The Mahindra Thar steering is heavier but in this 4x4 SUV, it is almost as light as my Ford EcoSport.

BHPian Vid6639 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I finally managed to get a test drive of the Jimny and came back pleasantly surprised.

Since my earlier post was about the interiors and seating, I will only cover the highlights of the drive.

What's good:

1. NVH levels are very good. The petrol engine is super refined and only when pushed do you get a whine from the drivetrain. Surprise was outside noise into the cabin was less. Usually, tinny Marutis, like Baleno, always have this feeling of the window open by a few mm. This was well insulated.
2. Ride quality is sublime. It smothers anything you throw at it. Sharp joints, speed breakers, craters, nothing is felt. It doesn't thud and with the suspension travel, you can simply glide over at whatever speed you want carefree.
3. Steering was surprisingly decent. It does have a play and needs more turns lock to lock but it's very car-like. The Thar steering is heavier and more nervous as speeds build up. This felt very good. It's almost as light as my Ecosport steering and effort was similar, just that play was more and more turns lock to lock.
4. City pep from standstill is good. You won't feel wanting of power at low speeds when closing gaps in traffic.
5. 4-speed AT is not tuned for mileage and will hold gears as well as redline. Rare for a Maruti where I have seen the gearbox behave too conservatively.
6. City driving is easy, you can chuck it around and easily slot in gaps with less planning. With the Thar you are always weary of the width and even passing a car requires a lot more space vs the Jimny where you just slip through narrow gaps.

What's not good:

1. Outright acceleration is poor. No pushback into your seats and no urgency. Drive relaxed and enjoy the plush ride and refinement vs looking at outright pace. The Thar owns the Jimny when it comes to performance. Reaching 100kmph took its own sweet time. It got there but with a lot of huffing.
2. Turning radius is large and you need to get used to it. For such a small car not being able to take a U-turn at one shot catches you by surprise.
3. The ride quality has a downside and that is body roll. It's prominent. On the NICE road ramp, you can easily see the car leaning and then understeering to the outer lane. Of course, this is for those who are coming from a compact crossover like me (Ecosport). If you have a Thar then this is better.
4. The seats are not the most comfortable. Even though I mentioned earlier it was fine, when driving you feel it could have gone lower for the taller folks. It's not uncomfortable but I felt I'm sitting 2 inches higher than I would usually.
5. 4 speed AT is just acceptable. It's fine for city use but really if you are planning for long trips then this will be frustrating.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We were driving the Alpha AT variant & the gearbox was eager to shift down. The fuel efficiency shown on the MID was a single digit.

BHPian hemanth.anand recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The test drive vehicles reached Bengaluru yesterday. Today morning, I got a decent test drive at the Kalyani Nexa in JP Nagar. Me and my friend went there at 10AM sharp in a Gypsy. We were probably the first visitors of the day and hence, in an otherwise small showroom with limited parking slots, There was an empty parking spot just beside the brand-new Jimny TD vehicle. Parked the Gypsy beside the Jimny and took a couple of pictures.

Rishtey mein hum tumhare baap lagt hain

This one here is a Grey and is a very dark shade closer to black. Should've been lighter IMO. This shade of Granite Grey, the Bluish Black and the Nexa Blue are all very similar MSIL should've differentiated more I felt.

The Sales Executive came and introduced himself and without much formalities took my DL details and we went to the vehicle to start the TD. While I had seen the Jimny earlier, my friend hadn't seen it in person. While the car was being cleaned, we looked at the vehicle in detail. in another 5 minutes, we were ready to go. I took the diver's seat. The vehicle had run only 145kms. The cCentre console immediately and clearly reminds me of the Gypsy.

Remember this?!

I drove in some small lanes around JP Nagar. Due to the recently concluded elections in the state, all roads were smooth and nice. It was the first time I cursed the politicians for having done their work! Because of this, the drive was completely in 2H mode. The sales executive told that in some weeks, when one or two additional TD vehicles arrive, home TD will begin which will allow longer test drives. After 5 kms, my friend came into the driver's seat and he drove for another 3 kms till the showroom.

