Suzuki Launches New Jimny Mini SUV In China

Suzuki has launched the face-lifted version of its mini SUV the Jimny. The Jimny looks very much similar to the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy.

The face-lifted Jimny is available in four variants and is priced between Rs.12.2 lakhs and 13.6 lakhs. The price is comparatively higher than the Jimny's price in Japan as China imposes high taxes on imported cars.

The new Suzuki Jimny is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine capable f generating 85bhp and 110Nm of torque. Buyers can opt for a five speed manual gearbox or a four speed automatic. The power is routed to all four wheels of the Jimny.

Suzuki has made some changes to the exterior design of the Jimny. The new Jimny gets redesigned front grille, head lights and new bumpers. The mini SUV i s also longer by 30mm while the interior has remained unchanged.

The Indian version of the Jimny, the Gypsy has not seen an update in several years and its sales has come down drastically. Despite this, the Gypsy still has a huge fan following among SUV lovers. It has been appreciated for its performance as an off-roader. No wonder the Indian Army is still the biggest buyer of the Gypsy.

While the launch of the new Jimny in China could indicate a possibility of the Gypsy also getting an update, it is highly unlikely. The Jimny is nearly 15 years old and it cannot be considered as an ideal competitor of soon to be launched mini SUVs such as the Ford EcoSport or the mini Xylo.

Further Maruti Suzuki is currently developing on the concept model - XA Alpha, that was displayed at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo in January this year. The XA Alpha is most likely to replace the current Gypsy. We cannot even rule out the possibility of Maruti Suzuki continuing to sell the Gypsy along with the production ready version of the XA Alpha.