Unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo, the Suzuki Jimny has been one of the most-awaited cars in our market. If rumours are to be believed, the new model will be launched in India in the next couple of years. In fact, the SUV was recently caught testing on the Indian roads. However, Senior Executive Director Engineering, said that the company has no plans to launch the Jimny in the country anytime soon.
CV Raman said that the Jimny is only available as a 3-door version in the international markets. The company believes that the 3-door model won’t make sense in our market. Adding to it, MSIL believes that the demand for such lifestyle SUVs are not enough to justify the investment required in the development.
The 3-door Jimny can only accommodate 2 adults with luggage, and 4 adults with no space for luggage. To make it a success in India, Maruti Suzuki will have to make a five-door version for our market. For this, the Indo-Japanese automaker will have to make new investments. Adding to it, the stretched length could also impact Jimny’s handling. However, CV Rama said that the company could launch the Jimny if the segment shows rising demand.
The new generation Mahindra Thar, which is also a three-door SUV, has received an excellent response from buyers. However, Mahindra has increased the dimensions of the Thar along with some relevant changes to make it a more family-friendly product.
Previous reports claim that the Maruti Suzuki Jimny could be priced under Rs 10 lakh. At this price, the Jimny could impact the sales of the Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Maruti S-Cross. It is also expected that the 5-door Jimny could be introduced as the new-gen Maruti Suzuki Gypsy. The 3-door model is available with several modern day features such as a SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system with connectivity options, AC, keyless entry, engine start-stop button and others. The SUV also has ESP (Electronic Stability Program), forward braking assist and hill start assist.
The 3-door Suzuki Jimny is propelled by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that churns out 100bhp of power and 130Nm of torque. Transmission choices include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque convertor automatic. It comes with Suzuki’s advanced 4X4 – AllGrip system.
Source – WhatCarIndia
