Say goodbye to the Suzuki Jimny, because it’s about to get pulled from sale. The Japanese carmaker is allegedly struggling to meet Europe’s stringent emissions regulations and as a result is being forced to drop the lovable off-roader from its line-up.
Under the European Union’s new rules, carmakers will be required to have average CO2 emissions 95g/km across all cars sold. This mainly applies to manufacturers of high-volume models, which is why the likes of Lamborghini and McLaren can continue to sell supercars with higher emissions.
This is why manufacturers are busy launching facelifted models with mild-hybrid systems. In the past week alone, Ford announced that the S-Max and Galaxy would be getting 48-volt systems, while BMW confirmed hybrid power would be coming to the 3 Series, X3 and X4 line-up.
Unfortunately for Jimny fans, the plucky off-roader comes with a non-electrified 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine that emits 154g/km to 170g/km of emissions – depending on whether you choose the manual or automatic options respectively.
But fear not, the Jimny won’t be leaving Europe for good. According to Autocar India, the dinky off-roader will return as an N1 commercial vehicle, as the category doesn’t have to adhere to the 95g/km emission limit. It will, however, look undergo a few changes, including the omission of the rear seats and some interior tweaks.
Given that the waiting for a new Jimny stretched to a year shortly after its arrival in 2018, we expect the company will go back to the drawing board to reduce the car’s emissions and bring it back to its European fans.
Keyword: Suzuki to axe Jimny in Europe over 2021 emission laws