[theAutomaniac]

Originally Posted by RijuC

My perspective as a budget category buyer:

For a short height Eeco van sized SUV with flared wheel arch claddings, and 4 persons sitting capacity, with creased seat base, tiny sun visors, near zero interior storage space for water and accessories, cramped leg room in second row, kat-kat type cheap ORVM control Switches, no door lock-unlock dedicated button, no reach adjustment of steering, no height adjustment for driver's seat, ancient 4 speed AT, rickety tires, non-folding type grab handles, the EXPOSED WIRE TERMINALS OF BOOT DOOR DEFOGGER- the Jimny certainly doesn't look and feel like a "Niche" and "Lifestyle" category vehicle to my eyes.

If you're looking at a Jimny and seeing how some features are lacking and how the quality is not as good as your commuter hatchback, I heartly believe you are looking in the wrong direction. The likes of Creta, Nexon etc are for you, not the Jimny!

Same is the case with Lifestyle SUVs in every segment! I've spent considerable time with a known's Jeep Wrangler and I'll say without hesitation that a cheaper Endeavour or Tucson is better in every commuter aspect including quality, comfort, space, performance etc! But still, I won't say that the Wrangler is overpriced just because it is crap in the aspects it isn't made for! Same goes with the Jimny!

Originally Posted by pgsagar

True that. And, you forgot to add 1500 cc NA engine. On an SUV with more weight and bigger tyres ( likely to be installed by most ), this car may struggle to go past 100 kph.

Well, once you do any mods to the car, it is no longer the manufacturer's responsibility to satiate you! If "most" can spend on larger tyres, they can also spend on tuning the engine and brakes etc or else, should just keep mum and enjoy the consequences of their own actions!

And, Maruti didn't bother to launch in its biggest market in the world, while neighbouring Pakistan and other countries had it right from 2018. This reason alone is enough for me not to buy this.

Well respectfully, the Jimny is a car and requires 100s of crores to be homologated for a nation. They cannot just spend all that money just because some people on the internet are crying about it!

P.S.- The Jimny in our neighboring countries is sold at inflated prices as a CBU. Would you want the same treatment for India where they don't invest anything in making the car compliant for us and just throw an overly stiff European version over here? I certainly won't!

Plus, now we have full-blown macho-looking Thar with diesel, turbo petrol, MT, AT, hard top-soft top, 3-door 5-door (soon), 2WD-4WD options. Tiny Jimny pales in comparison. It maybe a big hit in European markets but then Europeans do drive tiny little cars. Our SUV preferences are closer to U.S. market. Bigger the better.

Sir, that is the exact reason why the Jimny 3-door wasn't brought here! It would've been deemed to small and people would've just ignored it and buy something "bigger".
With the amount of people cursing the 5-door for being too small, do you really think the 3-door which is even smaller, would've gotten any buyers outside of the internet?!

That said, I agree that Jimny is a potent off-roader, maybe equal to or even better than Thar but almost 90% SUVs never leave paved roads. They are mostly mall-cruisers where size and macho looks matter more than off-road capability.

Again, crawling to the malls isn't what the Jimny is made for! It is a small utilitarian lifestyle vehicle which is made purely for being fun in the trails and running errands in the small narrow streets.
If one wants to show-off their money on a "butch" SUV while crawling to the malls, Mahindra has made the Thar for that purpose!

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

10. The showroom guys were having trouble moving the car around in the showroom. Turning radius is a potential issue for those used to driving smaller cars or larger cars that have a more nimble IFS steering geometry.

Have noticed this in several 5 door videos and is expected. This is the only main worry* I have regarding the 5 door. I am used to driving a crysta but for its size it is maneuverable and the u turns possible with crysta might need a two point turn in a jimmy 5 door. In the city it could be a problem.


*Hope Maruti prices it sensibly!!

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by theAutomaniac

If you're looking at a Jimny and seeing how some features are lacking and how the quality is not as good as your commuter hatchback, I heartly believe you are looking in the wrong direction. The likes of Creta, Nexon etc are for you, not the Jimny!

