The Maruti Suzuki Jimny Is Facing New Hurdles On Its Path To India

Even though the Suzuki Jimny was showcased amidst much fanfare at the Auto Expo 2020, there still seems no word about its India debut even almost two years later. The main reason for its delay is probably the outrageous global demand for the current 3-door model. Moreover, the carmaker is planning to launch the bigger 5-door version in the country, which is still under development.

Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director of Sales and Marketing at Maruti Suzuki India, told PTI that, "The volumes are less but such vehicles lift the image of an OEM. At the same time, it also helps support many customer aspirations.” Srivastava was quick to add that component supply and pricing needs to be assessed ahead of its launch. 

The fact that sales volume seems to be a barrier for the Jimny is surprising as the Mahindra Thar, its closest competitor, has been successful in India. The Thar is a three-door SUV and can be had with both petrol and diesel engines, paired with manual and automatic transmission. 

Coming to the components bit, the Jimny is already manufactured in India for exports, meaning there is a dedicated assembly line and parts suppliers for the SUV. That said, the SUV made in India is the three-door model and Maruti is mulling to bring the five-door SUV, which is still in the testing phase. 

Besides, the pandemic and chip shortage has also played spoilsport not just for Maruti but most of the carmakers. So it’s quite evident that carmakers need to focus on volume drivers rather than niche models. So before the Jimny, it’s likely that we will see the Creta rival that’s jointly developed with Toyota and the next-gen Vitara Brezza. 

Let’s not keep our hopes down on the Jimny, though, as we believe it will still arrive in its five-door avatar in India. Prices are expected to start around Rs 10 lakh, putting it in the vicinity of the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.