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Who should & should not buy a Jimny Alpha MT: Review with pros & cons

7th June 2024, 16:29 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

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If you want to make a style statement or do some show-off, the Maruti Jimny will not suffice in any of it whereas the Mahindra Thar RWD will take on these needs with aplomb!

BHPian Samba recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Index

Why a new car?

We were more than happy with our Duster AWD.

But then a few factors made us reconsider retaining our Duster.

If I list a few:

The frequent diesel bans on NCR. This made me think about the future of BS4 diesel cars.

The fuel injectors in the Duster were already very sensitive, but especially when the BS6 diesel came into the picture, I was not very sure how they would hold up in the long run.
The car was out of warranty, and any parts replacement in the Duster was pretty costly.
The availability of spare parts off the shelf was not always the case. For a few spares, we had to place an order and wait for a few days. This made me think about what would happen if something went wrong while on a trip. We can be stuck for a few days.
Especially after the launch of so many new 4wds, the resale value of the Duster was declining fast.

Plus the discounts Maruti offered on the Jimny were one of the major deciding factors too.

Which cars did we consider?

The budget we fixed was roughly Rs 20L.

A few things that were non-negotiable-

It had to be an AWD/4x4
Manual transmission
We were strictly looking for

These ruled out the ScorpioN & the Gurkha. The XUV7oo AWD was not in my consideration. It was too sophisticated for my liking! I wanted something that would be more raw & abuse-friendly.

Though diesel, I still loved the Compass AWD, but at that price, we could have grabbed the Hilux with all the discounts Toyota was offering! I have always drooled on a red Hilux! If the above cars were available in petrol with an AWD/4x4, this ownership review could have been for a different car!

So the options left for us were the Maruti Jimny, Toyota Hyryder AWD/Maruti Grand Vitara AWD & the Thar Petrol MT.

Toyota Hyryder AWD/ Maruti Grand Vitara AWD

Checked the Hyryder AWD & the Grand Vitara AWD. But I couldn't justify paying Rs 20L for a car that will have better features than the Duster but will be a downgrade in terms of performance and capability. I am not even bothered about some of the features these cars offer.

Had the manufacturers given the Grand Vitara AWD in Sigma or Zeta trim, or the Hyryder AWD in 'J' or 'G' trim, I would have considered any of these. I was not ready to shell out Rs 20L for a car providing 103 Bhp and 137NM torque! If I let go of the AWD, at Rs 20L cars like Kushaq/Taigun 1.5 are available!

Mahindra Thar Petrol MT HT

I checked out the petrol Thar. I loved the car.

But it was not a practical choice for me. The lack of rear doors made accessing the rear seats a cumbersome affair for elderly people. The boot space was surprisingly much less. The ride quality felt a bit bouncy.

Finally, after some quick math, I let it go.

With the current price of petrol, and considering the low mileage of the Thar, it turned out to be less economical & impractical for my purpose.

Maruti Jimny MT

I was eyeing the Jimny for a long time. There was no immediate plan to get the Jimny. I casually took a few test drives and drove it off the road too. I liked the car, though, I was well aware of the shortcomings of the Jimny.

But I always felt paying 16L+ for the Jimny was not worth it. It felt overpriced by a couple of lac rupees.

In December 2023 when Maruti came up with a good discount, then it was no barrier for me to pick up the Jimny. I got a good deal for my Duster from Cars24 and I let the Duster go, and bring in the Jimny.

Why do I opt for the Alpha variant over the Zeta?

Cruise control
Tinted glass
Fog lamps
Alloy wheels

What do I like in the Zeta variant over the Alpha?

It has got a key to start the car! I hate this push-button switch!
The yellow halogen bulbs can be upgraded in the Zeta, whereas I can't do much to the stock-led lights of the Alpha!
The stock rims on the Zeta look cool.

Dealership experience

We bought the car from Machino Techno, BT Road, Kolkata. The deal they gave was fantastic and the lowest we could get in Kolkata.

The final OTR price was Rs 14.42L. This included the following-

Comprehensive B2B insurance with RTI
5 years extended warranty
2 years CCP
Life Time Tax
Thunder Kit

However, the dealership experience was strictly subpar.

They promised me an OCT/NOV manufactured car, but when I did the PDI, it turned out to be manufactured in July. Overall the car passed all the parameters during the PDI, so I went ahead with the purchase.

A couple of pics from the PDI day-

I asked them to get the insurance from Tata AIG, Go Digit, or ICICI Lombard, and they agreed on that, but without my permission they got it done from Iffco Tokio. I had a bad experience with Iffco Tokio with my Ford Figo earlier, so I wanted to avoid it.

I asked them for a registration number which ends with an odd number. As my other car ends with an even number. So by any chance, if the odd/even rules come into the picture in West Bengal, I can have one car at my disposal anytime. They ended up giving me an even number.

The good part is, though I got an even number, the number looks fancy.

On the delivery day, the cleanup was shoddy and I could see a lot of swirl marks on the black paint.