My comments were against the way Jimny is being projected as a "Niche" and "Lifestyle" category vehicle; and not fault finding of the Jimny. These negatives or shortcomings are acceptable to us (family of 2- myself and Mrs.). We really don't have requirement of 4x4. An AWD with AT and petrol engine within 18 Lakhs OTR GGN would have sufficed (18 Lakhs was my maximum budget and my old car goes out at approx ~ 4.5 lakhs). However, there is none available in our Market. Jimny is the nearest SUV that fulfilled most of the requirements. Hence I booked the car.

Kindly note that I have highlighted a number of strong points or well engineered elements of the Jimny in my YT videos that nobody has highlighted initially. I even took the pain to go down and take photos of the underbelly, or measure the interior dimensions to establish whether it is adequate or not. Since my presentation was very amateurish, I have been criticised throughout. Whereas the same points are later highlighted by professional Youtubers or experienced guys.

After seeing the car physically, I have reduced my budget because I have to keep my present ride. If Alpha AT price is way above, I'll buy the ZETA AT. Features differential is okay for me.

[hp52_vishy]

Originally Posted by theAutomaniac

If you're looking at a Jimny and seeing how some features are lacking and how the quality is not as good as your commuter hatchback, I heartly believe you are looking in the wrong direction. The likes of Creta, Nexon etc are for you, not the Jimny!

Originally Posted by RijuC

My comments were against the way Jimny is being projected as a "Niche" and "Lifestyle" category vehicle; and not fault finding of the Jimny. These negatives or shortcomings are acceptable to us (family of 2- myself and Mrs.). We really don't have requirement of 4x4. An AWD with AT and petrol engine within 18 Lakhs OTR GGN would have sufficed (18 Lakhs was my maximum budget and my old car goes out at approx ~ 4.5 lakhs). However, there is none available in our Market. Jimny is the nearest SUV that fulfilled most of the requirements. Hence I booked the car.
....

After seeing the car physically, I have reduced my budget because I have to keep my present ride. If Alpha AT price is way above, I'll buy the ZETA AT. Features differential is okay for me.

I think I would agree with theAutomaniac's inference that this seems to be a case of probably pursuing the wrong vehicle. Again, reinforced by statements that
1) dont need a 4x4- so 4H and 4L modes are practically useless; why unnecessarily pay for something one doesn't need. and,
2) After seeing the Jimny in flesh, plan to retain the current ride for a family of 2

Also, I hope MSIL surprise me, but I expect the Alpha AT price to be close to XL6 Alpha+AT price.

[fjcruiser08]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

When I look through these comments, I find some of them fairly amusing. Let me tell you guys upfront. The Jimny was never meant to serve the purpose of of family car. It is purely a farmers ride or a weekend fun car.
Before you start measuring the width of the seats, please look under the car. It is solid axle for crying out loud. Your baby will throw up it's milk shortly.
This car is purely for an off-road enthusiast. For baby comfort and slightly wider mother in law comfort, there are like a 100 options and Jimny is definitely not one of them. It is a solid offroader which is compromised in just about every other aspect.

Originally Posted by SUVolens

Well, yes and no. Yes, internationally and especially in road space constricted Europe, the original Jimny is a farmer’s tool and an urban toy/joyride. In 4x4 crazed Australia and S Africa too. But from Maruti in India? I don’t think that’s how they’re seeing it or will be able to market it. The off-roading trend is growing here, true. And no small measure thanks to the efforts of M&M and Force Motors. And while Maruti may have kept an eye on that growth trend while agreeing to sell the Jimny here, their primary thought was to give the crowds the vital feature missing from the competition - access, both practically and metaphorically. 4 doors just flatten the doubts many have when eyeing the Thar for example. They open the doors (no puns intended) for a slightly older demographic too and that would’ve been plenty in evidence from the visitors to the Jimny viewings at the dealers. This ‘compromised’ version also makes a great case to be sold by bucketloads in the hill states, not an ignorable number. Then there is the defence market. It’s a calculated move from MSIL. All they need is a crafty pricing and they’ll be laughing all the way to the banks.
Does that make the LWB Jimny a family car? Gawd NO! It doesn’t have it in its genes to be that. But what it can be is a stylish compromise that many would be willing to live with, within their daily commute zones. That’s not what the competition is able to do currently.

