Long Wheelbase Suzuki Jimny Spied; Could This Be The One For India?
The Suzuki Jimny has always been a three-door SUV but the one that's slated to arrive in India will be a five-door model. This will be the first time ever the Jimny will have five doors and Suzuki seems to have finally begun work on the longer wheelbase Jimny. A test mule of the Jimny with considerably long wheelbase has been spotted for the first time in Europe, thus confirming its development. Interestingly, although this spied test mule has a much longer wheelbase, it can still be seen with only three doors.
A closer look at the test mule reveals that this Jimny has a much longer glass section for the rear windows. This could mean that Suzuki is readying a long-wheelbase version of the three-door Jimny as an extended version of the commercial-spec Jimny that’s already on sale in Europe. However, it is this long-wheelbase version of the SUV that is also likely to underpin the five-door Jimny in India. This long-wheelbase Jimny could also be hinting at an upcoming pick-up version, given that pick-ups of this size are popular in a few global emerging markets. Other than the added length, this test mule looks very similar to the standard version of the Jimny.
Also Read : India's Only All-Wheel-Drive Maruti Baleno - The Original Sedan In Rally-Spec
In a recent investor call, Maruti Suzuki, for the first time confirmed that the Jimny is being evaluated for India. Although the Jimny is already being manufactured in India and exported overseas, Maruti Suzuki has always been non-committal about launching it in the domestic market. For an India launch, the carmaker would need additional volumes, and thanks to the fact that the Jimny is already made here, it could well be on its track for a market launch in India.
In fact, Maruti's plant in Gurugram is the only hub apart from Japan where the Jimny is manufactured. The one that's manufactured for exports is obviously the three door model. Just like its predecessor, the fifth-gen Jimny could be reviving the Gypsy nameplate in India, when launched. A five-door model will be positioned as a practical offering, suitable even for a family buyer. Although the five-door model will be sitting on a longer wheelbase, it will still be underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis and employ four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case.
The Suzuki Jimny will be powered by the same 105hp 1.5L K15B petrol engine that you find in a lot of other Maruti Suzuki cars like the Vitara Brezza and the Ciaz. Transmission options will include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. If Maruti launches the Jimny at all in India, it will likely be by early-2022 and is expected to be priced from around INR 10 lakh, ex-showroom. It will be retailed through Maruti's Nexa chain of outlets. Upon arrival, it will compete with the likes of the Mahindra Thar and upcoming Force Gurkha.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Maruti Suzuki updates and other four-wheeler news.