Maruti Suzuki Jimny five-door 4X4 SUV unveiled in South Africa

The Japanese automotive giant Suzuki in Africa has unveiled the five-door version of the Suzuki Jimny in South Africa. The company has exported the model from India to debut it in the South African market. Although the design is identical to the one sold in India, Suzuki has chosen to display this car in the shade of Dark Military Green color in South Africa. This color is currently not available in India. It has been stated that the company could be debuting the five-door Jimny in Japan as well.

As stated, the model in the South African market is the exact one that is sold in India under the Maruti Suzuki India Limited badge. The exterior design remains the same with the signature boxy shape with five doors. The front of the SUV gets the same six chrome slat grille, projector headlamps with washers, and the strong black front bumper with fog lamps. The side profile is also identical with the same 15-inch alloy wheels and doors. The rear is also the same as the one sold in India.

Moving on to the interior, just like the one in India, it gets the same features. The South African Jimny has been equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, a push start-stop button, electrically adjustable and foldable rearview mirrors, and steering-mounted audio, Bluetooth, and cruise controls. In terms of safety, the Jimny comes with six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start assist, hill descent control, electronic stability control, traction control, reverse parking sensors, and a camera.

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What is also the same is the powertrain of the Jimny. The model is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. This engine is capable of delivering a maximum power output of 104.8 PS and a maximum torque output of 134.2 Nm. In the Indian market, the manual versions claim a fuel efficiency of 16.94 kmpl, while the automatic variants promise 16.39 kmpl. Suzuki’s AllGrip Pro four-wheel-drive system is standard across all variants.

In other Jimny news, back in May of this year, it was reported that the Indian Army has expressed a great deal of interest in their newest product, the Jimny. During an interview with Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director – Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki, he stated, “They (Indian Armed Forces) have shown interest in this product (Jimny). We are still studying their requirements in terms of specs. We haven’t started the sale yet, but it is on the horizon once that happens.” He further added that they are currently studying the requirements of the Indian Army and will make a final decision once that is done.

Earlier this year, in January, a few other Maruti officials confirmed that the company would offer the Indian Army a customized iteration of the Jimny. The officials stated that they would provide the Indian Army with the current off-roader Jimny in its three-door format, featuring a soft top just like the Gypsy, which they have been providing them for years before ending its production.

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