The vehicle we drove was an Alpha AT. The vehicle is so silent inside compared to the Gypsy. Overall suspension is on the harder side and well-sorted. Immediate suspension upgrade is not mandatory even for rough road conditions. We were first at a signal and the quick 0-60 was also impressive. It'll serve decent enough on the highways. If you want to race with a good sedan like Virtus or Slavia, you'll be disappointed but otherwise, you'll be good.

The Gearbox is eager to shift down I felt and hence the FE figures on the MID are in single digits. Of course, FE should be the last thing on your mind if you are buying this car. A Manual mode would've been nice on the AT. But like someone shared a video, Shifting L-2-D can give that manual mode. shifts are smooth and way better than an AMT (but nowhere close to a DSG). The turning radius is big but definitely doesn't feel so when driving. I drove through some really narrow lanes and it was easy to manoeuvre.

The space management inside is quite good and it doesn't feel small at all. It is officially a 4-seater and it is good for 4. Perfect vehicle for a group of 4 to go on a vacation.

While getting down one strange observation I made is that the "don't put your feet" warning symbol on the running board is only on the right side and not on the left side.

The sales executive informed us that they've received two Nexa blue vehicles for delivery. He informed me that some RTO formalities are pending post which it'll be delivered to customers in another week or so. Other colours are expected in 2-3 months he told.

While driving back home I took a Picture of the Jimny from inside the Gypsy. For the uninitiated, look at the console.

Ah now I remember!

In summary, if Gypsy is a human born in 1983, Jimny is the same person all grown up after 40 years... Mature, smart, smooth, planted, capable, Confident, not pretending to be someone else, small yet sure. if you are all of these and going through a MLC, this is the vehicle for you.

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All new cars sold in Australia are required to have autonomous emergency braking system.

Maruti Suzuki recently launched the Jimny 5-door in India. The off-roader is also set to go on sale in the Australian market soon but will have one major difference.

The Australia-spec Jimny 5-door will be largely similar to the Indian version. However, both versions widely differ when it comes to safety features. Unlike the Jimny 5-door sold in India, the SUV will get Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

The ADAS suite includes safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and high beam assist. Now, it is worth pointing out that the Australian government recently mandated that all new cars introduced from March 2023 onwards need to be equipped with autonomous emergency braking as standard.

In India, the Jimny is only offered with a basic set of safety features like 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, ESP, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control and a rearview camera.

Sitting in this car, you'd look into a Tata Nexon beside you but a Mahindra Thar will dwarf both of them.

BHPian astrodex recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Just brought my Jimny home today. Picked up from the showroom at 6 pm and went straight to change the boots to 215 Yokohama Geolanders.

I am not an expert in driving analysis, but compared to the Brio and Baleno CVT, the Jimny did not feel underpowered. Reading the reviews, I kind of expected it to be struggling to cross 100. The AT is a little noisy, like the Baleno CVT but it is predictable and linear. I didn't drive too much beyond 100, but crossed the 80 mark and the associated chimes came in quite fast and multiple times between traffic signals.

I also liked the height. Even though it has the same dimensions as say, the Nexon. Sitting next to one, you look into the Nexon. A Thar, sitting in the next lane, obviously, dwarfed both of us.

The steering, while not hard, needs some getting used to. At the gas station, I had trouble initially judging the turns required. On the road, it was a little better.

The things I don't like are the annoying chimes of the rear seat belts, the fixed driver seat height and the bad quality and even angle of the rearview camera.

I didn't notice much difference after changing tyres, but then I didn't drive too much either. It felt a little more surefooted but that might be me imagining things. Road noise also didn't seem to change much.

I really wanted the roof rails, but the dealership does not have them in stock nor does it know the price. This is the first Jimny they have sold and they are still getting the hang of things.

Here are the before and after tyre change pictures.

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The manual gearbox has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 16.94 km/l whereas the ARAI-certified mileage of the automatic is 16.39 km/l.

