The new Suzuki Jimny like the iconic Maruti Suzuki Gypsy King comes with a transfer case as standard. Now you know it means business…
You’re probably wondering why we are doing stories and reports on Suzuki’s new Jimny that isn’t India bound. Well, this one isn’t likely to come here, but there is a good chance that the upcoming long wheelbase, five-door model will finally bring the fourth generation Jimny to India at a later time when it goes into production. Yes, that’s right, there will be a bigger model of the Jimny that will be made keeping in mind the needs of international markets.
And while the car isn’t ready yet, the Jimny’s European specifications details have just been revealed. So, let’s take a close look at these specs because aside from the difference in length from its Kei Car sibling, there will be little else that will be markedly different in the LWB model.
Being a Kei Car, the short wheelbase Jimny headed for Europe measures in at just 3,480mm from bumper to bumper, that’s considerably shorter than the sub-4 meter compact SUVs here in India. And at 1,645mm, the Jimny is not as wide as an EcoSport either. But with a height of 1,725mm and 210mm ground clearance, it sure means business.
Of course, the ground clearance is only 10mm more than an EcoSport but when you factor in the Jimny’s 37-degree approach angle, 28-degree ramp over angle and a staggering 49-degree departure angle combined with its rugged ladder frame chassis, you quickly realize that the Jimny is in its own league as a true blue compact SUV. Boosting its off-road credentials, the new Jimny gets three-link front and rear coil spring suspension with rigid axles. This should give it a good balance between ride and handling, we well as proper off-road capability.
Firepower comes from Suzuki’s K15B 1.5 litre, four cylinder, 16-valve, indirect injection, naturally aspirated petrol engine. The engine develops 100bhp @ 6,000rpm and 130Nm of torque @ 4,000rpm. Power is sent to the wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic. Both models come with a transfer box as standard, in sync with its off-road nature. Fuel efficiency is rated at 14.71 km/l for the manual model while the automatic is rated at 13.33 km/l.
This setup gives the manual model a top speed of 145km/h while the automatic is rated at 140 km/h. This is of course done keeping in mind the gear ratios and general vehicle setup for this off-roader.
Stopping power comes from disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. Keeping in mind that Suzukis are light weight in nature by design (not to forget the immense off-road capabilities of the light weight Gypsy King), the new Jimny weighs in at just 1,135 kg in kerb weight, low ratio box and all. Not to mention that a two-wheel drive EcoSport manual weighs in at close to 1,300kg with its three cylinder, 1.5 litre petrol engine.
Of course, we are not comparing the Jimny to the EcoSport here, but these figures are just for your reference. So, you can see the stark difference in the Jimny’s nature as compared to your standard compact SUV. This car isn’t designed to be your average compact SUV, this one means business, as a hardcore off-roader. And thanks to modern equipment such as satellite navigation, bluetooth connectivity, power steering, air conditioning and heating, ABS, air bags and a whole lot more, the Jimny looks like its going to be posing a serious threat to SUVs in India when it makes its way here. The only chink in its armour happens to be its 40 litre fuel tank that will give the car a realistic driving range of about 550km. Having said that, we sure hope the LWB model gets a larger tank...
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