, they block out some sun in the back for my dog, and they are great to hang things on.

The dividing steel frame between the front seats and the cargo area is standard on these in Sweden, since only the 2 seater is sold. I really like that too, I don't have children or anything so it's perfect. In the front I also have a firexo fire extinguisher mounted between the seats, and as you can tell I have a steel .. basket thing mounted in front of the passenger airbag. I was unsure if this would block any airbag functions when I ordered it, but I have spent time carefully observing how the passenger airbag works from collision test footage. I am pretty confident that the airbag will wrap over it without problems. As long as it's not overly full at least, I can't see that the airbag should touch it as it's inflated. But if anyone has a different opinion I'd like to hear it!

Also including 2 photos of my laser-printed leather key cover. It's not perfect but after a few tries I decided it was good enough to glue on to the key. But I plan to iterate a few more times on the design so that it looks a bit more pro. I had a problem that dust and sand and such would get stuck in the engraved areas of the cover, but after treating it with a silicone spray that isn't really a problem anymore.

That metal grill that sits in front of the air bag worries me. Anything that impedes the correct working of an air bag is potentially dangerous and looking at crash test videos will not help you because they will not have the grill in place during the test because it is not meant to be there. Also your insurance company will get very jittery at the thought that this grill is obviously impeding the correct operation of the bag and could potentially be dislodged in an accident and cause no end of mayhem in side your Jimny. At the least I suggest you advise your insurance company and ask for their advice.

Roger

Hello Mika-

Great Jimny, very well kitted-out. Looks like the dog is ready for some fun trips in the Swedish countryside.

My only quibble is with the metal basket in front of the passenger. Remember, the airbag inflates, and then the passenger hits the airbag -- hard. I think that metal item is much more dangerous than it might first appear, and I would find a different place to put it asap.

I'm glad to hear you have fitted a fire extinguisher! It is one of those things that everyone should have, but almost nobody does. One might never need it, but when one does, one needs it.  Good choice.

There are some other EU members here, and I am one, writing from the other side of the Baltic from you.  It is nice to see a Jimny with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side here in the forum.  

Here in Norway (and sweden i guess as we are very much alike) the insurance companies do not complain how we modify our cars before the accident happens and the police or "vägverket" road department say that the modification was to blame for the accident or its consequence.

Cannot recall seeing any such complaints from any insurance here unless the mods are very badly done and directly to blame.

Also on some cars it is possible to deactivate the passenger airbag.

That said, I too would not like to get the shelf in my face if the airbags deploys. I cannot tell if it does here though from the pictures.

It is nice to see practical car mods that clearly make your car fit your lifestyle better.

Remember the Norwegian Suzuki meet 02-04 august. We sure have room for more Swedes!

This is also a good reason not to cross your hands when steering, at least when moving at any speed.  It was a fairly pointless rule in the 1980s but, with airbags on all cars now, having your hand between a deploying airbag and your face is rather more damaging than just getting the airbag.

Thank you for your thoughts on this, I think you're right I should verify this mod in front of the passenger airbag to a greater extent for the sake of my passenger's safety.

It doesn't show that well on the photo, but it does actually stay just below the "airbag zone" or the rectangular area that should not be covered. But I definitely don't want to gamble with my passenger's life.

I think I will start by seeing if I can mount it in a lower position to give the airbag more freedom, and hear next time im in a Suzuki shop what they think about it. I feel that my insurance company probably wouldn't be very helpful, but I've never asked so might as well!

Thanks guys for the feedback

edit: I uploaded two better photos showing the questionable mod. I'm going to take it off this evening and try to make it so that it's no longer a question whether it will impede the airbag or not