Tray-back version of legendary Jimny 4x4 still on the wish list as Aussies clamour for a puny all-terrain pick-up
Speculation of the first Suzuki Jimny ute has run rampant ever since Suzuki revealed the Jimny Pick-Up Style concept at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Suzuki has neither officially confirmed nor denied such a vehicle in under development at either its Yokohama (Japan) or Delhi (India) R&D centres, but local executives of the Japanese small-car brand are still confident we may see something in the near future.
Suzuki Australia chief Michael Pachota previously told carsales he is “…pushing for the development for a ute-back Jimny” and when asked for an update today – following the revealed of the first Jimny five-door – he told carsales it was still on the agenda.
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“I mention it to [Suzuki HQ in] Japan and they take our feedback on board,” he said.
“They want to hear what customers are saying and a lot of the dialogue from customers end ups in the design and engineering studios for what’s to come in future.
“I can’t say a Jimny ute is in development at the moment but I wouldn’t be surprised. The five-door Jimny was a secret for a long time and that was five years in the making,” he added.
If Suzuki undertakes a similar five-year development program for its first Jimny ute, which would be based on the fourth-generation ladder-frame off-roader released in 2018, and started the project when it revealed the two-door ute concept in early 2019, it would put the launch some time in 2024 – unless it’s based on the five-door, which could make it later.
This is how the First and Second generation Jimny looked
However, given Suzuki has just revealed several other new models, including the new Baleno-heralding Fronx compact crossover and the eVX concept that previews an electric Vitara replacement, it’s unlikely the Japanese small-car specialist would want to – or could afford to – empty so many barrels at one time.
The Suzuki Jimny 5-Door gives the brand a longer platform to work with, which could improve the chances of a production business case for a four-door Jimny ute given its broader appeal.
Evidence of the demand for a hay-hauling Jimny comes from the fast Suzuki New Zealand offers a locally-converted Jimny ute and Suzuki has a history of commercialising compact utes, including the 1990s Suzuki Caribian Sporty from Thailand and the Mighty Boy sold in Japan and Australia in the 1980s.
Suzuki New Zealand offered a custom cut Jimny ute in 2020
Utes are selling like hotcakes globally and now account for about a quarter of Australia’s new-vehicle market, in which the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger are the two most popular models, and there’s been renewed activity in smaller four-door pick-ups like of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.
Like the pint-size 4×4 wagon on which it would be based, a Jimny ute would be unique in the market and could meet demand from agricultural buyers and adventurers who want something bigger than a side-by-side vehicle but not as large as Australia’s most popular mid-size utes.
Stay tuned for more details.
Keyword: Suzuki Jimny ute still on agenda