BHPian Aditya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Earlier this month, the Maruti Jimny was launched in India (read the full review here). The offroader is available with only one engine - a 1.5L, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol unit that develops 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 134 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. However, Maruti has provided a choice of two transmissions - manual and automatic. Both transmissions come with a four-wheel drive transfer case.

The manual transmission is a 5-speed unit. The MT version of the Jimny is cheaper than the AT by Rs. 1.2 lakh. Additionally, it has a better ARAI-certified FE figure (16.94 km/l). On the flip side, the gearshift is heavy and notchy. The clutch is heavy too. Also, because of the three pedals, the footwell is cramped.

The automatic transmission is an old 4-speed torque converter unit. While 4-speed sounds old today, one must remember that this transmission has been around for a long time and is extremely reliable. It is also smooth in operation, which should make the Jimny easier to drive especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, as mentioned earlier, the Jimny AT is more expensive to buy and has a lower ARAI-certified FE figure (16.39 km/l) than the MT.

So which transmission would you choose?

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Jimny AT, without a doubt.

For one, I've given up on MTs entirely (unless it's a sports car). Second, the Jimny's AT might be antique & outdated ("OD" button from the '90s included, "L" mode, no manual mode), but it is smooth, has proven its reliability and is quite satisfactory within the city.

Does the job. The AT is the one I'd buy with this sexy car.

Here's what BHPian HappyWheels had to say about the matter:

AT all the way, especially if you are a newbie to off-roading.

Those few times that you might take it off-road, you reduce the chances of burning out your clutch by multiple factors just by this decision, as taking it off-road will be one major criteria for this purchase.

This pure-blood off-roader is going to see a lot of uneducated abuse by many newbie owners and even at the service center. Going with the AT will honestly save at least the clutch.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say about the matter:

Voted for the AT and I still can't believe it.

My Gypsy memories are of 2-3 variants all with that signature engine-transmission noise and bouncing around in the front seat. I never imagined nor would I ever get an AT in that.

But the Jimny is different, I have seen a couple on the road and parked around. I know it's a thorough no-nonsense off-roader but it has a sophisticated and urban vibe to it.

Very rare vehicles can carry the fluorescent yellow/green shade and the Jimny carries it with elegance, and for that very reason it's at the top of the lifestyle vehicle list for me and if it ever happens, why not go all in and get the bulletproof 4-speed Ancient Transmission I (and we) have cribbed so much about on the S-Cross.

Life has indeed come a full circle.

Here's what BHPian karanddd had to say about the matter:

The manual without a doubt. It's an old-school car with an old-school charm. A manual really suits it. Especially because its engine doesn't make much power, I would love to have the ability to redline it in every gear in case I need to go fast (lol). A sluggish 4-speed AT is likely to make a slow car feel even slower.

Here's what BHPian astrodex had to say about the matter:

Honestly, I would have preferred a AT with more cogs, but given the options, it would be the AT. Jimny is not a fast mover anyway to make much difference between the two options, and the AT will make it a little better for city drives and make life easier during offroading for everyone except the experts. Also, most of the reviews have said the manual is quite notchy compared to other Suzuki vehicles. The only time manual would make sense is if you have a lot of highway miles since it would be a bit more relaxed than AT at 100km+ speeds.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The automatic transmission feels outright lazy, as expected, and makes my 10-year-old Maruti WagonR feel ‘sprightly’ in comparison.

BHPian SUVolens recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have had a Jimny booked since January and now that test drives are available freely at my location, I took two on consecutive days - fairly extended ones, totalling about 30kms over mixed surfaces including inner-city, off-road and open highways. Both were done in an Alpha AT trim and I’d like to present my experience for the rest here as follows:

