Maruti is teasing us with the Jimny. Recently, a 5-door version of the car was spotted testing. The test mule was under camouflage, but certain details of the car could be made out.
The Jimny is a well known model internationally. However, it is sold in the 3-door guise. Ironically, the car is manufactured in India for exports, but not yet made available to the Indian car buyers. Maruti is contemplating the fact that the 3-door version would render it moot for family use. Traditionally, Maruti has positioned its cars as made for a family, and the Jimny doesn’t fit into this.
However the lifestyle segment in India is gaining popularity and cars like the Mahindra Thar and the Force Gurkha are offering something niche to these segment buyers. Even car makers like Isuzu and Toyota are offering pickup trucks.
The 7-seat Jimny looks like a baby Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The car gets forward facing seats. As the Jimny is positioned as a family car, these could offer added flexibility to families. The last row of seats are expected to be folded, which could be tucked away for that extra cargo space.
In the earlier spy images, the 3rd row of seats was not clearly visible. Further, the upholstery on the car could get red colour for the higher-spec variants. It could also get features like a 9” touchscreen infotainment system, steering mounted controls, rear AC vents, USB charging port and intelligently designed storage spaces.
Powering the Jimny will be the same 1.5-litre K-series engine as on the Grand Vitara, Brezza and more. This motor makes 100 BHP and 130 Nm of torque and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It will come equipped a four-wheel drive system and a low range gearbox.
Also Read – 5-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny SUV spotted during high altitude testing