It is looking almost certain that Maruti Suzuki will bring in the Jimny to the Indian market sometime real soon. The SUV was first unveiled at last year’s Auto Expo 2020. Jimny is already a hit product in the overseas market and now as it stands, Maruti Suzuki will look into bringing the SUV for the Indian audience as well. The demand for SUVs is on the rise and there’s no denying that fact. The SUV segment saw the maximum growth in last year’s overall car sales report which asserts that SUVs are the future and will grab a larger share in the coming years.
The Jimny offered in the overseas market comes with the same 1.5-litre petrol engine which powers the Ertiga, Brezza, XL6 and Ciaz in India. Two gearbox options are available, a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed torque converter automatic. The Euro-spec Jimny also comes with safety features like ISOFIX child-seat mounts, six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane assist system and a seat-belt reminder. The car was also awarded a 3-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test.
As per sources, Jimny for India will come as a 5-door version as opposed to the 3-door version which is on sale in the overseas market. This 5-door version will be a more practical offering for the Indian market and will attract more potential buyers ranging from off-road enthusiast to family buyers. Both the 3-door and 5-door will be very similar, in fact, the underpinning will also be the same for both versions. The chassis of the SUV is the ladder-frame one and along with that Jimny also gets a four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case. As per reports, Maruti Suzuki is planning to sell the Jimny via the more premium Nexa dealership chain and the price will likely start at 10 lakhs. Once launched, Jimny will take on the ever-popular Mahindra Thar which is currently witnessing a waiting period of more than 9 months and try to lure some of its customers to the Nexa showroom.