1. What impresses me immediately and over all kinds of surfaces is the incredible job in the suspension department achieved by MUL engineers. The Jimny displays no road shock at all, irrespective of ruts, pavements and craters of any size. The suspension appears progressive and absorptive at all times and speeds. The car neither crashes nor throws occupants around, displaying a maturity missing in many larger vehicles of the ladder frame class or monocoques. Similarly, the damped steering never wrenches your hands from the desired position at any time. Full marks on that.
2. Much has been spoken about the visibility from the driver’s seat and I can only endorse that fully. Front, through the A-pillars or rear visibility, is peachy and it’s an all-round easy car to manoeuvre.
3. The seats up front are supportive and comfortable even for a six-footer and if I were to point a problem, it would be with a much shorter person feeling the unusually large headrests pressing the neck out at a less than comfortable position - something that will probably require a quality neck pillow available easily aftermarket.
4. NHV is acceptable at city speeds and up to 90 kmph within city limits, the engine feeling unobtrusive but not exactly eager in the AT trim. In fact, the AT feels outright lazy, as I was expecting it to be and makes my 10-year-old WagonR feel ‘sprightly’ in comparison. It transformed my Virtus GT into a Porsche when I switched back. Again, expected.
5. The rear seat angle, something I complained about while trying out the display car months ago, seems fine enough on the move and even the low thigh support is something that can perhaps be overlooked for up to a few hours. The music out of the fairly basic setup, is not exactly tinny, but more of a bass favouring muffled affair that can do at a pinch. But it won’t serve well for a wide variety of tunes.
6. Taking the car out on the expressway on day 2 however, dampened my glee a bit. On open roads, the AT was clearly straining at 100 and while it wasn’t exactly pedal-to-metal at these speeds, the car was clearly not happy. Wind noise rose spectacularly, I had to check a couple of times if I had accidentally activated overdrive-cancel and worse - the thin tires and slab sides came into play.
7. At 100, with a load of 5 people, the car was distinctly shimmying in crosswinds, acting nervous among faster traffic and reducing the confidence I felt only a day before, at an alarming rate. In stock configuration and AT trim, the Jimny would not be my pick of car for inter-city travel. I am hoping the extra cog in my chosen MT trim, would help settle the engine a bit more than the 4AT and I also hope that a slightly wider set of tires can take care of high-speed stability. But I can no longer play a blind card without a proper test drive. Unfortunately, MT aren’t available for trials yet and I’d be grateful for a genuine user review if any available here.
8. Overall, as a proposition, the Jimny in my experience, appears to be more of an inner-city gem with incredible rough road chops once you have access to such terrain. But that makes it a fairly overpriced proposition for a city-based customer like me, who’s not into off-roading as recreation, who has a better cruiser in the garage already and some more years left in my inner-city transport, the ageing WagonR.

I will update this view once I am able to get my hands on an MT. Till then, I don’t think I’ll pester my dealer for delivery. All in sweet time.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti Suzuki has received over 31,000 bookings for the Jimny in India.

Maruti Suzuki opened bookings for the Jimny 5-door in January this year. Since then, the carmaker has received over 31,000 orders and as a result, the waiting period now stretches up to 8 months.

The Maruti Jimny is available in two variants: Zeta and Alpha, with prices starting at Rs 12.74 lakh (ex-showroom). According to the company, most buyers are going for the Alpha MT variant.

Powering the Jimny is a 1.5-litre K-series engine which comes with Idle Start-Stop technology. The engine develops 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 134.2 Nm @ 4,000 rpm and is mated with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.

The Jimny is equipped with a 3-link rigid axle suspension and Suzuki's AllGrip Pro 4-wheel drive system with low-range transfer gear (4L mode). It also enables shifting from 2H two-wheel drive to 4H four-wheel drive on-the-fly.

The Summit Seeker Collection costs Rs 28,190 and is only available with the manual version.

Maruti Suzuki recently launched the Jimny 5-door in the Indian market. The carmaker also offering several accessories to spice up the off-roader.

There are three accessory packages on offer, including the 'Ultimate Lifestyle Collection' which costs Rs 5,280, while the 'Adventure Lifestyle Collection' is priced at Rs 18,950. The 'Summit Seeker Collection' costs Rs 28,190 and is only available with the manual version.

