Maruti Suzuki To Launch Jimny Based SUV Very Soon In India – Report

jimny Tough Concept-3

While the carmaker had earlier quashed all rumours of the Suzuki Jimny being India-bound, it’s now working on a Gypsy-replacement for India based on its latest mini off-roader

Rumours of the latest generation Suzuki Jimny being India-bound started pouring in the day the new model broke covers. Later, however, it came to light that the company has no plans of bringing its mini off-roader to India as there has been next to non-existent demand for rugged small-size SUVs.

In a new development, however, it has become known that the company has finally decided to bring in its first-ever mini SUV in the last 35 years in order to bolster its sales performance in the country. And the new model in question here will be a successor of the Gypsy, which was discontinued recently after a successful run of 33 years.

Unlike the Maruti Gypsy, which went off the production line owing to its inability to meet the new regulations, the new mini-SUV will comply with all the latest and upcoming safety and emission norms. The new model will be based on the Suzuki Jimny Sierra, which is the fourth generation of the company’s iconic model.

Suzuki-Jimny-2018

It may be noted here that even the Maruti Gypsy was basically a derivative of the original Suzuki Jimny. Similarly, the upcoming model for the Indian market will be a repurposed fourth-gen Suzuki Jimny that will be altered as per the challenging conditions of the Indian market.

While the off-road-oriented mini-SUVs aren’t preferred by the masses, these vehicles do enjoy a fair share of popularity in the country. The Mahindra Thar, which is about to receive a generation change, is the biggest example of this. The upcoming Suzuki Jimny-based Gypsy replacement could very well benefit similarly. It’s being said that the company would target the Tier-II and Tier-III markets with the upcoming model.

india-Bound Suzuki Jimny 4

Maruti Suzuki plans to increase its footprint in the rural and semi-urban markets by expanding its fleet of glass-walled trailers that act as mobile showrooms. “We are only operating in a third of India’s communities,” Suzuki Chairman Osamu Suzuki recently commented. The carmaker feels that the new Suzuki Jimny-based Gypsy replacement and an increased number of mobile showrooms can help it penetrate deeper into the Indian car market.

SOURCESource