Maruti Suzuki JIMNY 5 door
After witnessing the success of Mahindra Thar and the rise in demand of 4x4, Maruti Suzuki has finally decided to launch Jimny in June 2023. It is a petrol only car and will get 1.5L petrol engine producing 103bhp of power and 134Nm of torque. The prices start from 12.74 lakhs ex-showroom to 13.85 lakhs ex-showroom for the manual variants and for the automatic variants it starts from 13.94 lakhs ex-showroom to 15.05 lakhs ex-showroom. So without wasting any of your time let's hit the list of pros and cons.
Pros of Maruti Suzuki Jimny
Maruti Suzuki Jimny is an excellent off-roader as you might have seen the capabilities of in many Youtube videos.
As it is a narrow car, it is easy to maneuver not only in the tight city spaces but also in the narrow hilly roads and also is will be easy to find parking spots for it.
As it is a Maruti Suzuki product it is reliable with widespread dealerships and service centers all across India.
Among the hardcore entry level 4x4 available in India it is the only one with 5 doors hence it is definitely more practical and easier for your friends and family to get in and out of the vehicle as compared to Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha.
It is the most affordable 4x4 that you money can buy as of June 2023 in India.
Maruti Suzuki will be offering it with many cool looking accessories that will enhance it's looks hence you can have tons of company fitted customizations.
Cons of Maruti Suzuki Jimny
It is a strictly 4 seater vehicle, so if you are a family of 5, you probably should avoid it. But if you want a 4x4 you, this might not be the deal breaker as other most close competitors like Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha also can't sit more than 4 people in them. Hence if you are looking to have space for more than 4 people with 4x4 capabilities you should look into the bigger more expensive Mahindra ScorpioN.
The ergonomics in the interiors are not well thought out as you can't even fit a bottle in the door pockets and the placement of power window switches is weird. Also it lacks an armrest which makes it a little uncomfortable for longer journeys.
It's manual gearbox is not slick shifting and also it's gearbox has a lot of vibrations, so if I would to buy Jimny I would prefer automatic over manual even if it is a 4 speed gearbox.
It's engine although generates enough power to go offroad but on highways it lacks that punch that you feel with Mahindra Thar which makes overtaking other vehicles on highways difficult.
So who should buy it ?
This car is ideal for someone with a small family who wants to travel through difficult terrain to reach the less known places.
It can be also an ideal car for someone who wants a second car for adventure and off-roading.
It can also be a good to learn off-roading, as it is also a skill that can be acquired only through practice.
It is also a good car for people living in hilly areas.