The Suzuki Jimny 5-Door Is the Smallest, Big SUV Around
Photo: Suzuki
Suzuki unveiled the highly anticipated Jimny 5-Door at the Auto Expo 2023 in India, along with a few other SUVs and an EV concept called the eVX. Clearly, Suzuki is living its best life outside of the U.S., the land of trucks and SUVs. It’s ironic that the Jimny has become the kind of vehicle that appeals to Americans, but like the previous Jimny 3-Door, the bigger model is unlikely to come to the U.S.
Suzuki’s Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, is helping the carmaker save face among Japanese tuners with the official five door Jimny, which will be made and sold in India. Maruti Suzuki has been making the Jimny there since 2020, but the SUV was export-only. Now that the 2023 Jimny 5-Door is due out soon, the Jimny will be sold in India for the first time.
Photo: Suzuki
The bigger Jimny will later be sold in other markets, including Africa and Latin America, but Suzuki hasn’t said what the 2023 model will cost nor exactly when it’ll be released. It’s also unclear if the Jimny 3-Door will still be sold alongside the 5-Door, although the smaller SUV might stick around due to its popularity.
The 5-Door literally builds on the success of its sibling with two extra doors, but it looks identical otherwise. It still boasts a ladder frame, manual low-range transfer case, and comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed auto.
G/O Media may get a commission
Up to $100 credit
Samsung Reserve
Reserve the next gen Samsung device
All you need to do is sign up with your email and boom: credit for your preorder on a new Samsung device.
The 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is the same as that of the 3-Door, but it now makes 104 horsepower and 99 lb-ft of torque. That’s hardly more than the 100 hp and 96 lb-ft of the 3-Door, so the Jimny hasn’t fundamentally changed: it’ll still be a snail on the road, but, hopefully still as competent off-road.
Photo: Suzuki
The changes to geometry are not drastic, with the Jimny 5-Door having an approach angle of 36 degrees, breakover of 24, and departure of 50. For reference, the 3-Door has an approach angle of 37 degrees, breakover of 28, and departure of 49. And both Jimny models have 8.2 inches of ground clearance.
The size and weight changes, on the other hand, are pretty big. The 5-Door is 157 inches long (including rear-mounted spare tire), compared to the 3-Door at 144 inches. The longer Jimny’s wheelbase is 102 inches, while the smaller model’s is 86 inches. And the Jimny 5-Door has a curb weight of 2,668 pounds. That’s over 200 pounds heavier than the 3-Door, which weighs 2,447 pounds.
The small power bump of the 2023 Jimny 5-Door probably won’t be enough to overcome the added mass and weight, but at least there’s a nicer interior with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto where you can patiently sit as you putter down the highway. Other amenities include a nicer infotainment display and standard LED headlamps with washers.
Given the success of the boxy SUV, it wasn’t long before the Suzuki Jimny got another pair of doors. Even outside of the U.S., demand for bigger SUVs seems to be growing. It’s too early to tell if the Jimny 5-Door will be as capable as the classic Jimny, but it’s almost certainly going to be as popular.
Photo: Suzuki
Photo: Suzuki
Photo: Suzuki
Photo: Suzuki
