The Maruti Suzuki Jimny, being a true-blue off-roader, carries high expectations for its performance in off-road conditions. Serving as a spiritual successor to the three-door Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, the Jimny is equipped with all the necessary components to make it a serious off-roading machine. In a YouTube video uploaded by the channel “Small Town Rider,” the new Jimny is seen taking on other renowned off-roaders such as the Jeep Wrangler, Mahindra Thar, and Toyota Fortuner in challenging off-road terrains, including muddy puddles, loose sand, and rough surfaces.
The video showcases how these four-wheel-drive SUVs, including the Mahindra Thar (both old and new versions), Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Fortuner, and even the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, excel in tackling adverse terrain conditions where other usual front-wheel-drive vehicles, including SUVs and crossovers, may struggle. The off-roading hardware in these SUVs allows them to crawl over rough surfaces and knee-deep water puddles with ease.
Despite its compact size, the Maruti Suzuki Jimny impressively keeps up with larger-sized SUVs in this company of four-wheel drive vehicles. It boasts a few traits that make it an effortless off-roader, similar to the iconic Thar and Wrangler. Firstly, its light kerb weight enables it to navigate through adverse conditions easily. Secondly, the Jimny comes equipped with Suzuki’s renowned AllGrip Pro four-wheel drive system, even in the lower-spec Zeta variant. Its rugged ladder-on-frame construction further enhances its ability to handle rough terrains.
2023 Maruti Suzuki Jimny
In India, the five-door Jimny is available in two variants – Zeta and Alpha, both featuring a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine. It offers the choice of a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission, producing a maximum power output of 104.6 PS and a peak torque output of 136.8 Nm.
The interior of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny features an all-black theme. The top-spec Alpha version comes equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with automatic climate control, a push start-stop button, electrically adjustable and foldable rearview mirrors, and steering-mounted controls for audio, Bluetooth, and cruise functions. Safety-wise, the Jimny offers six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start assist, hill descent control, electronic stability control, traction control, reverse parking sensors, and a rearview camera.
The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is available in five monotone color options, including Bluish Black, Sizzling Red, Granite Grey, Nexa Blue, and Pearl Arctic White. Additionally, two dual-tone color options, Sizzling Red with Bluish Black Roof, and Kinetic Yellow with Bluish Black Roof, are available as options, but only in the Alpha variant.
In terms of pricing, the Maruti Suzuki Jimny directly competes with the petrol-powered versions of the Mahindra Thar. The Thar is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which delivers a maximum power of 150 PS and a peak torque output of 320 Nm.
Keyword: Jimny goes off-roading with Jeep Wrangler, Thar, Gypsy &Fortuner: How does it perform [Video]