While Maruti Suzuki has confirmed the Jimny SUV for India, we think the 2023 iteration of the SUV will sport a more powerful 1.4-litre turbocharged engine instead of the 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine.
Despite the Suzuki Jimny SUV being manufactured in India and exported to other international markets, the company is doing very elaborate testing on the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Jimny. This gives rise to the suspicion that the automaker could update the powertrain for 2023.
Moreover, the 5-door version of the Suzuki Jimny is currently being developed and the 103bhp, 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally-aspirated engine with 136.8Nm of torque might not be sufficient to haul the additional weight.
In addition to that, thanks to ever-tightening emission regulations, Suzuki is being forced to pull the plug on the Jimny SUV in markets such as the United Kingdom. (However, Suzuki cleverly launched the cargo version of the Jimny in the United Kingdom to overcome the emission laws.)
Since the “Cargo” version is not a permanent solution to overcome the emission regulation, Suzuki must upgrade the engine of the Jimny SUV to a more ‘polar-friendly’ powertrain option that uses turbochargers for added efficiency.
Given the specific criteria, Suzuki could opt to use either a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that was previously used in the sportier Baleno RS. While this engine might be more than sufficient to propel the 3-door version of the Jimny, it might struggle to cope with the additional weight of the 5-door version of the SUV.
Moreover, using two different engines in the same production line will also cause additional complications during production. So, the most feasible engine is the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that powers the Suzuki Swift Sport in the international markets.
In addition to that, the introduction of this new powerplant will also give Maruti Suzuki access to develop more enthusiast-friendly models and hopefully bring the Swift Sport to India as well.
This 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine produces a total of 127bhp of peak power and 235Nm of peak torque. Also, this additional torque developed will do wonders to the Jimny SUV under load and off-road conditions.
However, by using this engine Suzuki will be forced to beef up the drivetrain components to handle the additional power and torque. This further pushes the prices up – An undesirable factor for price-sensitive Indian buyers.
At present, we expect Maruti Suzuki to price the 3-door version of the Jimny SUV between Rs 8.5 lakhs to Rs 11 lakhs and the 5-door version of the Jimny could be priced anywhere between Rs 9.5 lakhs to Rs 13 lakhs. Now, with the more powerful turbocharged powertrain, the prices could easily jump by Rs 1 lakh.
When launched in India, Maruti Suzuki Jimny is likely to be sold exclusively through the Nexa dealerships and will compete against vehicles such as Mahindra Thar, upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door, Force Gurkha, and upcoming Force Gurkha 5-door.
It is also worth mentioning that the 4-speed automatic gearbox that is currently available in the Suuki Jimny could be upgraded to a more efficient 6-speed Aisin unit.
Thoughts About The 2023 Maruti Suzuki Jimny
The 1.4-litre turbocharged engine will not only push the capabilities of the already very capable Jimny SUV, but it will also give the SUV a wider appeal as well. Moreover, the introduction of this engine will allow Maruti Suzuki to develop sportier versions of its vehicles in India.
Keyword: 2023 Maruti Suzuki Jimny May Sport More Powerful Turbocharged Engine & 6-Speed Auto Gearbox