In the distant and exotic India the Maruti-Suzuki company has given the green light to the long-awaited Suzuki Jimny 5-door. The off-roader will raise its level of practicality with a new body format although it will still be below the 4 meter long barrier. The battle will be increased to house the doors that will give access to the rear seats.
It is the most anticipated launch of Suzuki and that, without a doubt, the greatest expectation is generating. Will the Suzuki Jimny 5-door be a reality? Over the past year or so there has been speculation that the Japanese manufacturer may be encouraged to develop an additional body variant for the fourth-generation Jimny range. And more specifically for the Sierra model.
The appearance in the network of different reports has indicated at all times that Suzuki’s plans are to launch a 5-door Jimny. Last March, a thickly camouflaged prototype confirmed a large part of this information. It is unquestionable that there will be an extended battle Jimny. A model that, predictably, will be the basis for this “white blackbird” with which so many times has been speculated.
The Suzuki Jimny 5-door has received the green light and will hit the market
After a few months without news of a model that, surely, would cause a sensation in those markets where the Suzuki Jimny Sierra reaps great success, the long-awaited 5-door Jimny is back in the news. The reason? New and very important information reaches us from the distant and exotic India. Some information that points neither more nor less than the Suzuki Jimny 5-door has received the green light and, therefore, it will reach the dealerships.
Maruti-Suzuki, the automotive conglomerate through which the Suzuki brand operates in India, has been commissioned to give the Jimny the green light for a launch in this relevant emerging market. All the details of this future launch have already been transmitted to the brand’s dealers throughout the country.
Speculation about the landing of the Jimny in India began at the New Delhi Auto Show held in the turbulent year 2020 marked by the coronavirus pandemic. At that time it was made clear that, if it reached this market, it would do so as a 5-door model. As of today, Suzuki has not given official details about one of the projects that it hides as a precious treasure.
Video test of the fourth generation Suzuki Jimny. The little Japanese off-roader is a bestseller
The 5-door Suzuki Jimny will be electrified
Suzuki has taken as the starting point of the fourth generation Jimny Sierra for the development of the 5-door model. The first modification necessary to accommodate this type of bodywork has been the increase in the wheelbase. What’s more, linking with some reports that saw the light in Japan, Suzuki’s plans can go one step further and offer both an extended wheelbase Jimny with only 3 doors and, what is more interesting, the Jimny with 5 doors. By opting for this strategy we would witness the rapid growth of the Jimny range.
Despite the increased wheelbase and overall length, the 5-door Jimny will still be under 4 meters long.
With regard to the mechanical section, the new Jimny 5-door will be powered by a 1.5-liter K15B petrol engine electrified with SHVS technology by Suzuki. The engine may be associated with a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission. And of course, with 4×4 traction.
A new Suzuki Jimny made in India
The mass production process will take place in indian territory. We must bear in mind that the Jimny is already manufactured in India and exported to other markets. At the moment, his arrival in Europe is a great unknown. However, and taking into account the problems that the brand has suffered in order to continue marketing the Jimny in the European Union, it is clear that the 5-door model, no matter how much it bets on electrification, would have it really complicated. In any case, we must not close the door to this possibility.
Main rivals of the Jimny 5-door in the territory they will be the Mahindra Thar and the Force Gurkha. It will not be easy at all. Now, the off-road market is very lively in India, so, a priori, the Suzuki model will have a large potential audience at its disposal. Talking about prices at this time would logically be mere speculation. We will remain on alert waiting to know more details about this launch.