The much-awaited SUV of the year is the 5-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny. It is now readying itself for its launch on June 7, 2023. As it stands the carmaker has already garnered around 30,000 bookings for this SUV. Once launched, it will take on the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha. Talking of the engine, it uses a 105 HP, 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15B petrol engine. Customers get two gearbox options to choose from, namely,a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. Power is sent to all four wheels via Suzuki’s All Grip Pro hardware. Noteworthy to mention, to keep a check on fuel consumption as well as emissions, Maruti Suzuki is using an automatic engine stop-start with both transmission options.
One of the key highlights of Jimny is its engine. It is surprising that Maruti opted to use the older K15B petrol engine for the Jimny instead of the K15C petrol from its current portfolio. The primary reason for this is that the 3-door Jimny sold in international markets uses this powertrain. And India is one of the manufacturing and export hubs for which Jimny has achieved significant levels of localisation. Thus it makes sense economically to use a common powertrain between the 3-door and 5-door versions. This will simplify the production processes, and also help the company achieve economies of scale.
Interestingly, between 2019 and 2022, the same K15B petrol engine was used in multiple Maruti cars. This includes the Ertiga, XL6, Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ciaz, as well as Toyota’s Urban Cruiser. However, to comply with the stricter emissions norms and CAFE targets, Maruti replaced this engine with a more fuel-efficient and cleaner K15C petrol unit.
We’ve also learnt that the possibility of the 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol making its way into the Jimny SUV. But, there’s no news on this and very less likely to happen. The advantage of this smaller turbo-petrol engine having a capacity of less than 1,200cc will place the 5-door Jimny fall in a lower tax bracket due to its sub-4-metre length. And thus, it could make it more affordable than the 1.5-litre version. But at the moment, Maruti Suzuki has no plans to replace the K15B with the 1.0-litre turbo unit.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Jimny smaller than Brezza, less efficient too