Maruti Jimny India Launch Not Confirmed, Still Under Evaluation

Highly anticipated Maruti Jimny launch still under study for India.

2020 Maruti Jimny Thumb — Maruti showcased Jimny at Auto Expo to evaluate customer feedback

The Suzuki Jimny was one of the show stoppers at the Auto Expo 2020. It was showcased to gain customer feedback. The company received great response for the car and Maruti was expecting the same result.

While recent rumours confirmed about the launch of Jimny in India, that too in a 5-door avatar, Maruti Suzuki Executive Director Shashank Srivastava says, they are still evaluating the launch.

He has further stated that the launch is not finalised in India. There are no clear plans of Maruti Suzuki for bringing the compact SUV to our country.

There can be multiple factors behind this. Firstly, the 3-door to 5-door conversion. While 3-door car is not practical for India and won’t result in good sales. Making the car longer will add to the development cost.

Not only additional cost will be required to design and develop a 5-door Jimny but also the driving dynamics will be compromised. For that, the company will have to re-engineer the car to suit the drivability keeping in mind the Indian road conditions.

The international spec Jimny is said to be having a stiff and bouncy ride quality. In India, Maruti can’t afford to sell a car with such ride quality. So this is the first concern which needs to be addressed.

Secondly, the price factor will play an important role for it to be successful in India. With an expected starting price of sub Rs. 10 lakhs, it will fall into the space of S-Cross and Vitara Brezza.

With these two cars now entering the highly competitive market without diesel engine option, Maruti wouldn’t like any cannibalisation for this segment. If they price the Jimny higher, it will feel tremendous heat from the premium compact SUV segment.

Now the third and the most important factor in these times is the current pandemic situation. With such negative customer buying sentiment in a falling economy. It is doubtful that even enthusiasts will be willing to pay for a lifestyle vehicle like the Jimny.

There will be very few takers considering the current scenario. As research suggests that most buyers will now prefer used cars and value for money practical cars post pandemic.

However, we are still hopeful that Maruti will come out with the solutions and finally introduce the Jimny in our country. There is a huge void left after the Gypsy got discontinued and we need the Jimny for sure to fill that void.

If launched, the Jimny will be retailed via the premium Nexa dealership network. It will be offered with K15B 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed MT or a 4-speed AT.