Maruti Suzuki will launch the five-door Jimny on June 7 and is expected to cost between Rs. 10.5 lakh and Rs. 13.5 lakh (ex-showroom)
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) will officially launch the Jimny on June 7 in the domestic market and it will be available in a total of two variants: Zeta and Alpha. It must be noted that the five-door Jimny won’t compete directly against the three-door Mahindra Thar but considering the use case, both are apparently lifestyle off-road SUVs.
The India-spec Jimny has larger proportions than the global three-door model and it will be packed with features. Expect the base variant to cost around Rs. 10.5 lakh and it will go up to Rs. 13.5 lakh (ex-showroom). While the Mahindra Thar has better ground clearance and more powerful engines (two petrol and one diesel as opposed to just one petrol), the Jimny gets a better features list.
As for safety, the Maruti Suzuki Jimny gets six airbags in the top-end variant but the Thar only has two (driver and front passenger side airbags). Both have HDC (Hill Descent Control) and HHA (Hill Hold Assist) along with ABS and EBD while the Jimny boasts BLSD (Brake Limited Slip Differential) and the Thar with ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and rollover mitigation.
The five-door Jimny comes with first-in-segment LED headlamps and headlamp washer over halogen units in the Thar without washer. The headlamp washer will be handy while wiping off dirt mainly during off-road scenarios. Both off-roaders get LED Daytime Running Lights. Another key feature the Jimny has over the Thar is the automatic climate control system.
It will certainly be a big deal in everyday driving conditions. The electrically foldable wing mirror function is another feature the Mahindra Thar misses but the Jimny does not. In addition, the Jimny comes with a more advanced nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the top-end trim and a seven-inch unit in the base model.
The Thar, on the other hand, is sold only with a seven-inch unit which is not clearly a winner over Jimny in terms of the interface and user experience. Mahindra is expected to unveil the five-door Thar in the coming months before its market launch later this year or in early 2024.