oi-Dennis Abraham James
It
was
December
1985
and
Maruti
Suzuki
was
still
discovering
its
feet.
The
firm
burst
into
the
Indian
automotive
scene
with
the
800
in
1983.
Looking
to
switch
away
from
the
800
and
the
Van
based
on
it,
the
firm
set
its
sights
on
Mahindra’s ‘Indianised’ Jeeps
and
brought
the
Jimny
offroader
into
India.
Dubbed
the
Maruti
Suzuki ‘Gypsy’,
the
SJ40
series
gained
quite
a
cult
following
in
India.
Despite
the
Jimny
sold
in
other
markets
moving
forward
by
two
generations,
Maruti
Suzuki
persisted
with
the
Gypsy
taking
orders
for
civilians
till
December
2018
before
tightening
emission
and
safety
norms
rang
the
death
knell
for
the
offroader.
Since
then,
rumours
about
the
4th
Gen
Jimny
arriving
in
India
filled
the
pages
of
automotive
chat
rooms
across
the
nation.
Maruti
Suzuki
ended
the
speculation
at
Auto
Expo
2023
when
it
revealed
the
all-new
Jimny
for
India.
However,
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
sported
five
doors
instead
of
the
three-door
layout
prefered
elsewhere
which
had
us
more
than
intrigued
about
how
the
new
SUV
would
perform
given
there
was
no
increase
in
the
output
from
the
powerplant.
So
when
Maruti
Suzuki
gave
us
the
chance
to
test
out
the
new
Jimny
near
Dehradun,
we
dumped
everything
to
see
if
there
was
a
new
king
of
the
dirt
tracks.
The
answers
we
received
had
us
shining
up
a
dusty
old
crown
and
well
if
you
wish
to
know
why,
I’d
suggest
you
keep
reading
and
get
ready
to
prostrate
yourself
in
front
of
the
returning
king…
Maruti
Suzuki
Design
&
Features
–
Rugged
Retro
Boxiness
With
A
Few
Modern
Amenities
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
is
identical
to
its
3-door
sibling
except
for
the
extra
length
due
to
the
presence
of
an
extra
door
on
each
side.
So
while
it
may
be
longer,
the
India-spec
Jimny
is
just
as
boxy
and
rugged
as
its
international
counterpart.
The
Maruti
Jimny
is
a
throwback
to
the
1st
and
2nd
iterations
of
the
SUV.
The
front
end
sports
circular
LED
headlights
that
are
connected
by
five
chrome-adorned
vertical
slats
with
the
central
one
hosting
the
Suzuki
badge.
The
tiny
circular
turn
indicators
sit
near
the
headlights
on
the
top
edges
of
the
grille.
The
front
bumpers
on
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
are
angled
to
increase
the
ground
clearance
at
the
wheels
of
the
SUV.
Made
using
toughened
plastic,
the
bumpers
play
host
to
the
fog
lamps
and
a
large
central
air
intake.
The
sides
of
the
Jimny
reflect
the
rugged
nature
of
the
boxy
little
beast.
The
flared
wheel
arches
are
made
from
toughened
plastic
and
play
host
to
15-inch
alloy
wheels
that
are
shod
with
road-specific
rubber.
The
switch
to
a
five-door
layout
has
meant
that
the
rear
three-quarter
glass
panel
has
shrunk
significantly.
The
roof,
which
is
finished
in
a
bluish-black
shade
in
the
dual-tone
versions
of
the
Jimny,
features
drip
rails
on
the
sides
and
the
rear
to
ensure
that
water
doesn’t
drip
on
you
when
you
enter
or
exit
the
SUV.
The
rear
section
of
the
Jimny
is
as
boxy
as
the
rest
of
the
SUV
except
for
the
spare
wheel
which
is
mounted
onto
the
rear
door
of
the
SUV.
Except
for
the
third
brake
light
which
lives
on
the
door,
the
Jimny’s
entire
rear
lighting
setup
can
be
found
in
two
pods
on
the
rear
bumper.
