Maruti Suzuki Jimny

The new fourth-generation Jimny is a smash hit in global markets and we have been crying to get one here ever since its launch.

- Vivek Venugopal

Maruti thought it would have limited appeal as a three-door (the Mahindra Thar says Hello) and decided to do its own extended wheelbase version with five doors instead and finally, it's here. India is the first market to get the 5-door and it will be exported to many others from now on. Last month, we drove one in Dehradun and came back impressed.

While it doesn’t have the presence of a Mahindra Thar or the imposing size of a Gurkha, the Jimny is bristling with character. It's not as cute as the three-door we wanted, but Maruti engineers have done a great job in making the Jimny 5-door look the part. The front end has the five-slot grille which is now a Jimny trademark and the Indian version gets chrome inserts inside each one. The flat bonnet and upright windscreen go well with the rest of the boxy shape. The alloy wheels are 15 inches and the lower trim gets steel rims. The Jimny has seen a 340mm increase in wheelbase and overall length now stands at 3985mm including the spare wheel at the rear. You’ll be surprised to know that the Jimny is narrower than a Celerio, at 1645mm!