The upcoming Maruti Suzuki Jimny is expected to launch in India soon, and marketing plans for the SUV are in the works currently
Maruti Suzuki is developing a five-door/long-wheelbase version of the iconic Suzuki Jimny. As per the latest reports, the carmaker is already drawing our marketing plans for the SUV in the Indian market. Regular readers would remember that Jimny was showcased in its current iteration (three-door version) at the 2020 Auto Expo.
As per previous reports, the upcoming 5-door Jimny will be larger in dimensions – 300mm longer, along with a 300mm longer wheelbase. There will be a few visual differences as well, like a restyled front grille, new alloy wheels, different bumpers (front and rear), etc. The extra set of doors will help ease ingress and egress, and the increased dimensions should improve the cabin space.
Shashank Srivastava, executive director – sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki – recently revealed that the Indo-Japanese automaker is planning to expand aggressively in the SUV market space. Currently, the brand only has two SUV offerings – S-Cross and Vitara Brezza. The former is set to be replaced by a new model and the latter will undergo a generation change soon.
Maruti Suzuki recently revealed its new K15C petrol engine, which belts out 115 PS of peak power. This powerplant gets dualjet technology and a progressive smart-hybrid system, which are expected to boost fuel efficiency significantly. The manufacturer has also announced a new 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
It is likely that the new engine and transmission mentioned above would make their way to the forthcoming 5-door Jimny. Currently, the 1.5L NA petrol engine under the hood of Suzuki Jimny belts out 102 PS and 130 Nm, and it can be had with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. A 4×4 system with selectable drive (2WD mode and 4WD mode) is offered as standard on the SUV.
It should be noted that the 3-door version of Suzuki Jimny is already being manufactured at Maruti’s Gurugram plant, but only for export markets. In India, we expect only the upcoming 5-door model to go on sale, and upon launch here, Maruti Jimny 5-door won’t have any direct rivals. However, it will be a less expensive alternative to Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.