ONE of the hidden treasures of the modern automotive industry can be found lurking in the multitude of niches covered by Suzuki.

It is not a slick supermini or super-new sports job but a quirky and very basic little 4x4 which has defied the rigors of time and kept pace of developments in its own quiet and capable way.

It is the Jimny, the modern interpretation of the light off-roaders that have always been a hallmark of this manufacturer.

It is interesting to note that last year marked the 40th anniversary of Suzuki producing lightweight Sports Utility Vehicles and Jimny in its modern form has been with us since 1998.

The history of Suzuki 4x4s goes back to 1968 when the company bought former Japanese automaker Hope Motor Company which had produced fifteen small off-road vehicles called the HopeStar ON360.

Then in 1970, they produced the first "real" Suzuki 4x4. It was called the LJ10, and it had an air cooled, 359 cc, two-stroke, two-cylinder engine. 1972 saw the introduction of the LJ20 which led to a plethora of small off roaders including the SJ series and the Samurai.

The impressive thing about the Jimny of today is how it stays firmly on track in a market dominated by much more swish 4x4s. In many ways its longevity has surprised Suzuki bosses who freely admit that it is a pure love-it-or-hate-it vehicle.

My view is that the secret of its success is a mix of being chunky in a dinky sort of way, cheeky and very capable off road.

I recently ventured into the uncharted forest depths in one and although it may not have been the most macho 4x4 in looks it towered above many in pure gutsy ability when the going got really tough.

The Jimny's light weight and small size enable it to get into places where some much more expensive off-roaders can't. It's a bit like the old Lada Niva in terms of getting into places most others cannot reach. However Jimny is much better built and vastly more reliable.

It is marketed not really as an SUV but a genuine off-roader with push-button selectable four-wheel drive and low gear ratios.

The Jimny is sold in no fewer than 188 global markets and has achieved 2.5 million sales. Because of this Suzuki still has a great deal of faith in its future and has now upgraded the power with a Euro 5 emissions standard fuel-efficient 1.3-litre petrol engine with variable valve timing giving 39.8mpg economy on average and lower CO2 emissions of 162g/km compared to  171 of the previous version.

The upgrade also means that front fog lamps, roof rails, electric door mirrors, heated electric door mirrors and front electric windows are standard on all versions.

The Jimny is still very affordable with a lead-in price of £11,895. There are more expensive versions such as the SZ4 model, available for £12,425 with manual transmission or £13,295 with automatic transmission.

It is one of the most interesting alternatives to a hatchback giving the scope for some real off-roading and it has a dedicated following of loyal repeat customers.

You may not notch up as much street-cred on the school run with the little Jimny but you can be rest assured that you are driving one of the most capable small off-roaders in the world.