The Maruti Suzuki Jimny took its sweet time to land here in India and had all of us – enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike – sitting up and taking notice. After the arrival at the 2023 Auto Expo, it filled up the order books quickly, but once the initial hype faded away, the Jimny found itself lacking buyers.
Slowly huge discounts started rolling in, and at the moment, you can walk into a Nexa showroom and get yourself a Jimny at an on-road price which is lower than the initial ex-showroom price. So should you make use of this opportunity and get yourself the Jimny, or should you steer clear of it? Let’s find out.
After the introductory prices ended, the prices for the Jimny Zeta trim ranged between Rs 15-16 lakh on-road across the country. And the Alpha trim was clocking at around Rs 17 lakh to almost Rs 19 lakh on the road, without any personalisation and accessories. To tackle that, Maruti introduced the Thunder Edition which offered a price benefit of around 2 lakh rupees across the trims. It also offered some cosmetic upgrades but was discontinued shortly after.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Jimny Offered With Discounts Of Up To Rs 2.85 Lakh in July 2024
However, the Jimny line-up has seen constant discounts every month this year, and in July it's almost up to Rs 3-3.5 lakh. The carmaker is also offering benefits to the buyers in the form of free accessories, insurance benefits and extended warranties. So if ever there was a perfect time to get home the Jimny, it is now.
Now a lot has been said about Jimny’s off-road credentials, and there is no doubt that it is quite a capable off-roader. We have seen the Jimny in the company of many large, luxurious and capable off-roaders who cost many times more. And yet never once did the Jimny backed away from the challenge, and in fact, helped by its tiny dimensions it even came on top at times.
Also Read: car&bike Awards 2024: Maruti Suzuki Jimny Is The Trailblazer of the Year
But as a city runabout, there might be a few complaints by the not-so-off-road-ready buyers. They might complain of the sluggish nature of the engine on the highway or the heavy controls. But despite that, the Jimny makes for a very good everyday commuter, especially in India, where we get to see more bad roads than good ones. Also, the 1.5-litre engine is refined, it is frugal too and has good grunt for everyday driveability.
It's a very disheartening thing to say, that in India, the cars are valued only once they are discontinued and far gone. There are many cars and bikes I could list down here, cars which weren’t appreciated when they were on sale, no one cared to buy one, and once they were off-the-market, they were regarded highly, their second-hand market soared, and people missed them terribly.
With that in mind, we hope that Jimny doesn’t meet the same fate. But having said that, in either case, Jimny is a future icon. How today we respect the old Gypsy because it was so capable, had character and still fit the budget of an everyday buyer, the Jimny is no different. Except for the fact that it has a very small target audience
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Jimny Review: The Icon Arrives
As mentioned earlier, the Jimny is a fantastic tool when off-roading. Its dimension works in its favour and its rugged appeal also comes in handy in the wilderness. But for someone who can only afford one car in the garage, the Jimny pose a very hard bargain. Mainly because the cabin isn’t as comfortable as some of the other cars available in this price segment.
Also, even though this is a utilitarian vehicle, and has been designed in that manner, many might not feel the cabin is premium enough, given the use of hard plastic parts and lack of soft-touch materials. And these things might not appeal to the modern car buyer.
Many SUV buyers go by the notion - “The Bigger, The Better” - and if you are among them then the Jimny might not appeal to you. It is small in all parameters, and more of a four-seater, rather than five, as many would discover. Also, it doesn't offer you a high-riding stance that SUV buyers or psepseudo-SUVudo SUV buyers prefer.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Jimny Vs Mahindra Thar: Two Good
But you see, ever since its introduction, the small dimensions has always been Jimny’s forte. It caught huge attention in the European market thanks to its tiny motor, which offered good mileage, and compact dimensions which was sorted for the city, and still offered a capable 4x4 so the farmlands and moors were easily scalable. And the new Jimny continues that, and you might find the Jimny toiling away in the outskirts somewhere with a happy owner behind the wheel if not in this concrete jungle.
Lastly, it's the on-road dynamics of the Jimny that might put off a few. You see when a buyer walks into the showroom and has a budget of say under Rs. 15-20 lakhs, the Brezza and the Grand Vitara offer them a much more civilised car ownership experience. They are more practical, more spacious, and have the same powertrain as this but more features and also can fit five in more comfort.
And if you have to spend long hours in the car, these two cars make more sense than the Jimny. Here in the Jimny, the steering is heavy, the clutch is heavy and the gearbox is far from friendly. That's because it's a purpose-built vehicle meant to be a rough off-roader that can be a city car, but with compromises. Unless it's something you are ok with, the Jimny might not suit you.
Having said that, like every off-roader, the Jimny has a huge scope for modification. With many personalisation kits which can be as easy as bolt-on to numerous hardware modifications to go on even extreme terrain, the Jimny has it all. And all of it at a price that won’t break your bank. That’s not a small feat.
At the end of the day, should You buy the Jimny? Yes, you absolutely should buy the Jimny if even the slightest part of your commute has no roads. If you plan on taking a beaten path on your week offs and weekends, and if you want a future icon which will only age well and give you more memories to cherish. It has the character that many cars today don’t and despite its shortcomings like the pragmatic and not-so-spacious cabin, small dimensions, and heavy controls, the Jimny still is one of the few out-of-the-box cars on sale in India. And it deserves your attention if not your garage.
