THE JIMNY Estate, the compact SUV that has provided so many customers with their first taste of 4x4 motoring, now benefits from a major facelift and at no extra cost. With a fully refreshed and redesigned interior, sparkling new VVT engine, and just £9,999 on the road for the manual transmission model and £10,782 for the automatic, it remains the bargain of the SUV sector.

As fresh and distinctive as ever, the Jimny is every inch the compact, chunky SUV that backs up style with substance, as capable of tackling forays off the beaten track as it is at handling the urban cut and thrust. The variable valve timing of its new Euro IV-compliant, 16-valve 1.3-litre engine ensures lively performance, and strong fuel economy. Output rises from 82 to 85 PS. It's complemented by brand-new five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions, offering slicker changes and revised ratios perfectly matched to the characteristics of the all-alloy engine.

In everyday terms the benefits are significant, with Combined cycle consumption improving from 36.2 to 38.7 mpg and carbon dioxide emissions down from 184 to 174 g/km (automatic from 34.9 to 36.2 mpg and 189 to 184 g/km respectively). The manual Jimny is also quicker to 62mph, down from 16.8 to 14.1 seconds. Inside, it's all change, with stylish new fabrics and finishes, new front and rear seat designs providing greater support and comfort, and a new steering wheel and fresh instrument panel featuring red illumination.

Automatic transmission equipped models get a new centre console and gear selector gate, while both manual and automatic models now feature push button selection of the four-wheel drive system, located below the heating controls. This replaces the separate lever previously positioned behind the main gearshift. Finally, a new audio unit with easy to use controls and a CD player is full integrated within the stylish, all-new dash.