Jimny 5-door – cute off-roader now comes with extra length
Since its launch in the late 1960s, nearly 3.5 million Suzuki Jimnys have been sold worldwide, picking up numerous awards along the way.
The story of how Suzuki's Trojan became one of the most reliable and durable two-wheel farm bikes on the market begins in the early 1970s.
For most farmers, transport has been a key towards more efficient farming practices and as on-farm transport improved, farm sizes increased, to be managed by smaller numbers of staff.
Early attempts at manufacturing farm bikes specifically for New Zealand conditions were rugged, yet very basic. So much so that farmers spent a lot of time either falling off or repairing the early models.
It took several years for farm bikes to become an indispensable tool on most farms, but the Japanese manufacturers took note and started to develop more efficient ways to get around the farm.
Suzuki developed the iconic Mudbug series in the early 1970s with the TF100, 125 and 185 models. These two-strokes were reliable, easy to maintain and most importantly, got farmers around the farm with the minimum of fuss.
Sales boomed in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, right up until when Suzuki introduced the first four wheeled ATV, the LT125.
Farmers immediately grasped the importance of ATVs, offering the ability to be able to carry more, or the convenience of being able to tow a small trailer.
Suzuki has continued the development of farm-bikes and ATVs, including the country’s best-selling farm bike, the DR200 Trojan.
Developed by Suzuki New Zealand, the prototype machine was built in Wanganui, before being shipped back to Japan and being introduced as the DF200ET.
The popularity of this model has seen it become the number one selling 200cc farm bike, built to exacting Japanese quality standards,making the Trojan one of the most reliable and durable two-wheel farm bikes on the market today.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).