Maruti Suzuki has ambitious plans of having more than 50 per cent market share in every segment it has its presence. However, there’s one segment where the Indo-Japanese company falls short, the SUV segment. Currently dominating the various SUV segments in India is either one of the Tata, Mahindra or the two South Korean companies – Kia and Hyundai. But Maruti Suzuki wants to change that.
After the new Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki’s next SUV for India will be the Jimny. The brand showcased the SUV first at the 2020 Auto Expo in Delhi. But, the brand never launched it. The brand already manufactures the Jimny in India for the international market. However, that is only the 3-door variant.
Sources suggest that India will be getting the 5-door variant. We now have new spy shots of the 5-door Jimny SUV undergoing road testing in India. There are new details as well about the upcoming Maruti Suzuki SUV.
The 3-door Suzuki Jimny is 3,550 mm long, 1,645 mm wide, and 1,730 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,250 mm. The 5-door version of the Jimny will likely keep the same width as the 3-door version. However, to accommodate the 2 additional doors, the wheelbase will be longer.
According to rumours, the 5-door Jimny will measure 3,850 mm in length and have a wheelbase of 2,550 mm. Even with an additional 300 mm of wheelbase, the 5-door Jimny will be much smaller than the 3-door Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha. Both the Thar and Gurkha will also be getting 5-door versions, which will be even bigger.
Powering the Maruti Suzuki Jimny will be the K-series 1.5-litre petrol engine. This engine churns out around 100 BHP and 136.8 Nm of torque. The same engine also does duty in the Ciaz, Brezza, Ertiga and the XL6. The upcoming Grand Vitara SUV’s mild-hybrid version will also use the same engine. There will be both a manual as well as automatic transmission on offer.
Furthermore, the 5-door Jimny will also likely get Suzuki’s famed AllGrip AWD system. It is available in the international 3-door Jimny as well as the new Grand Vitara. Like the Grand Vitara, it will get the AllGrip Select drive mode selector as well.
Maruti Suzuki only offers the AllGrip AWD system on the Grand Vitara with a manual transmission. It is unclear if it will be the same with the Jimny 5-door as well. One of its main rivals, the Mahindra Thar, already provides petrol and diesel engines with manual or automatic transmission as well as 4WD.
Also Read: 2022 Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV Review