The new-generation Suzuki Jimny has become a super hit globally, so much so that waiting period has soared to almost 18 months in some markets.
Customers have taken to the new Jimny, how dogs lure to a bone. Currently, Suzuki manufactures the Jimny at it Kosai plant in Japan, and exports it to the global markets. However, the Kosai plant has is running to its maximum capacity and the increased demand from global markets have resulted in a demand-supply imbalance.
Suzuki plans to counter this by shifting a part of the Jimny's production to India at it Gujarat facility, where it has unutilized capacity. But the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has caused a hindrance to Suzuki’s plans, as most of its manufacturing facilities aren't operating at full strength.
Suzuki is working on setting-up a new assembly line at its Gujarat plant to manufacture the three-door Jimny Sierra (global-spec model), which was earlier expected to go into production around June 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak could delay this and will result in a higher waiting period in the global markets. This in turn, will also affect the Indian-spec Jimny as Suzuki has earmarked first six months of production for global markets.
Moreover, India is unlikely to get the three-door Jimny, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. Instead, Maruti Suzuki is reportedly working on a five-door version of the off-roader. Whether the company will use the Jimny moniker or use the existing Gypsy brand name isn't decided yet. But we feel Maruti Suzuki would want to leverage the Gypsy's off-road heritage.
The Suzuki Jimny will use a 1.5-litre K15B petrol motor that will make 100bhp and 130Nm of torque. It will be paired to a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. The India-spec five-door version will get similar mechanicals.