A couple of pics from the delivery day-

Pros & cons

Pros

Peace of mind. Be it the mechanicals of the car, after-sales service, or the rough roads, one does not have to worry about it.
This car can easily cruise between 90-110 km/hr on the highways for the whole day. I have pushed the car to higher speeds too, it can reach high speeds, but that is pointless in a Jimny. It's not meant for that.
The body-roll & ride quality are quite sorted for a body-on-frame car. I will not compare it with the Duster, but it is quite sorted if I look at this car individually.
The small footprint with high ground clearance is just tailor-made for rough hilly terrain. This car is very easy to drive under any circumstances.
In 2WD itself this car is highly capable. At places where local drivers suggested 4WD will be required, with the ESP off in 2WD mode this car easily crossed those sections.
This car is a mighty capable off-roader even in its stock form. During off-roading, the Allgrip-Pro with all the electronic aids works like a charm.
The ESP is very aggressive. Even before the tires screech on fast turns, the ESP gets activated and cuts off the power.
The AC is a chiller, & the heater works like a charm.
The 1.5L NA engine is super tractable for perfect throttle modulation on steep inclines or bad roads. I felt the throttle input to be perfect too. I won't be going for an additional throttle controller.
Regarding the stock tires, all I can say is, that it's adequate for touring. For serious off-roading, it's better to upgrade.
Fuel economy. This might come as a surprise, but the manual easily delivers a mileage of 11+ in bumper-to-bumper city traffic, and on the highways, it is possible to get a mileage of 14-15 km/L. No other body-on-frame petrol SUV with a 4WD delivers this kind of mileage!

Cons

This is not a fast car. If you want to keep pace with the turbo diesel/petrol SUVs, one has to work a lot on downshifting and revving the engine to higher rpm. Still, you will lose them most of the time, if they get an open stretch of road!
The brakes are strictly average. It's best to rely on engine braking while driving fast. Avoid late braking with this car. Better tires might improve the braking a bit.
The rear suspension tune-up is not to my liking. Sometimes it feels a bit too bouncy and with load, it sags down a lot!
Maruti made the 5-door Jimny to fit more people in comfortably, but they forgot to look at the modularity part. Simple yet functional parts like an armrest, a dead pedal, a few more bottle holders, and some storage spaces are sorely missed.
The 3-door Jimny has a turning radius of 4.9M. With an increase in wheelbase of 300+ mm, the turning radius of the 5-door Jimny came to 5.7 meters which is cumbersome at times. This shows Maruti has made no changes to the front suspension/steering components to improve the turning radius.
40L fuel tank capacity is quite less. On highways, the sweet spot is to refuel after every 400 km, and on the hills, refueling after every 300 km is safer.
Space. The rear seat lacks under-thigh support and it won't be comfortable for a tall person during long distance travels.
Though the boot space is adequate to accommodate a couple of medium to large suitcases vertically, it's still quite small when compared to other SUVs. Though it's bigger than a Thar 3 door.
This is a car for 2 people if considered for long tours. The available space is at a premium. Families with kids will have a tough time accommodating their luggage for a long road trip.
Maruti is yet to solve a few niggles reported by the owners.
Do I dare to say road presence?

Can a Jimny be used as a primary car?

Yes, if the number of people on board will be limited to 2-3. This car officially is a 4-seater.

Who should buy the Jimny?

Serious off-roaders will enjoy this car. The scope for modification is endless.
People who frequently participate in car rallies.
A family of two or max three people can use this car for their daily drive, as well as road trips, plus fun weekend off-road drives.
As a second fun car for a bigger family.
This car is ideal for people who live on hills.
People who know the shortcomings of this car.

Who should not buy the Jimny?

People whose machismo depends on the size of a car!
Jokes apart, this is not a car for any regular person who puts his/her car into normal usage like going to the office and a few highway drives.
It's a strict no for families having more than 3 people. Going for more than a 500 km drive with 4 people on board won't be comfortable.
People who do not need a 4WD. A 4WD is not at all required for 99.9% of the people. And if the 4wd part is taken off from the Jimny the rest of the car is a compromise! Cars like Tata Punch or Ignis can serve the purpose of a 2WD Jimny at half of its price! At the price point of the Jimny, one can get much more accomplished cars. At Rs15-16L buying cars like the Honda City, Virtus/Slavia, Nexon, 3XO, Grand Vitara, Creta/Seltos, and many more makes much more sense than buying a Jimny.

Why the Jimny's market share is minuscule?

Firstly I will blame it on Maruti's greedy pricing at the time of its launch. It was way too close to the much bigger, more powerful & accomplished Thar.
People in India love butch and powerful SUVs. Jimny is nowhere close to it!
If you want to make a style statement or some show-off, the Jimny will not suffice in any of it, whereas an RWD Thar will suffice these needs with aplomb!
It does not have a 2WD version or a diesel version. Though I appreciate Maruti for this.
This car offers nothing special to a regular family man who needs a car for his/her daily purpose and these buyers dominate the majority of the market.
Jimny as an individual product is pretty unique & well-engineered, but Maruti failed to market it properly.