Step
inside
the
all-new
Jimny
and
you’ll
be
greeted
by
a
spartan
interior
that
features
a
few
creature
comforts
that
bring
it
into
the
21st
century.
The
most
noticeable
of
these
features
comes
in
the
form
of
the
infotainment
screen
that
is
offered
in
either
7
or
9-inch
screen
options.
The
infotainment
touchscreen
allows
access
to
connectivity
options
like
Bluetooth,
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay
for
your
music
and
navigation
needs.
The
infotainment
system
is
connected
to
a
surround
sound
system
that
belts
out
your
favourite
tunes
with
ease.
The
rest
of
the
cabin
is
made
to
deal
with
the
rough
world
that
every
Jimny
owner
must
experience
–
the
great
outdoors.
The
dials
are
big
and
analogue
and
there
is
a
small
multi-information
display
in
between
for
all
your
other
required
car-related
information.
The
seats
are
designed
to
absorb
all
the
bumps
and
jumps
you’ll
find
up
and
down
a
rocky
crag.
The
front
passenger
also
gets
a
grab
rail
to
hold
onto
when
you
decide
to
get
adventurous
with
your
right
foot
on
the
dirt
and
rocks.
The
dash
and
other
sections
are
made
from
scratch
proof
material,
so
your
house
panther
will
need
to
transform
into ‘Panthera
leo’ to
make
a
mark
here.
The
controls
are
all
rather
large
and
easy
to
find
but
we
do
wish
Maruti
Suzuki
took
a
bit
more
time
to
arrange
them
a
bit
more
intuitively.
The
Jimny
also
comes
with
a
host
of
safety
features
including
6
airbags,
ABS
with
EBD,
Brake
Limited
Slip
Differential,
Hill
Hold
Control,
Hill
Descent
Control,
Brake
Assist,
rearview
camera
and
ISOFIX
anchor
points
for
child
seats.
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
Specs
&
Dimensions
–
Built
For
A
Bruising
The
all-new
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
for
India
is
powered
by
the
firm’s
K15B
1.5-litre
naturally-aspirated
four-cylinder
petrol
engine.
The
Jimny’s
powerplant
pushes
out
103.4bhp
at
6,000rpm
and
134.2Nm
of
peak
torque
at
4,000rpm.
The
engine
sends
power
to
all
four
wheels
via
either
a
5-speed
manual
or
a
4-speed
torque
converter
automatic
transmission
with
short
ratios.
The
transmission
is
paired
with
Suzuki’s
All
Grip
all-wheel-drive
system
and
the
new
Jimny
SUV
also
features
a
low-range
transfer
box.
As
was
the
case
with
the
old
Gypsy,
the
Jimny
uses
a
ladder-frame
chassis.
Taking
care
of
the
rough
stuff
is
a
3-link
suspension
setup
with
a
rigid
axle
and
coil
springs
at
both
the
front
and
the
rear.
The
Jimny
rides
on
15-inch
wheels
that
are
offered
in
both
steel
and
alloy
guises.
The
wheels
are
shod
with
195/80
R15
tyres.
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
is
3,985mm
long
(with
the
spare
wheel
attached),
1,645mm
wide
and
1,720mm
tall.
The
wheelbase
of
the
new
Jimny
is
2,590mm
long
and
weighs
1,210kg
in
its
heaviest
guise.
The
new
Jimny
offers
210mm
of
ground
clearance
and
sports
a
208-litre
boot.
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
Driving
Impressions
–
The
Real
Successor
To
The
Gypsy
King
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
is
built
to
go
off-piste
with
its
ladder
frame
chassis
and
off-roading
suspension
setup,
however,
that
doesn’t
mean
that
it
is
an
absolute
brute
on
the
road.
We
do
wish
the
engine
had
a
bit
more
power
to
deal
with
the
everyday
on-road
malarkey.
