Japanese automaker, Suzuki has officially announced to discontinue the popular Jimny compact off-roader in the UK market. The company believes that the existing stock will exhaust in the next 4 months. Suzuki is also considering the hybrid and mild-hybrid version of the Jimny for UK.
It is expected that Suzuki Jimny could be re-introduced as the N1-Class commercial vehicle. The commercial model will miss out on rear seats to create more room for a loading bay. The company will also make structural changes to improve utility. In order to reduce average CO2 emissions, Suzuki is aiming to shift to ‘greener’ vehicles in the near future.
Suzuki has already removed the Jimny from its official website. In UK, Suzuki is selling 5 cars including Ignis, Swift, S-Cross, Vitara and the Swift Sport. The new-gen Suzuki Jimny has been receiving an excellent response from buyers. In fact, the SUV is already sold for 2020 in some international markets including Australia.
It was reported that Suzuki is planning to develop the Jimny at Gujarat’s Sanand based plant for the global markets. The company had showcased the SUV at the 2020 Auto Expo. However, Maruti Suzuki is still not confirmed about the launch of the Jimny SUV. The SUV showcased was the three-door SUV, which only accommodates 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.
Previous media reports claim that the new Suzuki Jimny could be priced around Rs 8 lakh – Rs 10 lakh. It is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine producing 103bhp and 138Nm of torque. Transmission choices will include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque convertor automatic. It will come with Suzuki’s advanced 4X4 – AllGrip system.
