Why don't Suzuki offer factory soft and hardtop models?

I had a new MGF in 2001, which was replaced with a second hand Boxster (also 2001) in 2007, I still have the Boxster 17 years later, but it has been very much a second car.

There are many reasons not to have a soft top:

- it's nosier, the MGF was very noisy at anything over 65mph;
- my Boxster needed a new roof when the rear window split, fortunately I got a re-con one and fitted it myself;
-they aren't as secure;
-they mist up faster in winter;
-most soft tops, unless they were designed as such look a bit num with the roof down;
-at some point the soft top will leak;
-there is less space as the roof has to go somewhere when folded down.

In the UK it's seldom warm enough to go more than an hour with the roof down, then you can't hear the stereo and forget it if the wife is in the car as you usually need a wooly hat.

All of this so on three or four days a year you can enjoy the wind in your hair.

It makes me wonder why I have had a 2 seater soft top for nearly 24 years, but I remember now, I love it, but only as a second car.

TBH a sun-roof would be better, but they don't seem to fit them any longer.

Robin

992 Targa

Can't think I've ever wanted my Jimny to be a soft top, especially not as an off-road vehicle in the British climate. It's hard enough keeping mine dry inside as it is!
There was a time when nearly all 4x4 manufacturers had soft top models, but that was many decades ago. Jeep are the only manufacturer that has that option now. I see them as the exception rather than the rule. Sounds like you need to buy a jeep!

By my reckoning Suzuki haven't made a soft-top Jimny since 1998, so they cannot think they are worth making

Busta wrote:

Can't think I've ever wanted my Jimny to be a soft top, especially not as an off-road vehicle in the British climate. It's hard enough keeping mine dry inside as it is!
There was a time when nearly all 4x4 manufacturers had soft top models, but that was many decades ago. Jeep are the only manufacturer that has that option now. I see them as the exception rather than the rule. Sounds like you need to buy a jeep!

Both Ford and Jeep sell soft top models. And if you exclude the pickup trucks and luxury SUVs from the list of new 4x4s, that makes up a reasonable percentage of available models.




As a recreational vehicle I can really see the appeal.

Even small scale 4x4 makers like Ibex offer soft top versions.



My Uncle and brother both have full tilt Land Rovers, very nice when out laning.
 
 
 

I think my mistake here was asking a UK forum about a Japanese manufacturer's design choice. Lol
I guess I need to find a Japanese forum.

The conversation has moved from my initial question which was why Suzuki don't offer Jimnys in soft and hartops, to the reasons why people don't like soft tops. As with Jeeps, and other makers and models previously mentioned, there are certainly merits and cons to either option, but at least you have the option. I just can't understand why Suzuki doesn't at least offer it. I'm sure the Jeep culture here (in Japan) is as big as the Jimny culture in the UK, if not bigger, so why not convert many of them into Jimny owners? The cost of gasoline here is outrageous now, so I'm sure I'm not the only one who would gladly switch.