[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Vikram9193

with a muddy village road that most vehicles scrape over. all three of these disparate environments, but will fall a little short on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. An extra cog and a longer rear seat squab would have been sweet! The Scorpio Z4 4x4 and the GV/Hyryder AWD are also options but will feel too wide and bulky

Yours is an utility use case just like how any chaps here in the South on the tea and coffee estates may use their vehicles. Or a farm owner on the outskirts of a city like Bangalore.
Years ago I used to take my MG410 on the highways in and around Madras and from Bangalore to Ooty and Coorg and all. I always felt the need even then, for a 5th gear and a little more power.
More recently, trips of this kind, done in my MG413, feel quite comfortable because it has a few more horses than the 410 and it also has that 5th gear so it doesnt strain as the 410 used to in 4th. It has enough ‘juice’ to overtake judiciously by dropping a gear and ‘gunning it’.
But then the average speeds on our highways have increased, as have the speeds of most of the cars on offer. So we shall have to test how the new Jimny is in the real world in the hands of an average joe user-driver like any of us and then decide if it fits or not.

A few pics attached of the 3 door Jimny in various settings in Australia. And its ancestor the Samurai. Used as an ute in and around the vineyards of Tuscany. And as an overlander in Australia. And my own Gypsy, used to ferry all sorts of things from Bangalore to Ooty and Coorg and back. And an Army Gypsy or two.

Bottom-line, these cars are simple, purposeful, utility vehicles, no more, no less.

We can keep writing pages and pages but nothing alters this.

[sjain2054]

I think this car will sell most in the mountains - Ladakh region, Himachal, Uttarakhand and North East. In my Ladakh drive with Planet Way Round I saw so many old Scorpios and I think the Jimny will replace some of them. The only reason for people in the mountains not to buy the Jimny would be that it will not be able to fit large families. The mileage will also be a concern.

We all know that a lot of these 'international car models' that come to India are watered down versions. Example, the Brazil Etios was far better equipped and had better interior quality than the Indian Etios. Same goes for the Indonesian Honda City vs the Indian Honda City. Is it the same case with the Jimny here and the one sold in Japan/Australia? Can someone with details elaborate on this point?

[LokiPilaniya]

I some YouTube videos Maruti showing camping accessories along with it, but by the size of Jimny it looks like it will be good for 2 people only if they plan to do some serious road trips.

Not sure if I was expecting more as I want to buy it but at the same time lots of things stopping me to even consider this mini SUV.
1. Space for only 4 people, I was expecting a proper 5 seater.
No multi day road trips with friends as that luggage space will not work for anyone.
2. In cabin storage space is joke in Jimny
3. With 4 AT it is going to feel way too underpowered on those 120kmph expressways, even with the 5 MT due to gear ratios.
4. No seat height adjustment.
5. Odd placements for power window switches, why? I don't think doors are removable on Jimny.

I will have to wait and see one in person to change my mindset about the Jimny but as of now this doesn't look interesting to me.
I still think Suzuki should've worked more and launched a wider Jimny for the Indian market given the time the took to launch it here.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Carma2017

As far as I know and have heard, Suzuki does its own market research and target customers are generally similar target segment vehicle owners as well as existing Suzuki loyalists. For Suzuki, the reaction of the market to the Zen Carbon and Zen Steel is probably something that always affects their decision making.

Suzuki and Maruti are two different entities, India I believe there were some secret feedback sessions and all arranged. But I think it was all handled by agencies. Anyways point was that they decided 4 door version from sales number perspective. So it has to be a volume generator and if so pricing is crucial.

Originally Posted by Doonite

Manufacturers don't really care about diluting their brand as long as it gets them sales. If luxury brands brands like BMW, Audi etc. did it, so will Maruti, if it gets them the sales.

Bingo a 3 pot BMW at super premium price is in vogue these days.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

@jaggu - MSIL are here to sell what they can and to make profits.

I never disagreed, just wonder if pricing would be fair. And why not have 3 door for enthusiast since it is anyways produced here in India. Take KTM as example after 3 long years they decided to launch the 390 Adv that they should have launched in India. Indian buyers were sold 390 minus adventure and plus led indicators Vs abroad it was sold with adjustable suspension and halogen indicators. I would have happily bought the latter and paid my own LED indicator upgrade. To make things worse, price was never juicy either!

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I'd take that with a bucketload of salt, please If the resounding success of the All New Thar is anything to go by, customer sentiment is very evident. They just did not want to take the 2-door Thar head on by launching the 2-door Jimny here, that's all. The optimist in me still believes that one day we'll see the 2-door Jimny on Indian roads as well.