Exterior

If a kid is asked to draw a Jeep, the closest the kid will come up with will be looking very similar to the Jimny!

Personally, I love the boxy design of the Jimny. This design has that retro feel. The dimensions are ideal for any kind of usage.

I love keeping my cars stock, so I have not changed the stock grille to the Sierra grille. The chromes do look odd. But as of now, I have not thought of any modifications.

There is nothing to write about the side profile of this car. If asked about the proportions, I find the 5-door Jimny to be quite proportionate. It does not look like a forcefully stretched version of the 3 door Jimny.

I find the rear design to be cute! The Jimny may be the only SUV, on which one can use the term cute!

It has a ribbed roof for additional strength.

The underbelly lacks protection. People who are into regular/serious off-roading can get the aftermarket underbelly protection installed. There are a lot of options available aftermarket for Jimny.

The most vulnerable part while off-roading is the radial arm guards.

The sump, oil filter, and front radiator are securely placed. It is hard to damage other components like the transfer case, silencer box, differentials, etc, unless one is too careless or abusing the vehicle beyond the limit.

For regular touring in hills or bad roads, no underbelly protection is required.

Safety and build quality

The build quality seems to be better than the other Marutis. This car feels solid & well-built. The build quality of the Jimny can be compared to the S-Cross. The interior is well put together. The bonnet is heavy, the door closing sound is reassuring, and the boot door also feels heavy (that may be due to the spare wheel). Plus the boot door comes with a hydraulic strut, which ensures the door opens slowly on its own.

The overall build quality does not feel flimsy or light from any angle. But then again, it can't be compared with the Germans/Italians or our own desh ka Loha Tata & Mahindra!

The bonnet hood lacks an insulation material from the inside. The lid feels heavy to lift. I miss the hydraulic struts which was there in my previous Duster AWD.

The safety features provided by Maruti are- 3-point seatbelts (for both front & rear passengers), 6 airbags, BLD, ESP, ABS, EBD, HDC, hill-hold, ISOFIX child seat mounts, reversing camera, and rear parking sensors.

The HDC works only when the 4wd is engaged (10km/hr in 4H & 5 km/hr in 4L).

After giving all these, I have no idea why Maruti missed out on providing a TPMS for an off-road vehicle! Also giving an inclinometer & a 360-degree camera would have been a good addition!

Paint and fit & finish

The fit and finish are typical Japanese. The panel gaps are consistent all over.

From the initial days, the paint quality seems to be good, but it's too early to comment now. Let's see how the shine and the paint hold on for long-term usage.

Tires

The Jimny came with Bridgestone Dueller HL 195/80/R15 tires. The recommended tire pressure is 26 psi in all four tires, but when the car is fully loaded then it's recommended to fill 26 psi in front and 29 psi in the rear.

The Alpha came with all 5 alloy wheels. The alloys look good in a gun metal finish. I like the design and the look of the alloys.

Regarding the stock tires, all I can say is, that it's adequate for touring. For serious off-roading, it's better to upgrade. I have driven on slush, steep gravelly inclines in 2WD itself, and the tires never gave up. But they do not aid much confidence either!

On fast corners, the ESP kicks in a bit early, but maybe with a better tire, that will improve.

I will be happy if any company comes up with an AT tire with the stock size. I am not too keen to upgrade to a fatter tire on a 5.5J rim. The most common upgrade is the 215/75/R15, whereas 225/70/R15 is another good choice. I won't recommend anything beyond 225 on the stock rims. Anything beyond that must come with a new set of rims and a lift kit.

When I bought the car, everyone recommended I upgrade the tires. At that time the tyre shops were hardly giving something between Rs2000 to 3000 per stock tyre. The max I could get from the 5 tires was Rs15,000. So I was like, let's use the stock tires, and if I need to upgrade, the loss won't be much. Hence I kept the stock tyres and till now am okay with it. If anyone is not taking this car for regular OTRs the stock tires can be used.

To date, I have encountered a couple of punctures in this 7,500 km.

The jack mounting point to change a tire-

To mount on a hydraulic lift, the jacking point will be below the radial arm guard.

And when a single tire needs to be replaced the stock jack can also be mounted at the same place.

Ground clearance

The ground clearance is 210 mm. Which is more than adequate for most of the situations. The approach angle is 36 degrees, the break-over angle is 24 degrees and the departure angle is a whopping 50 degrees. This makes the stock Jimny itself a go-anywhere vehicle!

At 2590 mm the wheelbase of the Jimny is longer than the Thar 3 door. But the 210 mm ground clearance managed to give this car a decent break-over angle.

The above specs are good enough to keep one safe during touring or some weekend off-roading. For serious off-roaders getting a lift kit is suggested!

Continue reading Samba's Maruti Jimny review for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

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