Suzuki Unveils New Five-Door Jimny in India
Last fall during a trip to France, we got the opportunity to test drive another forbidden fruit for Canadians, namely the Suzuki Jimny. This small off-roader has evolved quite a bit since the days of the Samurai and Sidekick, and we know that many of you like to read about it despite Suzuki ending automotive sales in Canada nine years ago.
This week at Auto Expo 2023 in Delhi, the Japanese automaker’s Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, introduced an all-new, five-door Jimny to the world. The model will be produced and sold in India later this year before launching in other markets including Africa and Latin America.
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The design is basically identical to the three-door Jimny. Despite the two extra doors, Suzuki claims this stretched variant offers the same driving experience. Standing 3.99 metres long (with a wheelbase of 2.59 metres) and 1.65 metres wide, it features special rear seats but retains the ability to fold the front seats completely flat in case drivers want to take a nap or even sleep in the vehicle.
Aside from the 30+ cm of extra length, the new Jimny carries more than 200 pounds of excess weight when compared to the regular Jimny. It tips the scales at 2,668 pounds. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine is still rated at 101 hp and 96 lb-ft. of torque, which won’t make things any easier.
The standard five-speed manual transmission can be replaced by a four-speed automatic, while the four-wheel drive system features a manual low-range transfer case.
Off the road, the five-door Jimny has approach, breakover and departure angles of 36, 24 and 50 degrees, respectively. By comparison, the three-door model has angles of 37, 28 and 49 degrees. Ground clearance is unchanged at 8.2 inches.
The list of features and amenities is longer, mind you. Highlights include standard LED headlights with washers and a sleeker infotainment display. Here’s hoping we can take this new Jimny for a spin sometime in a future trip overseas. Because, of course, there is zero chance of it coming to Canada.