Thar whatever said and done has better road presence. Jimny is small and cute which may not really go well with the macho need we Indians have.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Thar 4*4 HT has breached the 20 lakh mark. With respect to car prices, the 15 lakhs of today is clearly the 10 lakhs 3-4 years ago. Just few cars comes to mind. Skoda Octavia from the price of 23-25 lakhs had shot upto 36 lakhs when it was sold last. Jeep Compass is at 37 lakhs now from 23-24 lakhs. MG ZS EV has breached the 30 lakh mark. Fortuner moved from 20 to 55 now. Inflation notwithstanding, car prices have gone through the roof undoubtedly.

Best part no one has stopped buying, so as long as market has the appetite to lap up average and expensive products, manufacturers will keep selling. If consumers don't care or raise a voice, why would manufacturer care? Manufacturers know that they will still be able to sell even if the products are 10-15 lakhs above their right price.

Originally Posted by Senotrius

For a so called premium,niche, utility focused product 3 big misses- non adjustable steering wheel(reach) and drivers seat(height/lumbar),along with no bash plate/underbody protection.

Am sure the underbody protection is kept for accessories market, Maruti has been pretty aggressive on that.

Originally Posted by tarmacnaut

Jimny with the same engine and similar weight as Brezza should be no different. But I would comment after a test ride. It's not lazy engineering but the laziness to work the gearbox that would make overtakes lazy w.r.t existing K series engine models.

It is the gearbox plus the additional 4x4 mechanicals that zap the power. Engine characteristics they would have tuned keeping in mind that anyway the vehicle is never going to win a 0-100 drag with any of the so called competitors. Might as well make it easy to use in urban jungle and low end to help with low range use.

Originally Posted by sjain2054

I think this car will sell most in the mountains - Ladakh region, Himachal, Uttarakhand and North East.

If priced right, huge numbers yes! People who have been to J&K and Ladakh would have noticed the large number of Altos and 800's. A base Jimny at under 10 Lakh OTR is the perfect replacement and upgrade, it would be a clean wipe out of market and competition.

---------Thank You!------------

With all these debating I forgot to thank Chetan and Addy! Guys excellent coverage of the car. Doing a half day drive and then getting back and writing and putting such an awesome thread in under 76 hours is no easy thing, atleast I could not have done that. As the saying goes "Rating it a well deserved 5 Stars".

-----------------------------------

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just a heads-up to all those considering a Jimny = take a long test-drive and put a lot of thought into your purchase. The ride & handling of body-on-frame offroaders isn't for everyone. So, choose wisely.

In continuation of what you've already pointed out, anyone who wants to visit the hills and not actually go for serious off roading should buy an All Grip Grand Vitara or Hyryder or any other AWD car. It'll solve atleast 95% of the problems and you'll travel in a better way.

Spotted an hour back on NH48(old NH8).

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by sjain2054

We all know that a lot of these 'international car models' that come to India are watered down versions. Example, the Brazil Etios was far better equipped and had better interior quality than the Indian Etios. Is it the same case with the Jimny here and the one sold in Japan/Australia? Can someone with details elaborate on this point?

Not true as far as Jimny is concerned basis my own observations.
Pics of 2018 Jimny seen in Dubai and last month in India.
The only thing I saw was the 3door one has a hard plastic backing on the rear seats which will wear well when folded and with luggage being dumped on them. The 5 door Jimny doesnt have that. But this is easily solved by putting a thick yoga mat at the back.

[Valhalla1979]

I booked the Jimny the moment they put a front page add with a bar code because it's a true blue offroader. I have the endeavour 3.2 with me currently and while the endeavour is a great offroader and great family car too, it's too big for the estate. The jimny for the estate is practical, can go in routes that tractors take and won't get scratches all over like my Endy did. It's small and convenient and just perfect.

But if the cost to aquire one is high ie over 12 for the alpha, I'm gonna skip it. In all likelihood it's gonna be higher than 12.

An engine with no grunt is a very sad thing. Turbo, decat and remap maybe. But then I have to worry whether that's going to give me problems later.

I would definitely buy it if it made practical sense. This is neither here nor there. If they're making an offroader then they should go whole hog in that direction. I mean the wrangler is through and through an offroader as well. And still people use it only on road. In that sense the gymny should have been through and through an offroader, which it is but only partly. It's got the 4x4 system, yes, but where are the removable doors, washable interiors, removable hard top, foldable windshield, storage cubbies for water. They could have included ideas from jeep wrangler, indeos grenadier and even the thar. They could honestly do so much more that will make this vehicle the most awesome low cost offroader ever.

Instead they went for mass market 'let's make it appeal to everyone while being skewed toward the offroad'.

I'm a quite disappointed.

[shankar.balan]

Do you think that Maruti has purposely made the seat belt fastening alarm irritating so that people who sit at the back are forced to just wear the seat belts so as to make the alarm shut up?
Because we have a tendency in India that people sitting in the rear find any number of excuses not to wear their seat belts.

https://youtu.be/tLFOrHu3VoY

[arjab]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Pics of 2018 Jimny seen in Dubai and last month in India.
The only thing I saw was the 3door one has a hard plastic backing on the rear seats which will wear well when folded and with luggage being dumped on them.

