Maruti Suzuki Dismiss Jimny 3-Door For India; 5-Door “Resonates With Family” | V3Cars

20 January 2023
By Jagdev Kalsi
11

Suzuki showcased the new-generation Jimny in 2018 and it’s taken over 4 years for the brand to launch the SUV in a market that contributes the highest sales volumes – India. The reason is that the Indian arm of carmaker – Maruti Suzuki – did not want to launch the 3-door Jimny here.

The smaller 3-door Jimny is, however, made in India for export purposes. But as per Maruti Suzuki’s assessment, it’s not a good fit for our market. “Jimny in India is always going to be (a) 5-door (car)”, Maruti Suzuki’s Chief Technical Officer, CV Raman, told V3Cars. He further said, “3-door (Jimny), we felt, would not give us the kind of traction that is desired to gain volume and increase penetration of Jimny across (India)”.

While Maruti Suzuki did not disclose the kind of volumes that they expect from the Jimny, the carmaker did tell us that they’ll position the SUV as “an aspirational” car in their portfolio. The Jimny will remain exclusive to the Maruti Suzuki’s upscale Nexa line of sales outlets alongside larger UVs like the new Fronx, Grand Vitara and XL6.

Besides attracting off-road enthusiasts with its capability on tough terrain, Maruti Suzuki believe that the Jimny can cater to the daily needs of urban buyers as well. The 5-door Jimny is a 4-seater vehicle and the rear seats can accommodate two adults easily, as we saw at the Auto Expo. While the rear seats can accommodate full-size adults, rear doors make access to the rear cabin easy (compared to the 3-door Jimny).

Maruti Suzuki claim that the wheelbase of the 5-door Jimny is 340mm longer, leading to 50mm more leg space for the rear passenger along with a 2 degree increase in recline of the rear seats. After these updates, the Maruti Suzuki officials believe that the Jimny “resonates with (Indian) family”.

Additionally, Raman told us that they have tuned the suspension of the Jimny to make sure that it’s comfortable to drive as an everyday car. Now we need to find out whether the Jimny is really suitable for 4 adults for every day use or not. We’ll drive the car soon to find out just how well it can cater to the everyday needs of city dwellers.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Jimny SUV Expected Price Calculation - With Logic

Note: Check your car’s fuel cost with Fuel Cost Calculator in India

Track our complete 2023 Auto Expo coverage at: Auto Expo 2023 – Latest News in Auto Show India

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jagdev Kalsi

Jagdev heads content for V3Cars. Apart from driving cars, he likes to keep an eye on the industry trends. He thinks he knows why Maruti Suzuki sells the most number of cars in India.

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11 Comments

D Dhananjay rabha says:

March 10 2023 21:46:42

3door jimny on road price pls send
D Dhananjay rabha says:

March 10 2023 21:46:42

3door jimny on road price pls send
K Kartik Chand says:

May 02 2023 10:30:00

Should have launched the 3 door instead of tampering with the original dimensions which now looks disproportionate messing up the original legendry looks. Why not have the 3 door when this 5 door is still not a family car or "only" car target. Hope Maruti reconsiders launching the 3 door and I will book mine immediately.
R Rajnikant says:

June 17 2023 23:33:57

Disappointed that the 3 door version won’t be released. It would have been the perfect vehicle for tier 2 cities with narrow roads. Suzuki should really re think about it.
A Anurag says:

August 07 2023 13:22:31

Disappointed that the 3-door did not come to India. Booked a Thar.
S Sharmila Vasudevan says:

August 07 2023 13:25:11

The Jimny was never going to be a family car anyway. I wanted to buy the 3-door version as an offroad toy, but now will cancel my booking and live with my CJ for a few more years until I can afford a newer short-wheel-base offroader, probably a gurkha with a punchier engine.
K Kumaravel G says:

December 26 2023 22:12:14

Maruthi 3-door jimny is a legend of gypsy. 5-door jimny is neither a car nor a jeep by look. Maruthi would have conquered Thar, had they had launched 3-door Jimny in India. But, not too late to reconsider.
H Heetesh says:

January 02 2024 23:25:20

Desperately waiting for much awaited 3 door Jimny ... please reconsider your marketing strategy and launch it with immediate effect... Many buyers like waiting for 3 door version ...which your 5 door Jimny not at all fulfill the craze & expectations.. can't wait for the smallest & cutest 3 door one any more...
H Heetesh says:

January 02 2024 23:25:26

Desperately waiting for much awaited 3 door Jimny ... please reconsider your marketing strategy and launch it with immediate effect... Many buyers like waiting for 3 door version ...which your 5 door Jimny not at all fulfill the craze & expectations.. can't wait for the smallest & cutest 3 door one any more...
K Kuldeep says:

February 04 2024 01:22:50

I think maruti should think why Jimmy failed in Indian market. It's because they launch the five door rather than 3 door with reasonable price. Less than 10 lakh.
S Sachin barai says:

February 09 2024 20:13:19

3 door jimnmny would have been best option for city use as most of the people who use car in dairy basis are 1 or 2 only