When the 5-door Suzuki Jimny is going on sale in South Africa

Suzuki has confirmed that the long-awaited new Jimny 5-door is expected to go on sale in South Africa between September and December of this year.

“With the overwhelming popularity of the new Jimny, and its three-door sibling, our production facilities in Japan and India are working at full capacity to meet the demand,” said Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager for Suzuki Auto.

“We have already placed our first order, and we hope to make it available for sale in the last quarter of this year.”

The five-door model is a more practical interpretation of the three-door Jimny, offering two additional doors for easier access to the rear row of seating, new standard features, and exclusive exterior colour options.

What to expect

Aside from its extra access points, the new five-door boasts a wheelbase that is 340mm longer than the three-door’s at a length of 2,590mm, with a shell that is an overall 360mm longer at 3,985mm – putting the bigger Jimny about equal in length to the recently-released Suzuki Fronx.

Despite the larger footprint, Suzuki has promised that the newcomer will lose none of its off-roading chops, as such, it boasts a respectable ground clearance of 210mm, as well as an aggressive approach angle of 36 degrees, break-over angle of 24 degrees, and departure angle of 50 degrees.

Keeping to this promise, the Jimny 5-door will make use of the same 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine as its sibling, connected to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox and the AllGrip four-wheel-drive system.

This setup offers low range for added off-road prowess, a brake-based limited-slip differential that enhances grip in low-traction conditions, and hill-hold and descent control.

Like the three-door, its bigger brother will produce 75kW and 130Nm, though considering its larger stature, it’s likely to achieve a slightly worse fuel consumption than the 6.3-6.8l/100km of the smaller variant.

The equipment sheet of the Jimny 5-door is reported to be near identical to the existing model, with the notable exception of a larger 9.0-inch infotainment screen integrated into the front fascia.

Depending on the model, customers can therefore expect amenities such as 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control, smartphone pairing, and fabric seats.

The manufacturer also confirmed that the bigger Jimny will be offered in several exclusive paint colours, including Celestial Blue, Granite Grey, and Sizzling Red with a metallic black roof.

The final details surrounding the Jimny 5-door, including its pricing, spec sheet, and model range, will be revealed closer to its launch date later in 2023.