Suzuki has big plans for the Jimny, including new powertrains and possibly even a bakkie conversion.
The company recently spoke about its global plans for the fan-favourite off-roader at the Australian launch of the new Swift, and it’s safe to say that the Jimny is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Catering to the fans
The compact SUV is one of Suzuki’s most popular models around the world, as it caters to a much-appreciated niche as an affordable 4×4 suitable for audiences of all ages, genders, and social castes.
Naturally, the Jimny’s appealing price tag and off-road capabilities mean that customers have been demanding a bakkie version of the car for nearly as long as it has existed, but this is something that has still yet to be realized.
While Suzuki has been hesitant to commit to the idea, it is not a concept it hasn’t explored before, having debuted a prototype at the Tokyo Auto Salon back in 2019.
Stoking the fire, at the recent launch of the new Swift hatchback in Australia, general manager Michael Pachota told the local media that a Jimny-based bakkie was “not a dead project.”
Interestingly, Suzuki South Africa has also flirted with this idea in recent months, as the manufacturer’s local branch put out a cheeky post on April Fool’s Day this year, declaring that the “all-new Suzuki Jimny bakkie is finally here due to popular demand.”
Of course, the post itself was just a joke, but the company went as far as to provide a rendered image of the would-be bakkie, which only helped to spark further interest.
Unlike the concept model that was shown off in 2023, which was based on the three-door models, the render appeared to use the new five-door models as a framework instead.
The crucial difference is that the five-door Jimny has a longer wheelbase, which would translate to a much more accommodating load bed if it were to become a two-door pickup.
Responses to the post on social media reflected disappointment from motorists who would have leapt at the chance for the new model, but Suzuki had an interesting response, stating “We’ll pass that on to the powers that be.”
Ultimately, whether or not the Japanese carmaker decides to develop any new model depends on whether it believes it will bring in sufficient sales, but given that global audiences have been nagging Suzuki about the idea for years, there’s a good chance that it will see the light of day eventually.
The other Jimny developments are more concrete, as the SUV is scheduled to receive a variety of new-energy powertrains by 2030.
The reason for the new drivetrains can be traced to ever stricter emission regulations in markets like the European Union, which means the Suzuki will be getting both a hybrid and an all-electric system for select markets by the end of the decade, as reported by Top Gear.
The plans for an electric Jimny were first announced in January 2023, but the company has been tightlipped on the project since then, so there’s currently no information to go on regarding what battery and e-motor the 4×4 will eventually get.
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