The aforementioned accessory packages include several add-ons, including door cladding, body graphics, a metal finish garnish for the bumpers, fenders, ORVMs and bonnet.

For the interiors, customers get leatherette upholstery in dual-tone black and tan colour, tan grip cover and floor mats with tread metal patterns.

Besides the packages, customers can also purchase specific accessories of their choice at the dealer level.

Maruti Suzuki Jimny accessories list & prices:

• Body cover - Rs. 1,700 - Rs. 3,300
• Spare wheel cover - Rs. 12,990
• Roof carrier - Rs. 14,990 - Rs. 21,990
• Front skid plate - Rs. 2,350
• Door cladding - Rs. 3,699
• Fender garnish - Rs. 1,150
• Seat covers - Rs. 9,400
• Fog lamps - Rs. 4,800
• Mud flaps - Rs. 899
• Door visor - Rs. 1,990
• Floor and boot mats - Rs. 1,650 - Rs. 3,300
• Window sunshade - Rs. 1,050
• Illuminate door sill guard - Rs. 2,999
• Grip cover - Rs. 390
• Expedition tent - Rs. 6,999
• Portable chair - Rs. 1,710
• Portable table - Rs. 2,199
• Sleeping bag - Rs. 1,200 - Rs. 3,299
• Portable stove - Rs. 2,400
• Umbrella - Rs. 899
• Digger Shovel - Rs. 930
• Multi-purpose knife - Rs. 479
• Duct tape - Rs. 435
• Rain Poncho - Rs. 749

The Jimny competes with the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha in the Indian market.

Maruti Suzuki has launched the Jimny 5-door in the Indian market. The off-roader is available in two trims: Zeta and Alpha, with prices starting at Rs 12.74 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Maruti Jimny is based on a rugged body-on-frame design. It measures 3,985 mm in length, 1,645 mm in width and 1,720 mm in height, with a wheelbase is 2,590 mm. The car offers a ground clearance of 210 mm.

In terms of design, the Jimny 5-door looks like a stretched version of the 3-door Jimny. It has short front and rear overhangs with approach and departure angles of 36 degrees and 47 degrees, respectively.

The Jimny comes with a 3-spoke steering wheel and a conventional twin-pod analogue instrument cluster. The centre console houses a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Powering the Jimny is a 1.5-litre K-series engine which comes with Idle Start-Stop technology. The engine develops 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 134.2 Nm @ 4,000 rpm and is mated with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.

Maruti Jimny fuel economy:

Maruti claims a fuel efficiency of 16.94 km/l for the 5-speed MT version and 16.39 km/l for the 4-speed AT version.

The Jimny is equipped with a 3-link rigid axle suspension and Suzuki's AllGrip Pro 4-wheel drive system with low-range transfer gear (4L mode). It also enables shifting from 2H two-wheel drive to 4H four-wheel drive on-the-fly.

Maruti Jimny safety features:

The Jimny comes equipped with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, ESP, Brake Limited Slip Differential, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control, ISOFIX, and Rear View Camera.

Maruti Jimny ex-showroom prices:

• Zeta MT – Rs 12.74 lakh
• Alpha MT – Rs 13.69 lakh
• Alpha MT Dual Tone – Rs 13.85 lakh
• Zeta AT – Rs 13.94 lakh
• Alpha AT – Rs 14.89 lakh
• Alpha AT Dual Tone – Rs 15.05 lakh

The Jimny's main rival in India will be the Mahindra Thar.

The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is one of the most anticipated launches of 2023. We've seen the car, driven it and soon Maruti will announce the prices. It will be officially launched tomorrow.

The Maruti Jimny will be offered in two variants: Alpha and Zeta. The carmaker is said to have secured over 30,000 bookings already.

The Jimny is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 134.2 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Customers can choose from a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission, while Suzuki's AllGrip Pro all-wheel drive system is offered as standard.

The Jimny's main rival will be the Mahindra Thar. However, Mahindra does offer the Thar with multiple powertrain options, including a diesel. It is also available in a rear-wheel drive configuration.