Maruti Suzuki has begun assembling the Jimny SUV in India ahead of its launch next year. 50 units of the three-door Jimny have been assembled at Maruti Suzuki’s Gurugram facility from CKD kits imported from Japan.
-
Maruti to gauge market interest in the three-door Jimny after success of three-door Thar
-
Limited trial assembly done on kits imported from Japan
-
Cars will be displayed at Nexa showrooms around India in January
Maruti Suzuki has begun trial assembly of the three-door Jimny in India. Done on a line in Gurugram, similar to one used for the also body-on-frame Gypsy, this first batch of 50 cars are actually produced from imported CKD kits. To be showcased around India at Maruti’s Nexa showrooms, the India assembled cars will help gauge levels of interest of the Jimny, especially in three door form.
While we had stated earlier that India would get a five-door iteration of the Jimny in place of the traditional three-door that will be produced here, sources tell us Maruti is looking at the viability of three-door in the wake of the success of the Thar. The three-door Suzuki Jimnys will begin reaching dealerships for displays in Jan 2021, and Maruti and Suzuki will be keen to know if the car can be sold here without the added expense and time needed to re-engineer the SUV as a five door.
Suzuki Jimny: More information
The body on frame Jimny has a similar configuration to that of a Gypsy and a Mahindra Thar. Very different from monocoque based SUVs like the Brezza, the Jimny is powered by longitudinally mounted Suzuki K15B engine that drives either the rear wheels or all four. Making 105hp, this 1.5-litre petrol engine is the same unit, that when transversely located, also drives the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, XL6 and Ciaz’s front wheels. The Jimny currently also gets a 5-speed manual and 4-speed torque convertor automatic. Meanwhile, a four-wheel drive system with low-range is also standard.
In India the Suzuki Jimny will go up against the Mahindra Thar, that’s also slated to go on sale as a five door later in its model life.
Image source: Rahul Yadav via 4X4 India on Facebook
Also see:
Suzuki Jimny Sierra spied testing in India
Suzuki Jimny makes a comeback in Europe