As you probably already know, back in 2022 we bought a 3-door Suzuki Jimny as a workhorse vehicle to take us to weird and wonderful places whilst creating content for our platform.
The Jimny comes standard with what are essentially highway-spec tyres and considering that it’s a 4×4, and the places our Jimny will be going we needed to equip it with more capable ‘shoes’. After much research—at the time—we settled on General’s highly rated Grabber AT3s. Like with bikes, the right tyres for the application are vital for performance and safety.
To say that we were satisfied with their performance is almost an understatement. The Grabbers are like a good Triathlete. To succeed at Ironman, you need to perform in all three disciplines. You don’t necessarily need to lead the swim, bike or run but you need to be up there in all three disciplines. So it is with Grabbers, they are excellent all-rounders.
With the 5-door Jimny, we needed tyres that fall within the Suzuki ‘dimensions’ specification for the Jimny. The grip-enhancing open shoulder design of the Grabbers enhances vehicle stability, with the General’s developed anti-rip compound giving way more peace of mind when you venture offroad—the Grabbers do not compromise ride comfort and are quiet and vibration-free on the highway. There is another consideration that is often overlooked, but which I believe is vital when researching tyres for your Jimny. And that is tyre weight.
Chunky mud terrains give you that ‘Monster truck’ look that people love, but it comes at a significant cost. Firstly, they typically cost more to buy. Secondly, they require more power to get them rolling, which is a big negative on a vehicle with moderate power. The rolling resistance and inertia of the heavier tyre negatively affect acceleration as well as braking. You will also pay a penalty at the pumps. This is all due to the extra 3 kilograms plus weight per tyre. Your shocks are also given a workout with the additional wheel weight. So, thanks but no thanks. Our Jimny builds are primarily about function followed by form.
General Grabbers are now original equipment on certain Isuzu as well as Ford Ranger models, testimony to their all-around excellence. Some may use the heavier-duty LT spec Grabbers, but these would be wasted on the lightweight Jimny. We opted for the same as we have on our 3-door Jimny—which is a set of Grabber AT3 (215/75/R15).
A shout out to Bestdrive Randpark Ridge, who once again did a stellar job fitting our Grabbers.
And so our 5-door project marches on, we have some interesting upcoming projects planned with our General Grabber AT3s and the 5-door Jimny—so stay tuned!
For more information visit: www.generaltire-tyres.com
