Certain car dealers in two states (that we know of) are mum about this. But so far these dealers have new Suzuki Jimny 4x4s for sale. You can find them on their websites, or at least you could. Once inquiring minds started asking questions about how they got there and how the dealers get them registered, they were pulled off of the sites.
Suzuki Jimnys are for sale on some dealership websites
2022 Suzuki Jimny SUV | Suzuki
This was first reported by the Drive. It found that both 2021 and 2022 Suzuki Jimnys were listed as being on the dealer’s lots, ready to sell. Obviously, the dealers have found a loophole or otherwise figured out how to get Jimnys into the US and sell them.
Suzuki automobiles left the US for good in 2014, but it was pretty much dead by 2010. So without dealers, and without certification, we presumed that any Suzuki vehicles, other than the two-wheeled variety, can’t be sold in the US.
On Iconic Motors’ website in Oklahoma City, there was a Jimny advertised. Iconic sells mostly classic cars and motorcycles. A salesman told the Drive that the Jimny had been brought into the US from Mexico. No other questions were answered.
Suzuki Jimny SUVs came through Mexico, but that’s all we know
2022 Suzuki Jimny SUV | Suzuki
The other dealership was Barrett Auto Gallery in San Juan, Texas. It sells a mix of newer used vehicles and classic cars and motorcycles. For a time there were two Jimnys shown. Other than saying the two Suzukis came in through Mexico, no other details were revealed.
The assumption is that these will end up being used on private property or for off-road use, although it was later confirmed that the Oklahoma City Jimny was licensed and registered in Oklahoma for street use. And the seller’s asking prices? Around $40,000 for each of them.
In Mexico, a loaded Jimny 4×4 sells for around $22,000. So the three in the US had a healthy markup. Which should get Suzuki’s attention. If there are some willing to pay that price, would it be worth it for Suzuki to consider certifying a batch of them and selling them here? After all, it has established dealerships here, though they sell only motorcycles.
Suzuki already has an established dealer network
Suzuki Van Nuys dealership | SVN
It would be far more feasible with the dealer network it already has. Suzuki wouldn’t have to build and establish dealerships. It could limit Jimnys to only motorcycle dealers large enough showrooms, and able to handle the added parts inventories and service necessary.
Yes, there would be added expenses for marketing and customer service, but it would also be for a product with some following in America. And customer service, again, could be tied into its existing motorcycle staff.
With the all-new fourth-generation model coming out in 2019, it should be up to date for certification purposes. What might be the reason for limiting Jimny sales outside of the US? Some have suggested it goes back to an earlier Jimny, the Suzuki Samurai of the 1980s.
So why did Suzuki leave the US market?
Suzuki Samurai | Suzuki
Sales were good for the little SUV, until a Consumer Reports article outlining rollover risks. On a course avoidance maneuver conducted by CR, it stated the Samurai “easily rolls over in turns.” But the course had been altered to make for a more severe maneuver necessary to finish the course. What Suzuki said was that CR wanted to induce a tip-over because a day previous, a CR driver experienced a rollover, and it wanted to replicate the accident.
A libel suit was filed by Suzuki against Consumer Reports. After eight years of back-and-forth, it was finally settled out of court. But sales of Samurais dried up quickly. It was the beginning of the end for Suzuki vehicles in the US.
But that was a long time ago and things have changed. Maybe it’s time to bring the Jimny to the US market.
Keyword: A Few New Suzuki Jimny 4x4s Are Popping Up at Random US Dealers