Maruti Suzuki is being reported to have commenced the production on the Suzuki Jimny SUV at the brand’s production facility in Gurugram. Currently, the Jimny is being assembled from knocked-Down kits imported from Japan and pictures of the locally assembled Jimny have emerged on the internet. But the Jimny assembled in the Indian market is likely to be exported to other countries and is not expected to be sold in India.
The Japanese manufacturer could have made the move to make India the production and export hub for the Suzuki Jimny as the Kosai manufacturing facility in Shizuoka Prefecture is not being able to keep up with the global demand for the SUV. Reports suggest, that the current version of the Jimny has seen such a surge in demand that the waiting period in the certain market has reached around 10 months.
According to reports, Suzuki produces around 50,000 units of the Suzuki Jimny, per annum at the Japanese facility in Kosai, but when the brand fully optimises the production plant in India to manufacture the Jimny the volumes are likely to jump three folds. The brand may even shut the Jimny’s production line at the Japanese plant and make India the sole manufacturing hub for the production and distribution of the SUV.
Currently, the brand is assembling the three-door Suzuki Jimny which is not likely to be for domestic consumption but will be exported to other countries. But in the near future, the brand is likely to develop a longer five-door iteration of the Jimny which is expected to go on sale in India. The five-door iteration will target the mainstream SUV buyer in the Indian market as it is supposed to be the ‘Practical’ option. Later the original three-door option could make its market debut targeted towards the lifestyle mindshare customers.
The brand is expected to develop the five-door Jimny for the Indian market by 2022. Mahindra is also likely to develop a five-door Thar which is likely to make its debut around the same period.
