Suzuki Jimny Long-Wheelbase Rendered; To Underpin India-Spec 5-Door Model
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 Suzuki Jimny will have five doors. Sometime ago, a test mule of the Jimny with considerably long wheelbase was spotted for the first time in Europe. Although the test mule was seen wearing heavy camouflage, the increment in its length and wheelbase were not very difficult to spot. It is this long-wheelbase version of the SUV that is also likely to underpin the five-door Jimny in India.
Based on the spy shots, here we have a rendering of the Suzuki Jimny in its long wheelbase guise. The long wheelbase version of the Jimny actually does not boast of any significant design changes over the standard 3-door model. In fact, they look mostly similar. The only noticeable change here is the incremented wheelbase. A closer look reveals that this Jimny thus has a much longer glass section for the rear windows. 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.
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As for India, 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. If the India-spec five-door Jimny is built on this long wheelbase platform, it will still measure under 4 meters. 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 in India 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.
[Image Source - IndianAuto.com]
