Automologist MAC thinks this could be a winner for Maruti Suzuki.
It sort of looks like a baby G-Wagen, if you squint.
The automotive rumour mill has been abuzz with gossip about a 5-door Jimny for months. Now, it would appear that those rumours are indeed true after Maruti-Suzuki officially unveiled the new 5-door Jimny at the Auto Expo India 2023.
It is no secret that over here at Automology, we liked the design of the revamped Jimny—it is cute yet rugged—but frankly, it really needed to have a ‘big brother’ with greater ease of access. So, we are happy to announce that the 5-door looks just about the same as the 3-door, only just a tad bigger. So, let’s look at the numbers then.
Surprisingly, there is but one number that is different and that is the length whereby the 5-door has gone from 3.65 metres to 3.98 metres; yes, the chassis has been stretched by 335mm to accommodate the extra doors, but will probably mean that the interior accommodation is greatly improved. Apart from that, there is really no change in the exterior dimensions.
When it comes to the powertrain, the ‘stretch’ Jimny will still have the 1.5-litre engine which produces 104bhp, and you will get a choice of 4-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. The torque is rated to 134Nm at 4,000 rpm, which is not a lot, but this is a very light vehicle. And when we tested the 3-door, we did find that the wee-beastie was very capable off-road.
All the bits under the chassis have been retained as has the braking system, which still features rear drum brakes, and I am really not sure as to why you would do that. The interior appears to be the same as before, which still features the touchscreen where you will find Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and we presume greater legroom for back seat passengers.
The new 3-door Jimny is already a cult classic, and has already spawned a massive market in off-road accessories and as of yet, I do not think I have seen one without some sort of accessory-isation (I do like to make words up). The car is also popular in the urban setting where it has become a sort of young person’s first car must-have, much like the hot hatch used to be.
Accessorise Dah-ling, ACESSORISE!
Looks to me like Maruti Suzuki may have a winner on their hands here. The question is: when will we get it in the rest of South East Asia?
