Suzuki will expand the lineup of the Jimny in its home market in Japan, following the success of the 5-door version in India
October 19, 2023 at 06:29
The longer and more practical 5-door version of the Suzuki Jimny which is exclusively produced at the Gurugram plant in India, will be exported to Japan sometime in the future, as revealed by a high-ranking official.
Japanese customers currently have access only to the locally-produced 3-door version of the Jimny, in narrow-body kei-car and standard Sierra specification. However, CV Raman, Chief Technology Officer of Maruti Suzuki, recently confirmed to Autocar India that the 5-door Jimny “will also be launched in Japan, but in some time”, hinting at an expanded lineup for the JDM-spec model.
During the launch of the new bodystyle variant in early 2023, Suzuki announced plans to offer it in global markets including India, Africa, and Latin America, but it seems that more regions are being considered given the public’s positive reaction.
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More: Suzuki Jimny 5-Door Debuts Adding Extra Practicality Into The Mix
With a length of 3,985 mm (156.9 inches), the 5-door Jimny is 340 mm (13.4 inches) longer than the global-spec 3-door model, due to the stretched wheelbase resulting in a more spacious cabin. Despite the extra weight, the Indian-spec 5-door Jimny comes fitted with the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter petrol engine producing the same 103 hp (77 kW / 105 PS) and 134 Nm (99 lb-ft) of torque.
The Clock Is Ticking For An Update
The fourth-gen Jimny was originally introduced in 2018, so it is about time for Suzuki to introduce a facelift for the popular off-roader as early as next year. In January 2023, the automaker announced a fully electric Jimny for Europe, with the official teaser showing an illuminated grille and new LED graphics. Reading between the lines, the forthcoming debut of the EV could coincide with a mid-lifecycle update for the ICE-powered Jimny that is being sold all over the world. Given that the 3-door and 5-door models share most of their body panels, the facelift could potentially be applied to both versions at the same time.
As for the powertrains, besides the EV, chances are that Suzuki will expand the Jimny’s lineup with a hybrid version, at least for markets where electrification is quite important. Japan is one of those cases, with Suzuki’s local range set to comprise 20% EVs and 80% Hybrids by 2030. The automaker’s plans for Europe have the opposite ratio with a target mix of 80% EVs and 20% Hybrids by 2030.
