Mention the word “Autozam” and JDM enthusiasts will immediately think of Mazda’s (now defunct) kei car brand. While it only lasted for less than a decade, cars like the Autozam AZ-1 and the AZ-3 showed that kei cars need not be boring. But did you know they also sold rebadged versions of certain Suzuki vehicles?

That’s right, Mazda and Suzuki had a history of cross-badging certain vehicles. These included older generations of the Suzuki Carry (Autozam Scrum) and the Suzuki Wagon R (Autozam AZ-Wagon). But what caught us by surprise was the Mazda AZ-Offroad, the badge-engineered version of the third-generation Suzuki Jimny.

First launched in October 1998, the AZ-Offroad was essentially a nod to Mazda’s ill-fated Autozam brand, which at the time was already winding down operations. However, the AZ-Offroad proved to be popular with buyers despite being based on the Suzuki Jimny. Apart from having Mazda badges both inside and outside of the vehicle, the AZ-Offroad doesn’t hide the fact that it’s from a different brand.

Instead of a 1.3L four-cylinder under the hood, the AZ-Offroad was only available with a 658cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine that made 64 PS. Like its Suzuki sibling, the AZ-Offroad was offered with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, complete with a part-time 4WD system, a low-range transfer box, and auto-locking wheel hubs.

Since the Mazda AZ-Offroad was mostly sold in Japan, it will be quite rare to see one outside of its home market. However, some importers have started selling examples in other markets. So if you see a Suzuki Jimny wearing Mazda badges, you're seeing a piece of rare automotive history.