That's to prevent luggage intrusion in the passenger occupancy area in case of a rear crash. This is because Middle East & GCC countries follows EU homologation norms when it comes to vehicle type approvals.
India does not have a luggage intrusion criteria till now. So, out goes the reinforced seat back and in comes the flappy carpet backed rear seats. Cost savings too.

As far as I remember, the Fiat's, (Punto, Uno, Linea, Siena station wagon) and the Opel Corsa and the Corsa Swing; all had luggage intrusion protection.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Do you think that Maruti has purposely made the seat belt fastening alarm irritating so that people who sit at the back are forced to just wear the seat belts so as to make the alarm shut up?

I doubt very much if that was Maruti's intention. If it was then the beeping would not stop after a finite amount of time, ( i believe it stops after 90 odd seconds for the Jimny).
The simple reason is seatbelt reminder buzzer alongwith ESP will soon become a mandatory criteria for global NCAP assessments. Maruti doesn't want to fall behind despite how much they loathe the NCAP tests. Wiring up a simple buzzer mechanism with a timer is much easier, (and cheaper), for Electrical department, rather than routing the buzzer logic through an OCS and ODS sensors and programming the Airbag vehicle control unit!

Also OCS, (Occupant Classification system) and ODS ,(Occupant detection system) both need to be there to work hand in hand for active pyrotechnic seatbelt systems. Jimny does not have load limiters for rear safety belts.
Only the front seats, i believe has it? (not sure). Also Suzuki's in India use single stage airbags, not multi-stage bags.

[Ton Ami]

Originally Posted by lordrayden

Would going 2WD would also improve the turning circle? If yes, it would be a little more friendly in town. For reference, the Jimny’s 5.7m turning circle is almost the same as a Tata Harrier or Jeep Compass!

The 4WD transfer gearbox is placed next to main transmission gearbox. Its removal may not have any impact on turning radius.
While the radius may be similar to Harrier or Compass but its smaller footprint will certainly make it more easier to park or take u-turns.

[RT13]

Originally Posted by tarmacnaut

Did you take a test ride or just hearsay. I own a K12 Ritz and have driven K15B 4AT XL6 and K15C Brezza manual. None of the cars are slouches and can easily overtake even at 100 kph as long as you know how to work the gear box (just shift down). I regularly do 500 kms trips to hometown from Bangalore.

Jimny with the same engine and similar weight as Brezza should be no different. But I would comment after a test ride. Its not lazy engineering but the laziness to work the gearbox that would make overtakes lazy w.r.t existing K series engine models.

Didn’t test drive it (don’t know if anyone other than media has), just watched the reviews and that seemed to be a specific call-out. I got the (perhaps mistaken?) impression that this has been tuned differently, for low end grunt (off-road) sacrificing the mid range. I agree that the earlier avatars of the engine didn’t have that problem except for more aggressive drivers (expectation being the problem I guess). Do hope that you’re right - I would be happy to be wrong on that count.

[Ton Ami]

Excellent review. Thanks for such detailed and precise information. This is an excellent vehicle.

However, I can't understand when an Alto can legally be a five seater then why Jimny or even bigger Thar is a 4 seater?
There must be some reason (or loophole) which I am not aware of and will request info from fellow bhpians.

One of the areas of improvement could be rear seats.
The recline angle should have been increased for greater comfort on long journey and the seat base should have been foldable for a flat bed arrangement in the rear (even Santro Xing had that feature).

[aravind422]

The review was great. I too cant figure out how you guys pulled it off in such a short time. As always, professional and to the point.

The one thing I feel Suzuki should have done is incorporate an adjustable steering column and provide height adjustment for the drivers seat.

Even if the jimny had a 100 more horses under the hood, a sportier suspension and a slick 6 speed dual clutch tranny, what use would it be if the vehicle can't be driven fatigue free. It simply spoils everything.

Originally Posted by Ton Ami

The 4WD transfer gearbox is placed next to main transmission gearbox. Its removal may not have any impact on turning radius.

I personally do not believe in a 2wd Jeep having any significance. But offcourse, Mahindra had 2wd versions of almost all models from the CJ's, CL's, MM's and now even the Thar.

Coming back to the topic, the position of a transfer box or the lack one will not affect the turning radius. However, if Suzuki were to make a 2wd version, it would have a front dead axle or an independant front suspension (less likely though). Either way, a new axle without integrated drive shafts should have a tighter turning radius.

I think Suzuki just used the 3 door Jimny's alxe for the 5 door. Designing a new axle would have made developing the 5 door an even more costlier and lengthier affair. And most people (incuding myself) are already unhappy with the speculated prices.

[Venkatesh]

Jimny alongside Force Gurkha.





Link

[Latheesh]

Gurkha towers over latest Thar itself. I was surprised by that when I saw them at a traffic signal.