However,
with
its
more
than
good
enough
mid
and
top-end
power
it
will
get
from
point
A
to
B
without
breaking
into
too
much
of
a
sweat.
And
on
your
way
to
point
B,
the
Jimny
surprises
you
with
the
way
it
deals
with
the
ruts
and
bumps.
The
ride
is
smooth
and
the
SUV
doesn’t
bounce
around
despite
its
off-road-oriented
suspension
setup.
However,
there
is
considerable
body
roll
when
you
try
and
push
the
Jimny
into
a
corner
thanks
to
its
high-riding
setup.
The
steering
is
light
and
numb
and
the
turning
radius
of
5.4
metres
is
a
real
pain
especially
when
you’re
trying
to
execute
a
U-turn.
However,
all
that
changes
when
you
get
off
the
black
strip
of
tarmac
and
head
into
the
big
outdoors.
The
Jimny
transforms
from
a
shy
lamb
on
the
streets
into
a
jumping
jackrabbit
on
steroids
when
it
goes
off-piste.
The
engine
comes
into
its
own
off-the-beaten-path,
responding
to
the
slightest
of
inputs.
The
K15B
powerplant
provides
more
than
enough
low-end
grunt
to
easily
drag
you
out
of
a
tough
spot.
Both
gearboxes
combined
with
the
transfer
case
are
quite
nice
to
use
out
in
the
wild.
Surprisingly
it
is
the
automatic
gearbox
that
we
would
rather
go
with
as
it
is
slightly
easier
to
use.
While
the
manual
gives
you
a
bit
more
control
over
the
gears
and
the
revs,
the
automatic
box
can
limit
the
first
two
gears
from
revving
all
the
way
to
glory.
It
can
also
limit
itself
from
going
into
overdrive
when
the
Jimny
isn’t
on
the
black
stuff.
The
ability
to
shift
into
4
High
on
the
fly
with
the
transfer
case
is
an
absolute
boon
on
the
go
allowing
you
to
conquer
the
toughest
terrain.
And
if
one
wheel
does
lose
traction,
the
Brake
Limited
Slip
Differential
invokes
its
magic
to
keep
you
moving.
The
ladder-frame
chassis
3-link
suspension
setup
with
solid
axles
comes
into
its
own
when
it
is
time
to
conquer
the
rough
stuff.
You
can
take
the
Jimny
up
to
ridiculous
angles
while
keeping
the
body
shell
intact
and
upright.
Add
in
the
crazy
break-over,
approach
and
departure
angles
and
the
210mm
of
ground
clearance
and
you’ll
find
yourself
going
up
and
down
trails
that
would
otherwise
be
left
alone.
The
brakes
on
the
Jimny
perform
quite
well,
no
doubt
aided
by
the
fact
that
the
new
Maruti
Suzuki
SUV
is
a
proper
lightweight.
The
brake
pedal
also
has
a
bit
more
travel
than
you
would
expect,
so
do
keep
that
in
mind
when
you
drop
the
anchors.
The
addition
of
hill
hold
assist
and
hill
descent
control
is
a
big
boon
off
the
beaten
path.
The
hill
hold
assist
also
helps
out
quite
a
bit
when
you
find
yourself
stuck
on
an
incline
in
a
jam.
Final
Thoughts
About
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
–
The
Return
Of
The
True
Gypsy
King
The
arrival
of
the
Maruti
Suzuki
Jimny
sees
the
nation’s
biggest
carmaker
return
to
the
off-roading
enthusiast
market
since
the
departure
of
the
Gypsy
King
nearly
5
years
back.
The
Jimny
is
an
absolute
little
monster
off
the
beaten
path.
Add
a
rather
practical
cabin
and
some
decent
road
manners,
especially
some
excellent
ride
quality
and
the
Jimny
becomes
a
logical
choice
for
the
offroading
enthusiast
who
also
needs
a
slightly
practical
weekday
vehicle.
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