I agree with both of you, however I can’t help but notice that everyone here seems to be glossing over the obvious. I have close to zero experience driving in India but when I first learned to drive here (yes, I had to relearn because driving in India is a different skill altogether, or is to me, not to mention being RHD virgin) I was amazed how people even rode anything else but jeeps* on these roads?! Like I said, I have only been on a very tiny fraction of Indian roads, but based on that limited sample of data, its not hard to extrapolate that one is almost off-roading about half the time despite not having any interest in going off road. I am off road a lot even when I least desire it. I wasn’t exaggerating, when I said, during my initial days, on some really bad tracts of what was supposed to be roads, that I needed a damn tractor to traverse these sections. So I put my money where my mouth is and bought my first ride in India, a Mahindra Thar.

Why does it come as a surprise then that Maruti, and others, are doing the obvious and mainstreaming slightly better appointed farm equipment for our roads while also selling factory lifted hatches and sedans under the same roof? Because it sells for the same reasons why tiny cars sell in Europe and boats on wheels in the US. The only anomaly here is the Indian obsession over “road presence” - given our roads, the mindset is, inexplicably, bigger-is-better! Or maybe it isn’t, may be people feel safer in bigger vehicles?

Almost all my limited knowledge about the driving/offroading culture (and much else in India, to be honest) comes from reading forums/articles online or watching YouTube videos, but I’d still hazard a wild guess that the tiny fraction of the off-road enthusiast community in India has to be tinier than the fraction of Indian roads I have been on so far. Furthermore, within that said tiny population, majority are rich kids with no girlfriends and nowhere else to blow their money on (again, I read this in an article about youth in Punjab/Haryana and their obsession with jeeps*, so don’t shoot the messenger) engaging in measuring contests of the juvenile kind (to keep it kosher for the elders here) climbing over remains of abandoned structures, dilapidated steps, and sidewalks on the outskirts of Indian suburbia (source: YouTube). So no, there doesn't seem to be a need for any manufacturer making any product targeted exclusively towards the genuine off-road enthusiast community; just take what’s existing, make it a little pretty and mainstream it as you get to charge a pretty penny for that lipstick on the pig. Not that there’s anything wrong with it; I like pigs wearing lipstick!

I am aware that I may come off sounding haughty dissing on Indian roads, but am not. There are a coveted lucky few of you who live in Indian cities paved with glistening tarmac and ride on gleaming concrete, and you have better options to chose from. More power to you! I envy you as much as I hate my options. But you are few and far between; we are the not-so-lucky majority who drive on roads where the kids are gonna throw up their milk regardless of the ride. It is what it is, no dissing here. In the US, we used to plan weeks ahead to drive two hours up in the mountains to enjoy a weekend of mudding/wheeling and camping with people who whined about the broken roads and bridges of America (and I was always like, what?!?!). Here I am planning road trips out of my way just so to escape the almost mandatory off-roading and visit places where the lucky few get to live and drive. Its just what it is and I made my peace with that.

So yeah, we need these jeeps* - Jimny’s, Thar’s, and the like. Heck, I will buy a subscription for 3-yearly-renewal for an AC Bolero if it came with an auto tranny and TPMS - and strip all other electronics off it please.

Then there’s the pricing discussion. I remember when I had booked the Thar without even test driving it, and was reading on these very forums the wild speculation about its then yet-to-be-announced pricing; estimates thrown around were mostly on the higher side, some almost as high as 25L. And I notice the same about the Jimny; folks speculating upwards of 16/17L’s for the Jimny. I too have booked one on opening day but this would be dead on arrival if it was priced closer to the Thar. These are still pigs, notwithstanding the lipstick.

Speaking of bookings though, is it possible to change the dealership from one state to another? Or change the name on the original booking?

