Maruti Suzuki Jimny 5 door drops camouflage ahead of Auto Expo 2023 debut

Just recently, Maruti Suzuki stopped producing the export-spec 3-door Jimny at its Gurgaon factory to make way for the 5-door model, which will be officially launched at the 2023 Indian Auto Expo early next year. Here’s the first picture of the India-spec 5 door Maruti Jimny ahead of its official unveil.

As the picture indicates, the India-spec Jimny has a practical 5-door layout that should make it more family friendly than say the 3-door Mahindra Thar or for that matter the 3-door Force Gurkha. Incidentally, both the Thar and Gurkha have 5 door models coming soon, and with Maruti Suzuki launching the Jimny with a 5-door body style right from the outset, the off-roader has a good chance at appealing to a wide cross section of buyers. The 5 door Jimny will also be the replacement to the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which went out of production a couple of years ago. While there’s been talk that the 5-door Jimny could be called the new Gypsy, the new picture indicates otherwise with clear Jimny badging on the tail gate.

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Key details emerging from the new spyshot include a sliding rear window, a fixed third window, chunky wheel arches, flap-type door handles, alloy wheels and black bumpers. On the inside, the Jimny will accommodate 5 adults, two at front on captain seats, and three on the rear on a bench seat. The off-roader will measure less than 4 meters in length, giving it a very compact footprint. It won’t qualify for excise duty benefits though as Maruti Suzuki will offer a petrol engine that’s larger than 1.2 liters in capacity.

The Jimny sold in India will be petrol-only, and use the 1.5 liter K15 engine. This naturally aspirated, 4 cylinder motor makes about 102 Bhp of peak power and 137 Nm of peak torque, and is a generation behind the K15C petrol that most new Maruti Suzuki SUVs including the new Brezza and Grand Vitara come with. The older engine will be paired to a five speed manual gearbox as standard while a 4 speed torque converter automatic could be offered as an option.

What’s more important in an off-roader is a four wheel drive layout, and the Jimny will get this feature, along with low and high ratios in order to multiply torque. Known for its off road prowess, the latest Maruti Suzuki Jimny will get a body-on-ladder chassis suspended by independent front suspension and a torsion beam at the rear.

The Jimny 5-door is much smaller than the Thar and the Gurkha, and this could reflect in the price tag as well. Moreover, the off roader uses a naturally aspirated petrol engine that’s significantly cheaper than the turbocharged diesels on the Gurkha and Thar (that also gets a turbo petrol option). We expect the Jimny to be priced at least Rs. 3 lakh lesser than the Thar. That brings us to a starting price of around Rs. 10 lakh for the base trim of the Jimny. At this price point, the Jimny will have no direct competition. Expect more leaks in the coming weeks, in the run up to the actual launch.

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