Maruti Suzuki Jimny five-door exterior revealed ahead of global debut
Upon launch, the five-door Maruti Suzuki Jimny will take on the likes of upcoming five-door variants of SUVs like Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.
Maruti Suzuki’s new five-door Jimny will make its global debut at the upcoming edition of Auto Expo to be held in New Delhi in January 2023.
At the last edition of the Auto Expo in 2020, Maruti Suzuki Jimny made its maiden appearance in India, but it was showcased only to gain the audience’s perception. Over the last few years, the widely appreciated SUV in international markets has been highly anticipated in India.
Despite a positive response, Maruti Suzuki was apprehensive about launching a three-door version of the vehicle in the country. It decided to develop a five-door version of Jimny, expected to go on sale sometime next year.
Ahead of its debut, images of the SUV have been leaked on the internet, revealing the vehicle’s exterior. Prototypes of the vehicle have been spotted testing on the roads over the past few months, but it is the first instance where the test mule isn’t wearing any camouflage.
The latest spy shots suggest that the uncamouflaged prototype is either conducting its final rounds of testing in a mountainous region or shooting a TV commercial. From the images, the design of the five-door Jimny is visible clearly and appears to be as boxy as its three-door sibling, despite an increase in overall length and wheelbase.
Exterior dimension and styling
Elaborating on the dimensions, the five-door Jimny will be 3,850mm long, 1,645mm wide, and 1,730mm tall, along with a wheelbase of 2,550mm. This will make it 300mm longer than its smaller sibling, although its width and height remain unchanged. Also, the front track remains identical at 1,395mm as does the rear at 1,405mm.
As far as styling is concerned, it is expected to get the same fascia up front as the three-door Jimny featuring a rectangular grille with vertical slats flanked by circular headlamps and a chunky bumper housing a thick silver-coloured skid plate, lending it a muscular appeal. At the rear, the spy image shows a flat, side-hinged tailgate mounted with a spare wheel.
Other visual highlights include chunky wheel arches wrapped with thick plastic claddings, A-pillar mounted ORVMs, dual-tone alloy wheels, rear bumper-mounted taillights, number plate recess, and a clamshell bonnet.
Interiors and features
Although the interiors of the cabin are not revealed in the latest set of spy images, it is expected to carry a similar layout as the three-door Jimny sold in foreign markets. The only notable difference will be the right-hand drive setup offered in the India-spec model. Highlights of the cabin will include a black dashboard, circular AC vents, and adjustable headrests for the second row.
The five-door Jimny is likely to be equipped with features like a floating touchscreen infotainment display, a semi-digital instrument console, automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 360-degree camera, steering-mounted controls, a 360-degree camera, etc.
Mechanical specs
The subcompact SUV is most likely to be powered by a 1.5-litre K15B naturally aspirated petrol engine that kicks out 104 bhp and 138 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are expected to be carried out by a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with an optional four-speed torque converter automatic gearbox also expected to be included in the package.
Empowering Jimny’s off-roading credentials is Suzuki’s AllGrip Pro 4WD system featuring a low-range transfer case, as well as a brake-based limited-slip differential. The compact off-roader is underpinned by an old-school ladder-on-frame chassis that comes with an independent suspension setup.
Edited by Suman Singh