Despite being a smaller vehicle and having a sole petrol engine, Maruti Suzuki Jimny boasts a higher base price tag than Mahindra Thar
India’s third modern lifestyle off-roader, Jimny, is the hottest vehicle in the Indian automotive market currently. After much anticipation, Maruti Suzuki has launched Jimny in India. The company had commenced bookings long back and deliveries have started.
Prices for Jimny start from Rs. 12.74 lakh for base Zeta MT, Rs. 13.94 lakh for Zeta AT, Rs. 13.69 lakh for Alpha MT and Rs. 14.89 lakh for top-spec Alpha AT (all prices ex-sh). Maruti Suzuki charges extra Rs. 16,000 for DT Black roof variants based on Alpha trim.
Maruti Suzuki Jimny Launched In India
As opposed to its immediate rival Thar, Jimny costs Rs. 2.2 lakh more than Thar’s base variant with 1.5L diesel RWD. If we take Thar’s most affordable petrol 4X4 trims, Jimny base variant costs Rs. 1.13 lakh less. Considering Force Gurkha is in the play too, Jimny costs Rs. 2.36 lakh less than Gurkha (all prices ex-sh).
For Maruti Suzuki, Jimny is the spiritual successor of legendary Gypsy. The Rs. 12.74 lakh base price should be lucrative enough to draw in urban dwellers that want the taste of an off-road lifestyle vehicle. Being smaller than Thar and Gurkha helps it to be a more nimble city vehicle too. Jimny measures 3985 mm in length, 1645 mm in width, 1720 mm in height and 2590 mm long wheelbase.
Ground clearance is 210 mm with 195/80-R15 H/T tyres. The smaller dimensions also mean lighter kerb weight. At 1200 kg, this lightness should come in handy in tighter off-road manoeuvres. Aiding off-road ability is Suzuki’s ALLGRIP PRO system with a low-range transfer case. Currently, Jimny is Maruti’s only ladder-frame vehicle.
Jimny gets 3-link rigid-axles at both ends which is capable off-road and bumpy on-road. At least front should have got independent suspension considering most buyers hardly take their 4X4s off-road. 36-degree approach angle, 50-degree departure angle and 24-degree breakover angle should ensure good clearance all around.
Does it have the sauce to take on Thar and Gurkha?
Maruti Suzuki Jimny gets a sole 1.5L K15B petrol engine. This is an NA engine that generates 104.8 PS of power and 134.2 Nm of torque. There are two transmission choices, a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Features include LED headlights, cruise control, headlight washers, 15” alloys, limited-slip diff, a 9” infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity and more.
Jimny’s higher price tag can’t be quantified in a sentence. It boils down to customer preference. Real question is whether 5 doors are really more important than Thar’s lower price tag. Or is 4X4 really that important? If so, customers won’t hesitate to pay the extra Rs. 2.2 lakh over Thar’s base model. They are giving up a more powerful and significantly more torquey turbo diesel engine, 6-speed gearbox, larger road presence, larger wheels and A/T tyres, among many others.
