Maruti To Bring Longer, 5-Door Jimny To India By 2021

It seems like the true blue 4x4 SUV will not let you down on the practical front

• The Jimny is offered as a small 3.6m, 3-door body-on-frame SUV in global markets.

• Maruti would bring it to India as a longer, 5-door model to make it more practical for family use.

• Maruti could also give it an option of 4x4 or 4x2, unlike the global model that comes with 4x4 as standard.

• The Jimny is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a choice of 5-speed manual and 4-speed AT.

• The India-spec model, to be retailed from Nexa showrooms, could be priced at around Rs 10 lakh.

• We won’t be surprised if Maruti renames it ‘Gypsy’ in India.

The Suzuki Jimny recently made its India debut at the Auto Expo 2020. The compact 4x4 was showcased in its global 3-door avatar but that won’t make it to our shores. Instead, Maruti is looking to bring a longer, more practical 5-door version to India by 2021, insider sources have told us.

The Jimny is built on a ladder frame chassis which is key as an off-roader. Its 3-door version measures upto 3645mm in length while the longer 5-door version is expected to stay within the sub-4m category. The current global-spec Jimny still gets seating for four adults with two seats in the back, which doesn’t leave much room for luggage (85 litres). A longer 5-door version would make the Jimny more usable as a family car with extra space in the rear and improved luggage capacity.

While the Jimny’s all-black cabin is designed for utilitarian appeal that you wouldn’t mind getting muddy, it does not lack basic comforts. Its feature list includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, auto AC, cruise control, LED headlamps and upto 6 airbags. The global-model features like heated front seats and lane departure warning are unlikely to make it to the Indian model.

Related: Maruti Suzuki Jimny At Auto Expo 2020: In Detailed Pics

The 4WD Jimny gets a low range transfer case to switch between 2WD-high, 4WD-high and 4WD-low which is important to traverse tricky terrains. In India, it will likely be powered by the same 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 102PS and 130Nm while mated to a 5-speed manual. It may even get the 4-speed automatic option. If you’re worried about that output being enough to get the Jimny out of a rut, it’s important to note that the Jimny is relatively lightweight as an off-roader. Even with the added dimensions and two extra doors, it will likely have a kerb weight of well under 1.5-tonnes.

For those of you who like the Jimny ethos but don’t necessarily intend to do hardcore off-roading, Maruti may offer it in 2WD variant as well. This would also make the tough little SUV more affordable and more fuel efficient, thereby increasing its practicality as a city car too.

Maruti is expected to bring the 5-door Jimny to India by 2021, maybe even rebadging it as the Gypsy again. (In fact, the Gypsy was an extended version of the second-gen global Jimny/ Samurai.) It would likely be priced around the Rs 10 lakh mark and be sold via the Nexa chain of dealerships. The fourth-gen Jimny would take on the likes of the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha Xplorer in India.