Indians have a strong affinity towards SUVs and that’s pretty evident given the fact how fast the SUV market is rising in the country. Case in point, the compact SUV market grew at 75% last year, making India the fastest growing market in the whole world, as far as compact SUVs are concerned. But this love for the SUVs in not something new. Back in the early 2000’s, cars like Tata Safari, Tata Sierra and Mahindra Scorpio dominated the Indian auto industry. Among such big and intimidating cars was the Maruti Gypsy, an affordable SUV produced between 1981 to 1998.
To all those who don’t know, Gypsy was actually a long-wheelbase version of the second generation Suzuki Jimny. Now that Suzuki has revealed the fourth generation of the Jimny SUV, everyone is hoping that it will make its way to the Indian market. While the mini-SUV could have its global unveil on July 5, 2018, in Japan, Indian launch, if it ever happens, can place early next year.
Here’s why 2019 Suzuki Jimny makes a perfect case for a market like India.
It is a Compact SUV
As seen in the pictures, the Suzuki Jimny will be a three-door offering and will come with a classic design language. The front-end of the car will have a 5-slat, blacked-out grille which along with the circular headlights, circular fog lights and circular indicators give the car a retro and muscular feel. The front bumper gets a large air intake and it is, along with the outside rearview mirrors, blacked-out. The flared wheel arches further enhance the stance of the mini-SUV giving it the appearance of a larger SUV. In order to be successful in India, Maruti Suzuki will have to sell it as a five door SUV. Needless to say, compact SUV makes for a perfect product on the Indian roads.
Also Read: 2019 Suzuki Jimny Detailed Image Gallery!
It has Swift/Ignis inspired Cabin
The interiors, however, feel a lot modern as compared to the exteriors. The Suzuki Jimny will get steering-mounted controls, a digital multi-information display in the instrument cluster and rotary-style air-con controls along with toggle-like switches in the centre console – somewhat similar to what you have seen recently on the Maruti Suzuki Ignis.
Given the fact that almost all new Suzuki, and Maruti Suzuki cars for that matter, come with a large touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Jimny comes with the same as well. And the image of the interior does show that the dashboard will come with a top-mounted touchscreen infotainment system.
A sub-10 Lakh AWD SUV
As far as speculations go, the Suzuki Jimny is expected to come with ladder frame construction, four-wheel drive and a low-range gearing as well to help it live up to its reputation of being a serious off-roader. The Jimny became iconic in the late 70s for being a proper off-road vehicle which also was easy to drive around in everyday city conditions as well, thanks to its small size.
And given how successful the Maruti Gypsy has been in India, and coupled with the compact-SUV demand that’s been on the rise in the Indian market, the Suzuki Jimny could very well be the rightful successor to the Maruti Gypsy in today’s time.
All Petrol, No Diesel
The 2019 Suzuki Jimny will not come with a diesel engine, as it is being launched as an entry level SUV product. What the new Suzuki Jimny gets are 3 engine options - The JDM spec model will get the 660cc RA06 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 64PS and 95Nm. Other engine options will include a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder Boosterjet petrol and the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre engine. In India, expect a 1.2-litre engine, same as the Swift and a Boosterjet engine for high power output. It will also have good mileage, making it a perfect product for India.
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