Although Suzuki withdrew from our market in 2014, that does not prevent it from continuing to market adorable vehicles elsewhere in the world. The Jimny is a very good example. It’s an off-road type SUV, similar to a Jeep Wrangler or a Ford Bronco, but not much bigger than a subcompact car. This is what constitutes its charm. Alas, Suzuki has no intention of marketing it here, let alone in its brand new five-door version which has just been unveiled in India.
In fact, even some parts of the world where the Jimny is currently marketed in its three-door format will not have access to this new version. It is that the four-door Jimny will only be reserved for a few very select regions of the world, such as India, Africa and Latin America, where it will be marketed within the next few months.
Clearly more versatile than its colleague, this Jimny gains a little in size in order to allow two passengers to comfortably settle in the back through the added doors. The wheelbase has therefore been lengthened by 340 millimetres, for a total length announced by the manufacturer of 3,395 millimetres. Despite this stretch, the five-door Jimny remains more compact than a Nissan Qashqai whose overall length is 4,394 millimeters.
Mounted on a steel frame like a Jeep Wrangler and equipped with a true four-wheel drive system with a slow speed, the Jimny remains a very capable SUV despite being so compact. Under its tiny hood hides a longitudinally installed 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Its power is rated at 103 horsepower and its torque at 102 lb-ft. The Jimny can be mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
Now, how do we convince Suzuki to bring it to us? We’re going to have to shout loud and clear, because the manufacturer refuses to sell it here, despite quite remarkable interest in this model in North America. So let’s continue to admire it from a distance through these beautiful images…
