Maruti Suzuki’s plans to bring the fourth-generation Jimny off-roader to our shores seem to be a bit more concrete, thanks to the recently teased video on its social media handle featuring tire tread marks on desert sand with a caption – "This just in! A wild adventurous ride has been spotted making its way through different terrains! The one question is, what car is this? Comment down below and take a guess! #SUVForAdventure.
Made its debut (in a 3-door avatar) at the Auto Expo last year, the Jimny is likely to arrive in the Indian market in early 2022. There are anticipations that its Indian-spec model will be an extended wheelbase version of the global-spec Jimny with five doors that will make it a more practical offering. However, looking at the demand of the Mahindra Thar, Maruti might also consider a 3-door version for our country.
As per the previous leaks, the five-door Jimny will be 300mm longer than its 3-door counterpart. It will measure 3,850mm in length, 1,645mm in width, and 1,730mm in height. It will weigh around 1,190 kilograms, 100kg more than its 3-door model.
Powering the Indian-spec Jimny could be the 1.5-liter K15B naturally aspirated petrol engine (102PS/130Nm) that also does duty for many other Maruti offerings like Ciaz, Vitara Brezza, S-Cross, XL6, and Ertiga. It will be mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Besides, it could also get a 1.4-litre Boosterjet petrol mill from the Swift Sport, which gets Suzuki’s 48V mild-hybrid tech as standard.
Globally, the Jimny comes with a 4×4 drivetrain as standard, with a low-range transfer case to switch between 4WD-high, 4WD-low, and 2WD-high. However, to play the pricing card, the brand could also bring its 4×2 version for the Indian audience.
As for features, the Jimny will be a quite well-loaded offering with notable equipment like LED headlamps, a 7-inch Smartplay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, cruise control, power windows, automatic AC, keyless entry with engine start/stop button, multiple airbags, brake assist (BA), ESP (electronic stability program), traction control, hill descent control, hill hold control, seatbelts with pre-tensioners, and much more.
Expect the prices of Maruti Suzuki Jimny to start under Rs 10 lakh. Once launched, it will go up against the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.
