Maruti Suzuki launches 5-door, 4-wheel drive Jimny at Auto Expo 2023

Maruti Suzuki on Thursday launched its 5-door Jimny at the Auto Expo 2023. The car is expected to go on sale in India by mid-2023 and will be made in the company's Gurugram plant. The bookings for the car were opened by the company today.

Jimny comes with 22.86cm (9") Smart Play Pro+ infotainment system with HD display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Infotainment system also boasts premium sound acoustic tuning through "Surround Sense" powered by "Arkamys".

"Jimny in its five-door avatar is being unveiled first in India today. Positioned as an all-terrain, robust, compact lifestyle SUV, this authentic 4-Wheel-Drive off-roader can tackle the harshest of terrains," said Maruti Suzuki India MD and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi.

The company aims to regain 50 per cent market share in the domestic passenger vehicle segment by bolstering its presence in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) space.

Takeuchi added that that there has been a rapid shift in customer preference towards SUVs in the Indian market. He added that the company's recently launched SUVs, Grand Vitara and Brezza, have received a resounding response from the market and are enjoying strong customer demand.

"I am confident that Maruti Suzuki will attain number one position in the SUV segment in the financial year 23-24," he said.

"Suzuki has sold more than 3.2 million units of Jimny worldwide, in 199 countries and regions. But, to introduce Jimny to the Indian market, it had to be built as per the needs of Indian customers," he said.

Another car, Fronx, was also revealed alongside Jimny. It comes with a new one-litre Turbo Boosterjet Direct Injection engine. It will be available with the choice of 5-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Customers can also choose an Advanced 1.2L K-series Dual Jet, Dual VVT engine which offers Idle Start Stop technology and transmission options of 5-speed manual and AGS.

The company commenced the bookings of both the models which would be sold through its Nexa retail outlets. Deliveries are expected to begin in the first quarter of next financial year.

Last fiscal, the market share of Maruti Suzuki in the SUV space stood at just 10.9 per cent.

The lower share in the SUV market is seen as the reason for an overall drop in market share for the company in the passenger vehicle segment.

From 51 per cent in the fiscal year 2019, the market share dropped down to around 42 per cent in the second quarter of this fiscal year.

(With agency inputs)