* - I use the generic term jeep like how it came to be, as short for GP (as in General Purpose), or what's called utility vehicles today

[nanoguy]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

When I look through these comments, I find some of them fairly amusing. Let me tell you guys upfront. The Jimny was never meant to serve the purpose of of family car. It is purely a farmers ride or a weekend fun car.
Before you start measuring the width of the seats, please look under the car. It is solid axle for crying out loud. Your baby will throw up it's milk shortly.
This car is purely for an off-road enthusiast. For baby comfort and slightly wider mother in law comfort, there are like a 100 options and Jimny is definitely not one of them. It is a solid offroader which is compromised in just about every other aspect.

Agreed, that it is not a family car but then people are talking about democratizing off-roading with Jimny. When you want to democratize, many people who want (or can) to own a single car will come into picture.
OR the pricing should be ridiculously low enough for these folks to own it as a second vehicle.

Secondly, if it is not to be seen as a family car, why did Maruti wait so long to bring the 5 door version. They could have very well launched the 3 door version here.

[khanmaj]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

Brass tacks - this is a 9.99 - 11.99L rupee car with all 4 variants slotting into that range. There is nothing in it to justify a higher price tag. Passion / Heritage etc. can only stretch so far. When the vehicle is as compromised as this in terms of comfort and space, logic will prevail, at least on the side of the customer. There are better options out there even without considering the potential pricing.

Thanks for sharing this. It’s one of the most reasonable observations I have read on this thread. I have been following this quietly from the beginning, as it might be my next purchase but majority of the comments are either too critical or too favorable and do not give the correct picture. Lets hope we get the Test drive opportunity soon.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by hp52_vishy

I think I would agree with theAutomaniac's inference that this seems to be a case of probably pursuing the wrong vehicle. Again, reinforced by statements that
1) dont need a 4x4- so 4H and 4L modes are practically useless; why unnecessarily pay for something one doesn't need. and,
2) After seeing the Jimny in flesh, plan to retain the current ride for a family of 2

I think I have explained it n number of times that since there is no petrol AWD with AT available below 20 lakhs OTR in this thread, I am compelled to select the Jimny. Compact size in narrow hills is an advantage. Jimny is the closest to fulfill all my requirements. And my present Swift is in almost showroom condition interior-wise and mechanically. I love my Swift, and have sweet memories with it. So can't let her go so easily. Moreover, on rare occasions, my urban usage need 5 seats. Last point, we are a childless couple having no other burden except the home loan at present. Parents are financially self supported.

You seem to be from HP. In last 2 years I felt the need of AWD or 4H at least 3-4 times in Uttarakhand and Himachal. We wish to explore the deep Himalayan terrains without any worries. Hence this requirement. Yes, the 4L probably will never be used.

One last statement from my side, "Love is (sometimes) Blind".

Hope you got the answer now!

[cool_dube]

Made a quick stopover at a nearby Nexa outlet to check the Jimny out this last Saturday. Will not post any pictures, as there are enough and more available on the internet and I am bored to death seeing the same Canary (all right, all right, Kinetic) Yellow shade all over the internet! Few observations on the Jimny, having owned a couple of Gypsy's in the past and presently owning a 2021 Thar:

# It is not grossly disproportionate but not well proportioned either. Any SWB enthusiast should easily be able to make out that it was always meant to be a 2-door and stretching it to a 4-door model was an afterthought. Certainly appears long for its width.

# Interiors are average - function over form, and for the most part, well put together. Quality of plastics was questionable, though.

# Seats are nowhere as comfortable and supportive as the Thar's. Rear ones have zero under-thigh support. Seat fabric does not look like being able to take rough usage.

# Steering and console are quite good.

# Lack of height adjustable driver's seat is a big miss.

# Tires look outright pathetic and warrant immediate change to 215s.

# Build quality is good for a Maruti product but nowhere close to the Thar's.

I will TD one when drives begin next month. Highly skeptical of the engine performance, though.

If I were to buy one, max I'd pay for top end AT would be 15 lac on road.

