South Africa became the first country where Suzuki Jimny is sold in both 3-door and 5-door styles alongside each other
Across international markets, 3-door Jimny is popular for its off-roading capabilities. Suzuki seems keen to expand Jimny’s popularity and desirability with 5-door version. In that regard, Suzuki launched 5-door Jimny in South Africa and this country became the first to get both 3-door and 5-door models of Jimny simultaneously.
Suzuki Jimny 5-Door Launched In South Africa
Evolving market dynamics prompt OEMs to change their strategy and Suzuki is taking 5-door Jimny to more global markets. Up until now, Suzuki only sold 3-door Jimny 4X4 in South African market. Now, the company has launched 5-door Jimny at a starting price of Rand 429,900 (approx Rs. 19.7 lakh) for the base GL MT variant.
Top-spec GLX AT variant costs Rand 479,900 (approx Rs. 22 lakh). The price seems excessive because South Africa spec Jimny is exclusively manufactured by Maruti Suzuki in India and then shipped to various markets. This adds cost and is evident especially when compared to Indian pricing. There are new colours on offer in South Africa too, that are absent in India.
GL trim coincides with Zeta trim in India-spec model, while GLX coincides with Alpha trim. Indian pricing is Rs. 12.75 lakh (ex-sh) for Zeta MT and top-spec Alpha AT costs Rs. 14.9 lakh (ex-sh). South Africa spec Jimny is identical to India-spec Jimny where design, powertrains and mechanical prowess are concerned.
The 1.5L NA K15 engine runs the show for both 3-door and 5-door Jimny. This engine is capable of churning out 102 PS of peak power and 130 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Suzuki’s AllGrip 4X4 system is offered as standard.
5-door Jimny hasn’t compromised its off-road capabilities
While 5-door Jimny’s wheelbase is 300 mm longer than the 3-door version, it has retained much of its off-roading capabilities. This has been purposefully done via a process that Maruti calls as ‘optimization’. Maruti Suzuki CTO CV Raman had stated that they could have made the 5-door Jimny even longer. However, it was avoided to preserve Jimny’s 4×4 character.
While Maruti will surely want 5-door Jimny to emerge as a bestseller, the company does not depend entirely on Indian market. Made-in-India 5-door Jimny will be sold in multiple overseas markets such as South Africa, Latin America and a few ASEAN and African nations including South Africa.
Original Jimny was launched in 1970 and the 4×4 character has been retained all throughout. With a brand that has become synonymous with off-roading, it won’t be appropriate to dilute the USP by launching a 4×2 version. Something that Mahindra has done with Thar with excellent customer response seen with high waiting period.
In comparison, Thar is currently entirely dependent on Indian market. Thar’s international plans have been put on hold due to copyright violation lawsuits filed by FCA. Overall, Maruti seems to have quite a bit of freedom in terms of selecting the price range for 5-door Jimny, as seen with South African market.
