Asking prices for used examples of popular baby off-roader now more than double what they cost brand-new
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures, but none of us expected to see the day when asking prices for mainstream vehicles in the used car market exceeded their brand-new list prices.
Mimicking the tradition of many Ferraris, used car prices have been on a steady increase across the board Down Under since the start of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Buyers of sought-after second-hand vehicles – from the V8-powered Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series to the pint-size Suzuki Jimny at the other end of the off-road 4×4 market – are paying hefty ‘COVID tax’ premiums as demand continues to outstrip the supply of new vehicles.
Now, however, prices for Suzuki’s cult-favourite Jimny have reached new heights.
In mid-2021, there were about 100 examples of the Suzuki Jimny listed for sale on carsales, more than half of which were stamped with asking prices of $40,000 or more, including one priced above $50,000.
Today, there are 150 examples of the latest (GJ) series Jimny available on carsales, including three fully-blinged vehicles priced over $50K, and about 100 of them are priced over $40K.
At the very top end, a private seller in NSW with a low-kilometre 2020 example is asking a whopping $62,000.
Yes, Suzuki Australia is still selling brand-new Jimnys with a starting price of $26,990 plus on-road costs for the stripped-out Jimny Lite, which is itself a decent hike over the current-generation Jimny’s launch price of $23,990 when it was released in 2019.
When we first reported these crazy prices last year, waiting times of up to 12 months for delivery of new vehicles was driving unprecedented demand for a light SUV that attracted a three-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018.
Not much has changes today. According to Suzuki Australia, there’s still an average wait time of six to eight months for new Jimny orders and future wait times remain dependent on supply.
It seems Aussies can’t get enough of the tiny but capable SUV, with Suzuki Australia confirming it currently has more than 3000 backorders to fill nationwide and warning that list is “growing rapidly by the day”.
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Keyword: Used Suzuki Jimny prices keep rising