Lastly, if it ever comes in the 2-door avatar, I'd be VERY tempted to pick one up at 12/13-ish lac on-road.

Bottom-line - it is a cute toy, an evolved Gypsy, something for the child in you to play around/tinker with! Looking for road-presence, look elsewhere.

[Sankar]

I've bought couple of Jimny interior essential accessories, hope I won't have to put it on classifieds as brand new in box

[gargville]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I've bought couple of Jimny interior essential accessories, hope I won't have to put it on classifieds as brand new in box

Do share the name of items you have sourced

[Carma2017]

After reading through most of the reviews of Jimny here and the Thar reviews in its thread, I am convinced of one fact. Most Team BHP members and "aam junta" are looking at these vehicles like "Cars".
Both Jimny and Thar are not cars as one normally perceives it to be in terms of creature comforts etc. The vehicles have been conceptualized to serve a core purpose - To travel through tough terrains reliably. They would be excelling doing the same in all probability. Whatever these vehicles offer over and above the aforementioned is an extra.
The global buyer of a Jeep Wrangler or a Mercedes G Class or a SWB Jimny even does not care about a touch screen, or seat fabric or even it's road presence to a large extent. These vehicles sell because of their dynamics and mechanical capabilities. If that is not the main reason for sales, then the Jimny would join the Thar in the new second hand car category rapidly.

[swiftnfurious]

Has the media drives been done ? Or is it scheduled?

[ani446]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

Drove from Chennai to Bangalore to check out the Jimny. MSIL must think Chennai is part of Sri Lanka because it doesn’t feature anywhere in their roadshow.

We have been feeling same about Hyderabad sir. Multiple enquires but only response I get from RM is "I will update you sir". Just hoping for these two months to pass quickly and opening this thread everyday to see the views of the fortunate ones like you" 👍

[carZest]

Our farmhouse is 150 kms from B'lore, and for 148 of those the roads are really good. However, the last 2 kms can be really bad during the monsoons. In addition to the slush, there are also bad rocks and huge craters in this stretch. Last monsoons, we ended up parking in the nearby village and walking these 2 kms every single time.

I sold my previous ride (Renault Triber) as it did a decent job for the first 148 kms (nice cruiser once it gets going, ample space, great AC) but was inadequate for the last 2 kms. Once it's lower arm took a hit in a minor crater, and once the agri borewell water had overflown, resulting in it getting well and truly stuck. I had to call the local tractor guy to yank it out, that too using the boot clasp, not very correct at all. I ended up buying a beater 2014 santro for my office n farms runs. After the first month of the rains where it was incapable of tackling the final 2 kms of slush, it did (and does) a stellar job in tackling the craters and slush. It's like a goat! However, it offers a sub- par ride in the first 148 kms (nice cruiser, cramped space, bouncy ride compared to contemporary vehicles, great AC). Moreover, it isn't an AT, something that my wife requires. We also have a grand i10 AT that's my wife's car. It's done a stellar job for 90k kms with no problems, but mainly in the city. It might be the first car of ours that will cross 1 lakh kms with minimum fuss. However, we are clear that we won't take it on the final 2 kms near the farm. It once took a small hit in a ditch near our house in B'lore, and it's front apron moved resulting in the radiator moving down by 1/2 inch!

We have booked the Jimny with plan to sell the santro and retain the grand i10. This is in Nexa, RR Nagar. We feel with the Jimny our final 2kms of the farm run is taken care of. But this booking is subject to a test drive to see how will the 148 kms of highway cruising be in it.

I strongly echo RijuC in that a capable petrol AWD AT SUV is what we actually need. Not necessarily a great off-roader, but capable one when needed. We cannot afford the ScorpioN AT 4*4 which seems an ideal vehicle for the above use case. We can afford a XUV 300 AWD 6AT GDi petrol, or a XUV 300 AWD 6AT turbo petrol, or worst case a XUV 300 AWD AMT; but sadly such a vehicle doesn't exist. Also, the Duster AWD also isn't sold anymore. So it looks like it will be the Jimny!

Thanks for reading the long, rambling post!