The teaser could be of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Jimny or a limited edition Ignis or S-Cross
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) took to its Nexa social media channels to release the teaser of a new vehicle. The post said, “This just in! A wild adventurous ride has been spotted making its way through different terrains! The one question is, what car is this?” The short video shows a desert with “Guess Who Was Here” written on it as a car left with tyre marks.
This points the finger at the long-mooted Jimny lifestyle off-roader. Speculations surrounding the arrival of the Jimny have existed for long and the fourth generation was introduced in the global markets in 2018. In addition, the three-door Jimny was displayed by Maruti Suzuki at the 2020 Auto Expo in Greater Noida to gauge customer interest as well.
Earlier this year, the production of the Jimny for international markets in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa commenced as the off-roader is shipped in batches from Maruti Suzuki’s Gurugram facility. Back in June 2021, Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, MSIL confirmed that a market plan is being set up for Jimny for India.
India is expected to get the three-door version of the Jimny first while a long-wheelbase variant could arrive in the near future and it was spotted testing a few months ago on foreign soil. With the second generation Mahindra Thar gaining plenty of attention and Force bringing in the new Gurkha, MSIL could sense a big opportunity in the lifestyle SUV space with the Jimny.
The India-spec model could get minor changes while keeping its signature off-road capability intact. Under the hood, the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15B petrol engine developing a maximum power output of around 105 PS and 138 Nm of peak torque will likely be utilised. It could be hooked with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter automatic transmission driving all four wheels.
The mild-hybrid technology may aid in boosting performance while driven off the beaten path as well. On the inside, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the latest SmartPlay Studio system, steering mounted controls, a semi-digital instrument cluster, etc are expected to be available in the Jimny. It will be retailed through the Nexa premium dealerships.