With new Jimny variant available at a lower price than Thar, it will be interesting to see how it impacts sales in December
In a surprising move, Maruti Suzuki has launched a new, affordable version of Jimny. Named Thunder Edition, this new variant is available at a starting price of Rs 10.74 lakh. It is exactly Rs 2 lakh cheaper than the standard base variant – Zeta Allgrip Pro MT. This offer is available only for a limited period.
Jimny Thunder Edition – Key features
Even when Jimny Thunder Edition is Rs 2 lakh cheaper, it gets exclusive cosmetic enhancements. One of the easily noticeable features is the mountain graphics on the sides. In addition, Jimny Thunder edition gets front and rear fender garnish, front skid plate garnish and wing mirror cap garnish. Other highlights include special door cladding and window rain guards.
It is to note that these features are available as optional accessories with standard variants of Jimny. That these are being offered free, makes the overall cost savings with Thunder Edition even more than Rs 2 lakh. Maruti is probably trying to offer the best deal to the target audience. It makes the Jimny even cheaper than Thar RWD variant that is priced at Rs 10.98 lakh. Likely an experiment to understand if users will make the switch when offered a significant price drop.
More details about Jimny Thunder Edition will be revealed in the coming days. It is not certain what else has changed in view of the Rs 2 lakh price cut. Maruti had earlier stated that Jimny won’t be getting a 2WD option. It means that Jimny Thunder edition will continue with the existing 4×4 configuration. Powering Jimny is the 1.5-litre K15B petrol motor that generates 104.8 PS of max power and 134.2 Nm of peak torque. Transmission choices include 5-speed manual and 4AT. Fuel efficiency is 16.94 km/l with the manual and 16.39 km/l with the automatic transmission.
Early Jimny buyers feel disheartened with discount offers
It appears that a discount of around Rs 1 lakh is available on Jimny at select Nexa dealerships. While this move will delight new buyers, the early buyers of Jimny are feeling cheated. A Jimny owner has shared their experience online. The user states that he was among the first batch of customers who had booked Jimny in January. The customer also says that they had paid Rs 25,000 booking amount.
As a discount of Rs 1 lakh is being offered in December, early Jimny buyers are expressing their disappointment. The launch of the cheaper Thunder Edition is also likely to create similar sentiments among early buyers. But it is unlikely that these owners will be getting any fix for their hurt sentiments. In fine print, carmakers usually reserve the right to change car prices, whenever needed.
All of it seems unfair, but that’s how the ecosystem works. Buying early or late is a decision that the user makes. There can be different outcomes, depending on the response to the product. If there’s high demand, prices may rise after launch. Opposite is true in the case of products with relatively less demand. The latter seems relevant for Jimny, especially when compared to Thar.
