Suzuki confirms five-door Jimny for Australia

By MATT BROGAN

SUZUKI has confirmed that it will bring the much-anticipated five-door version its pint-sized Jimny off-roader to Australia “at a later date”, the long-wheelbase four-wheel drive joining its three-door sibling in offering impressive off-road performance and retro charm at a desirable price.

The current Jimny range – which is priced from $26,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-grade Lite through to $29,990 + ORC for the GLX automatic – will remain unchanged, with the five-door model carrying the same equipment levels and style, altered only by the additional space and extra doors.

It is expected the five-door model will offer similar options and accessories to the current range, including the choice of seven paint colours with all bar Superior White attracting a premium paint surcharge of between $695 and $1295.

The new variant will share the regular version’s 75kW/130Nm outputs courtesy of the familiar 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and, like that model, is expected to be offered with both five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.

While Suzuki Australia has yet to provide fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for the five-door Jimny, the current three-door model returns a low 6.6 litres per 100km on the ADR combined cycle with carbon dioxide emissions of 146 grams per kilometre.

At this stage it is not known whether the larger model will perform any better than the three-door when it comes to crashworthiness.

The current-generation Jimny carries just three ANCAP stars, the model’s 2018 safety assessment indicating a 73 per cent adult occupant protection rating, an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating, a 52 per cent vulnerable road user protection score and a 50 per cent safety assist grade.

At the time of testing, ANCAP criticised the Jimny for missing the mark with structural design weakness, poor protection of cyclists and pedestrians, and the lack of effective safety aids.

Suzuki Australia has yet to confirm arrival timing or price for the new model, though it is expected a low-$30K entry point will mark the five-door Jimny’s arrival.

“With the launch of the all new Jimny five-door, we’ve given Jimny enthusiasts exactly what they’ve wanted for so long – an extra-large Jimny!” said Suzuki Australia general manager of automobiles, Michael Pachota.

“Jimny has built an absolute cult following in Australia and will only continue to grow with a new breed of followers that need the extra space.

“The launch of this new variant will only add to this model’s iconic status and will continue to be one of the most-loved 4x4s in the country.”

According to VFACTS figures, Suzuki sold 5697 examples of the Jimny in Australia last year, a 70.1 per cent increase over 2021.

The model is without direct competition in the light SUV segment it occupies, left to battle larger – and more expensive – off-road oriented models such as the Jeep Wrangler (from $81,450 before on-road costs).

2023 Suzuki Jimny pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.